FROM THE CHAIR… This week saw the anniversary of the first COVID-19 lock-down in the UK followed by a year of disruption, disassociation, disenfranchisement, and disillusion as our respective worlds folded, warped, and morphed out of all recognition. Despite that, we are still here, and as far as HighlandLIT is concerned we have adapted and even grown. We are getting used to change, and that is just as well since we have a change to our committee too. At the AGM on the 16th March this year, a number of our Committee members stepped down having served diligently and enthusiastically on our behalf, and we thank them for their hard efforts, their time and their unstinting contributions. Three of the previous Committee members remain, Trish, Cathy and John, and I am thankful to them as they will provide the much-needed continuity and sage guidance as the new Committee members find their feet and take on the responsibilities of steering HighlandLIT in the coming months. We have six new members, each with their own individual skills that we wish to embrace and use to our collective benefit. Our next Committee meeting on the 28th March will be, for us newbies, the initiation, and I for one am looking forward to the exciting challenges ahead. HighlandLIT is a membership group run by an elected committee for the purpose of promoting reading and writing for adults. That is its core objective, and the new Committee will uphold that in all its constitutional forms. The past year has been challenging for us all, and as such we need to adapt. Highland Lit has done just that and as we do not know how long it will be before life returns to something resembling life ‘pre-Covid’ we will be seeking to address how we can best serve the membership and maintain our core objectives. Science and technology have saved us all in a way. ZOOM meetings and communication, largely unheard of ‘pre-Covid’, have now become a way of life, and as much as it does not replace that most ancient of actions, the human interface, it does at least give a visual and audible connection between us and has allowed us as a group to continue. It is likely that ZOOM will be our medium until such time as the restrictions are lifted, so we will try to make the most of this, and the survey of the membership in recent months has demonstrated how important this is to many members. In the coming months, I very much hope that we can work harmoniously to promote and deliver the wonderful treasure trove of literature, to encourage each other as we develop our skills, as we inspire and move each other with the written and spoken word. I am sure that I speak for all the Committee members when I say that we look forward to the coming year of events and interaction and serving the objectives of the membership. We encourage your comments and feedback and ‘our door is always open’ to ideas, and opportunities. As events unfold John Dempster will keep the membership updated and I will periodically provide an overview from the chair…
Best wishes to you all. Mark Williams HighlandLIT (Chair)
