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Ruth Nelson and Sheila Jamieson
giving personal recollections of the impact the
camps had made on their lives. |
Harold and Meta Patterson in conversation with
Jean Gibson. |
Railway Street Presbyterian Church Hall was packed on Sunday
evening 10th February as Jean Gibson guided Harold and Meta
Patterson through the memories of a lifetime. Billed as a normal
evening service, Harold and Meta had no idea that friends who
had been influenced by them over the years had been secretly
invited to this special evening. Almost overcome at first by the
sheer number of those who turned up, Harold and Meta soon
recovered to take part in a light-hearted conversation about
their life together.
Jean reminded Harold how he had distinguished himself early by
becoming a Sunday School teacher at the age of 17 and an elder
in Railway Street Presbyterian Church at the age of 21. His work
in the family business was lightened by his exploits in
filmmaking. Meta described how they met on a blind date in 1956
and married in a Quaker ceremony the following year. Memories
were shared of the 'squashes' they had for young people in their
new home 'Argyll House', the trips to Bible teaching weeks in
Filey and the youth camps in Donegal and Scotland where many
present in the hall met their future spouse.
Ruth Nelson and Sheila Jamieson gave personal recollections of
the impact the camps had made on their lives as young people and
a short video clip was shown of the very first camp in 1966. In
1976, Harold and Meta opened the Y Club in Wallace Avenue, which
soon hosted many young people, running for three nights a week
with leaders being found among those who had been on the youth
camps. It continued for the next 20 years.
During an excellent supper, guests caught up with friends from
the past, examined clippings in a scrapbook of the Y Club and
watched the DVD of camps through the years.
Although the evening was an opportunity to celebrate Harold
being awarded the MBE in the New Year's honours, Jean
highlighted the fact that far from the motivation of an earthly
award, Harold and Meta had done everything out of a genuine love
for others and for the Lord they had served since their own
young days.
Some of the many people who attended camps through the years.
Photographs by Don Mitchell
19/02/2008
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