| The role of publicity officer was not filled at the last AGM and for
the time being all committee members will help to publicise events. Apart
from the President the seven members of the committee elected in 2009 are
required to stand down in 2012 after serving for three years, although
they may stand for re-election. Mary Barry has said that she would
be willing to stand as secretary but she does not want to take responsibility
for organising the social events. As a result the committee has decided
to create a new position of social secretary to be appointed at the next
AGM. The Old Girls’ Association can only continue if members are willing
to serve on the committee; it is not an onerous or time consuming task
(there are usually only two meetings a year) but more help is needed. If
would like to find out more about what would be involved my contact details
can be found at the end of this newsletter.
Membership news – there are currently 154 members of the association, although four people have not paid the subscription for two years and will be removed from the database if they do not respond to this mailing. A renewal reminder is included with this letter if you have still to pay your subscription for 2011 – 12, please return this to the treasurer with the payment. Membership continues to fall; can you introduce a friend? If you have any ideas on how to attract more members please tell the committee.
"I left school in 1951 having spent part of the last year on a secretarial course, taken at the old "Girls’ High" in the Valley. My last year was cut short by a road accident which kept me away for several months but after making a full recovery I worked in an insurance office for five years until getting married. Most people those days left their jobs on getting married! I had four children over the following years (including twins) so was kept very busy. As the family grew up I had a part-time job in a nursery school for several years. I then took swimming teaching qualifications and life saving awards and worked in the indoor pool in Scarborough for fourteen years. I thoroughly enjoyed the work their and have not regretted not moving away from Scarborough. I now have children, grandchildren and great grandchildren who give me great pleasure. I also spent twenty six years in the scout movement, first as assistant cub leader, then as assistant group scout leader. These were fulfilling and happy years, with some never to be forgotten camps and other events and the making of life long friends." Sheila Friskney (Bolton) 1940 – 2011
A committed Christian whose faith was of vital importance to her, Sheila was baptised as an adult at Albermarle Baptist Church where she ran the parents and toddlers group and helped to set up Network, an organisation which worked with the homeless. Later at Emmanuel St. John’s she played an enormous part in the life of the church; as one of a team of Worship Conveners she helped to organise services and took part in worship. Sheila represented the church on Churches Together in Scarborough and on the Women’s Day of Prayer committee, she was actively involved in many church groups, took her turn on the cleaning rota and helped at coffee mornings. In the words of the minister "she was just part of everything – always willing to be involved and always supportive of everything that was happening" Sheila took great pleasure in being a member of the Celebration Choir, a Christian choir formed to sing at services and concerts. The group performed some of her favourite pieces, sang the blessing and led a large congregation in the hymn singing at the service to celebrate her life at Emmanuel St. John’s Church on May 13th 2011. Sheila was always friendly, unfailingly gracious, caring and kind. She never thought about herself but was always there for other people, always willing to help and she will be greatly missed by all her family and many friends. |
Sheila
died peacefully at home at the age of seventy after a short illness. She
transferred to the Girls’ High School from the Central School in 1954 and
went on to study at Elizabeth Gaskell College in Manchester before starting
a career as a domestic science teacher in York. She married and moved back
to Scarborough shortly before the birth of the first of three children
in 1964. The family was always an important part of her life, she was proud
of their achievements and with the arrival of the next generation she became
"Grandma Sheila" to six adored grandchildren. She was a fabulous cook and
a very patient teacher, locally she worked at Graham and Hunmanby Hall
Schools and gave cookery classes in various schools and community centres,
teaching the basics to a range of people. Sheila was always busy in her
own kitchen and her house was regularly filled with the smell of cooking.
She used her skills to bake for cake stalls at fund raising events (her
contributions were often sought out by her own children as they were the
best on offer). "Grandma Sheila’s" preserves were another source of income
for many charities; each year she collected surplus fruit from friends,
cycled out to "pick your own" farms or went out into the country gathering
brambles before setting to work producing copious amounts of jam, chutney
and marmalade. Sheila was always very generous in her support for others
less fortunate than herself and freely gave both time and money to help
those in need.