Coronavirus – Message from the Secretary

Dunfermline Historical Society
July 2020

Greetings to all Dunfermline Historical Society members!

July this year finds us all in a very odd place! I’m sure you would agree, since March, life has been very strange indeed! Hopefully all DHS members have been able to keep safe during this long and somewhat isolating time.
As I’m sure you remember, in March the DHS Committee decided to cancel all remaining meetings for season 2019-20, also the trip to Thirlestane Castle which was planned for June this year.
At that time this pandemic was in its early stages and no-one was quite sure of the best way forward, however, as events unfurled, we realised we had made the right decision by cancelling our meetings.
Despite the fact there have been no DHS group meetings since February, DHS business has not stopped, and the Committee has continued to hold meetings using Skype sessions. Through these sessions we are able to monitor changing circumstances and discuss the way forward for the Society. There is, however, continuing uncertainty about when and how things can return to normal. As a result the Committee has taken another decision, namely that no DHS group meetings will be held this year of 2020. This, unfortunately, also includes our 50th anniversary celebration, which was due to be held at the Pitbauchlie House Hotel on the evening of our scheduled October meeting, Thursday 15th of that month.
Present thinking is that we may not reconvene until either March or April 2021 at the earliest, allowing the winter and its associated problems to pass. With no guidance as yet on the Abbey Church Hall’s regulations regarding the pandemic, and as a result of ever-changing Government guidelines, it is impossible to predict the way forward in the foreseeable future. Reconvening in March or April 2021 could also mean that those meetings already paid for by members (March, April and May 2020) could be substituted by those same months in 2021 at no extra charge.
Early in 2021 we hope to have a clearer view of the situation, and in the event of any continuing problems, we would probably be looking at reconvening in the new season of September 2021. We hope to transfer our 50th anniversary to October 2021, whatever format is possible at that time.
In the meantime, can I summarise by saying –

•  there will be no DHS group meetings this year of 2020.
•  earliest DHS meetings are likely to be held in March or April 2021, depending on circumstances by then.
•  at the latest we hope to reconvene in September 2021, probably celebrating our 50th anniversary as a 50+1 event in October 2021.

We will of course be back in touch, early in 2021, to inform you of the way forward. In the meantime, we hope you are all keeping well and have been able to get through this difficult time to the best of your ability, and we look forward to seeing you all in the not-too-distant future!

Very best wishes
Cherry Allan (secretary)