The Guild

GUILD ALIVE 2005
Speakers' biographies
Here is some helpful information on the keynote speakers and of others who are taking part in the Guild's annual meeting in the Caird Hall, Dundee. 
The Right Rev David W. Lacy 
David Lacy, Moderator of the 2005 General Assembly, was born in Inverness and educated in Aberdeen and Glasgow. After graduating with a BA in French and Spanish from the University of Strathclyde, he studied divinity at Glasgow University and was ordained as an assistant minister at St George’s West Church, Edinburgh in 1976. 
In 1977 he was inducted to the charge of Knightswood: St Margaret’s, which was later linked with Netherton: St Matthew’s. Since 1989 he has been minister of Kilmarnock: Henderson Church.
David Lacy has served the Church at national and presbytery level on various boards and committees, including the Board of Communication and the Board of Practice and Procedure. From 2001 to 2004 he served as General Assembly business convener and he is currently a member of the Council of Assembly.
Married to Joan, the Moderator has a son, Michael and a daughter, Claire. His hobbies are varied, including sailing, snooker and choral singing.
Elish Angiolini QC
Elish Angiolini grew up in Govan in Glasgow and studied Law at the University of Strathclyde, graduating in 1982. Immediately after graduation she joined the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and, following her traineeship, spent eight years as a depute procurator fiscal in Airdrie, prosecuting in Airdrie Sheriff Court. 
In 1992 she moved to the Crown Office to work as part of the Lord Advocate’s Secretariat, when she developed her now long-standing interest in improving the support offered to vulnerable victims and witnesses, and in particular children. She was appointed senior depute procurator fiscal at Glasgow, taking on operational responsibility for the running of Sheriff and Jury trials, before being appointed assistant procurator fiscal at Glasgow in 1995. 
In 1997 she was appointed head of policy in the Crown Office, with responsibility for the development of policy across all functions of the department. In particular, she helped the department prepare for devolution and was involved in the preparation of the Scotland Act 1998. At the same time, she was responsible for the department’s preparations for the introduction of the European Convention on Human Rights.
She was appointed as regional procurator fiscal for Grampian and the Highlands and Islands in July 2000 based in Aberdeen, the first woman to hold such a post. 
She was installed as solicitor general for Scotland on 5 December 2001 – again the first woman, the first procurator fiscal and the first solicitor to hold the post – and is now supporting the Lord Advocate, Colin Boyd QC, in taking forward the most wide-ranging programme of modernisation in the department’s history.
She is married with two children. 
Bob Holman
Bob Holman was an evacuee during the war. He went to London University where he met a beautiful Glaswegian, Annette, and they married in 1963. After working as a local authority social worker, Bob taught at universities and was professor of social policy at Bath University. He left to found a community project on a council estate in Bath. After 11 years, he and Annette moved to Easterhouse in Glasgow in 1987 where Bob undertook neighbourhood work and Annette worked for Quarriers. 
Bob has written a number of books, the latest of which is Ordinary Christians. He is also a regular columnist for the society supplement of the Herald newspaper.
Annette and Bob have two grown up children. David is a researcher at Sheffield University and Ruth a community gynaecologist.
The Mary Slessor Foundation 
The foundation was founded to continue her good work among the poor people of Cross River State, Nigeria. We are grateful to the Mike Gibb, a trustee of the Foundation and author of Mother of all the Peoples and to cast members, Lynne Binnie (elder Mary), Tricia Stewart (younger Mary), and Carolyn Wiseman (Janet Wright) for sharing in our day. The composer/arranger of the music is Mairi Paton and the pianist for the day is Jenny More. 
Stuart Muir, Dundee city organist and pastoral musician at St Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral is leading our praise today.
The Guild team
Convener, Norah Summers, and vice convener, Lesley McCorkindale, have planned today’s programme with the help of retiring conveners, Elspeth Dale, Ann Bowie, Xandra Shearer and Ray Spalding. 
Taking part are current conveners, Helen-May Bayne, Ella Burns, Eleanor Cowie and Esme Duncan together with staff members, Alison Twaddle (general secretary) and Fiona Punton (information officer).
Guild members, Elspeth Kerr, Sheila Philp and Isobel Bell, are sharing in the Guild Week presentation, representing thousands who took part across the nation.