President Gordon Burgess welcomed twelve other members. The secretary announced that the Board had decided that the AGM should be held on Tuesday June 26, with the presidential handover the following Tuesday.
Adam Muggoch reported that he had attended the District 1230 final of the Primary Schools Quiz, at which local representatives Lomond School came sixth in a very close contest, just four points behind the winners.
Derek Hall gave a fascinating talk on how the strictures of World War Two affected the whisky industry, with the introduction and then regular raising of duty to be paid to the Government. Production was progressively reduced, and in 1945 four and a half million gallons of whisky were lost through the bombing of three distilleries, including Yoker and Auchentoshan.
He said that today from a £15 bottle of whisky, the Government took £12 — 79% — in tax.
Derek also told the true story of the 8,000 ton SS Politician foundering on a sandbank off Eriskay in February 1941, with 260,000 bottles of whisky and £143,000 of Jamaican ten shilling notes on board.
All the crew were rescued — as were over 25,000 bottles of whisky and a lot of ten shilling notes. Many found their way to homes on nearby islands, as immortalised by Compton Mackenzie in his book 'Whisky Galore'! In 2017 a bottle salvaged by a diver was sold for £16,000.
Donald Fullarton proposed the vote of thanks, and the weekly raffle for a whisky miniature was won by Ron Dunachie.