Summary of 2018 Chairman’s Report
The key points from Andy Scott, Chairman of the Melville College Trust, report at the Annual General Meeting of the Trust in November 2018. This was Andy’s third spell as Chairman and again it had been a busy and eventual year.
The Trust Fund Bursaries –
- We continue to use investment income to support the school with £230,000 of support for bursaries.
- In 2017/18 there were 30 awards, 15 to pupils in SMC and 15 to MES pupils, which has enabled these pupils to enjoy the excellent facilities and education at ESMS. These were at different percentages of tuition fees with several at 100%. In 2017/18, 31 awards have been made 15 at SMC, 15 at MES and one in P7 of the Junior School. The number of applications for support towards fees continues to rise which is the main reason we seek donations & legacies to be invested to allow us to provide support to more pupils in the future either as bursaries or in cases of hardship.
Other awards –
- Our grant of £10,000 in support of a number of School projects including a basketball scoreboard, books for the Boarding House and Junior School Libraries, looms and wool for the Weaving Club and shooting jackets for the CCF. Our main donation was one of over £5,000 for canoes for Carbisdale, which were greatly appreciated by the pupils who have used them.
Other activities –
- The process of gaining permission for listed building consent, planning permission and conservation area consent for the plaque outside our old school premises in Melville Street has at last gained permission and approval by both the existing tenants and the Council. It is hoped to have the plaque in place in the next few months.
- One of the highlights will be this year’s Melville College FP reunion which is being run jointly by the Trust and the School Development Office in the Dean Church, which was recently purchased by the School.
- David Gray, School Principal retired at the end of the last School year and as a token of appreciation for David’s efforts and support he gave the Trust over the years, he was presented with a Quaich.