Scottish Thistles Masters Hockey Club
2021 saw a major change in the club, not least in its name which was changed to Scottish Thistles Masters Hockey Club (STMHC) to reflect its new purpose to cater for non-international hockey from the age of 35 upwards for both sexes.
Following the setting up Scottish Masters Hockey to administer all 35+ international hockey for men and women, non international Masters Hockey will be administered by what was previously Scottish Masters LX Hockey Club - renamed as Scottish Thistles Masters Hockey Club on 17 February 2021 - and will progressively add women, and men aged 35-55, starting with women and over 55 men.
New Constitution
An online EGM took place on Wednesday 17 February 2021 at 19:00 for the purpose of approving the proposed new Constitution of the Club, including the change of name to Scottish Thistles Masters Hockey Club. The meeting, hosted with the support of Scottish Hockey, confirmed the change of name and extension of membership to include all players from the age of 35.
Executive Committee
At the Annual General Meeting on 14 April 2021, the following were elected to the Scottish Thistles Masters Executive Committee:
Club Officers
President - Mike McInally;Vice-President - Alan Parker; Secretary - John Lees; Treasurer - Jim Chisholm
Ordinary Members
Membership Secretary - Stuart Stephen; Age Group Co-ordinator - Chris Heeps. John Bennett has agreed to continue as Quartermaster for the time being and Ian Downie as Webmaster.
Strategic Plan
The new Exec's first action was to establish a strategic plan - a set of development priorities devised by Jim Chisholm. Various actions are in progress but one immediate priority was to set up an over sixties men's sub-committee to continue our participation in forthcoming events.
Thistles Sixties Plus
The over 60s mens events are well established and to manage these Thistles SP (for Sixties Plus) was formed chaired by Ian McCreath and including the age group co-ordinators Chris Heeps (Over 60); Graham Conkie (Over 65); Duncan Mitchell (Over 70) and Sandy Weir (Over 75). It is hoped that Thistles SP will develop their age group hockey in a way that can become a template for other profiles within the Thistles family. welcome page from Ian McCreath
Extended Family
The next step is to broaden the age range and profile of Spirit of Masters hockey to less old and less male; whether this is by expanding the Thistles SP sub-committee or by establishing parallel sub-groups if open for discussion. One thing is for certain that STMHC want the new profiles to endorse the Thistles philosophy of fairness of opportunity to attend events and fairness of pitch time when you get there all heavily spiced with great sense of sociability.
