From the Chairman
Andrew Kellett
of local restrictions, often outdoors and in small numbers, sometimes wearing face coverings and not touching hands. I suspect this is how it will be for some time to come. We are a global society and Coates Crescent cannot announce when it is safe to dance. Each branch, teacher and dancer must make that decision for themselves. Local and personal circumstances vary so much, and what is acceptable one week may not be the next. I applaud the groups of dancers who, adhering to local regulations and considering the points raised on the RSCDS website, are experimenting with ways of dancing, compliant with current guidelines. Only when dancers have re-gained their confidence to dance locally will committees be prepared to organise balls, classes for newcomers and residential schools.
What a year it has been. Our lives were turned upside down. Scottish dancing stopped completely, and only now are we beginning to glimpse a flickering light at the end of the tunnel. The Society responded to the Covid crisis through Dance Scottish At Home, the podcast, the Zoom class and A Summer Celebration to keep the worldwide community of Scottish dancers and musicians connected, informed and entertained. We posted an extra mini-magazine to the members we could not reach via email. Branches have done sterling work to stay in touch with their members. Teachers have run on-line classes and musicians have given virtual concerts. The Board met every month to re-shape Society activities and plans. On page 10 the Treasurer explains how the Society is managing the significant loss of income, and the Convenors describe how the Committees have maintained some semblance of business as usual. The Editorial Team have produced another magazine of high quality. The staff have continued to provide an excellent service while working from home and with reduced resources. A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to this fantastic Society-wide effort.
The Society’s response to the crisis has been fantastic. Thank you. I am immensely proud of the Society’s response: the personal support through our social network; the flexibility and innovation at an organisational level; the hours and hours of sheer hard work and, above all, the spirit. We are determined to keep the RSCDS alive and convinced that we will dance again. It has been heartening in the last few weeks to learn about branches and groups venturing back on to the dance floor, always mindful
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www.rscds.org
Will things ever be normal? I certainly expect that we shall experience again the social spirit of Scottish dance, the exhilaration of dancing to live music and the atmosphere created by a room packed with dancers. In other ways, though, this crisis will have a lasting impact. Through the dark months we have had to think differently about health and well-being, how we communicate and how we use technology. In some ways the world has changed, and the Society can use that to our advantage. People will want to hear our messages about the social benefits of Scottish dancing. Dance Scottish At Home has offered ideas for additional channels of communication with members and the dance and music community at large. On-line learning may be used more in future to augment the traditional ways of teaching SCD.
Dancing will return and the Society will thrive. This is my last column as RSCDS Chairman. I step down in November and the task of taking the Society forward will fall to Lorna Ogilvie and a refreshed Management Board. They will do a great job. In addition to her RSCDS background, Lorna brings to the role a lot of relevant experience from a successful professional career, and she will have a very capable team working with her. I would not have wanted my term to end this way – on a computer screen, chairing a remote AGM – but it has been a wonderful two years. Thank you for the invitations to branch events, some grand, others small and informal, but always the same friendly welcome and the shared pleasure of dancing and talking together. I have learnt about so many inspirational members who work tirelessly in support of their branch and to promote Scottish dance and music. I have been lucky to work with great colleagues, including all our Trustees, among whom I am especially grateful to the Convenors, Bill, and Lorna for their support, and members of staff, who are very capably led by Clare, who is also a highly efficient Board Secretary. Many thanks to you all, to Jimmie and Ian, who are stepping down as magazine Editor and Music Director respectively, and to the legions of dedicated members who give so much to the Society. Being your Chairman has been a humbling as well as an immensely enjoyable experience. Best wishes and good luck. Dancing will resume and the Society will thrive thanks to your continuing commitment and enthusiasm.
