Series 4 > Knights of St John of Jerusalem in Scotland

it would be helpful if suggestions as to suitable editors who might be
approached accompanied such proposals of sources for publication. In more
general terms Council would be interested to hear from members about
what sort of publications they found or would find most interesting. Such
submissions as to publication policy should be sent either to the Publication
Secretary (Dr Rae) or the Secretary (Dr Stevenson) who will present them
to Council.
The Constitution of the Society lays down that its financial year must run
from i November to 31 October. This has, however, proved inconvenient,
as the annual accounts cannot be completed and approved by Council until
early November, leaving only a few weeks to print them and distribute
them to members before the Annual Meeting. The Council therefore
recommends that paragraph 9(2) of the Constitution be altered to read ‘The
financial year for the Society’s financial affairs, including the annual sub¬
scription, shall run from 1 October to 30 September, or otherwise as the
Council shall determine’.
The three members of Council due to retire by rotation are Dr Frances
J. Shaw, Professor D. E. R. Watt, and Mrs Virginia Wills. In their place the
following will be proposed to the Annual Meeting for election to Council:
Dr Donald Abbott (who is a curator in the Scottish Record Office),
Mr John S. Gibson (who is an Under-Secretary in the Department of
Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland, and author of Ships of the '45), and
Mr Bruce Walker (who is a lecturer in the Department of Architecture in
the University of Dundee).
The chairman of Council, Professor T. C. Smout, is also due to retire, and
Council will propose to the Annual Meeting that Mr Alexander D. Cameron
be elected chairman. Mr Cameron was formerly a principal history teacher
in Hawick and Inverness, and is the author of The Caledonian Canal and
school books.
During the past year 6 members of the Society have died, n have
resigned and 12 have been removed from membership for non-payment of
subscription. Thirty-two new members havejoined. The total membership,
including 221 libraries, is now 777, compared with 774 in 1980.
The Chairman of Council, Professor T. C. Smout, presented the Annual
Report, reviewing the forthcoming publications. He explained in detail the
necessity for the alteration in the Constitution to amend the financial year.
The Treasurer then presented his accounts. On the motion of Mr John