I am now seventy-two and I have been Convener of SCEN for twelve years. I believe that the time has come for change, to give the Board of Trustees the opportunity to consider the splendid recommendations of Archie McGlynn's 2017 SCEN Review: Ten Years On and the Future in the longer term.

So I have resigned as Chair and Convener of SCEN, with effect from 30 June 2018. I am delighted to tell you that at their Meeting on 15 February 2018, Trustees elected unanimously:

Simon Macaulay as Chair and Convener of SCEN, with effect from 1 July 2018
Morag Anderson as Deputy Chair and Deputy Convener of SCEN, with effect from 1 July 2018

We are all very pleased that Lord Wilson of Tillyorn will be there as President to continue to support SCEN during the next year of transition. It has been an enormous privilege and a delight to be part of SCEN and its activities and I am especially grateful to each of you for your enthusiasm and personal support. I am delighted that Simon will be taking over: as the former Chair of the National Working Group on Languages, the SCEN Leader of the East Lothian Learning of Chinese programme and a Mandarin learner himself, he is abundantly qualified and keen. Morag Anderson has great experience of charities and of accounting as well as the work of SCEN: she has also agreed to become SCEN's Data Protection Officer. 

I look forward very much to seeing you at the SCEN Lecture in Association with The Royal Society of Edinburgh on Thursday 24 May, 5.30 pm, at the Royal Society of Edinburgh, George Street. You will remember my full disclosure: the lecturer is Dr Roger Collins, my husband of forty years plus! His title is Myth and Reality in Silk Road History; his talk will be very lively and visual. The Chair will be Professor Murray Pittock FRSE, the distinguished historian from the University of Glasgow, and Simon Macaulay will give the Vote of Thanks. Senior school students would be very welcome too: at the last SCEN Lecture, they were articulate contributors to discussion.

There will be a wine reception in the Wellcome Room West at 7.15 - 8.15 pm after the discussion. It will be a great joy to me to see you many of you there. Just email me to book your place for 24 May: judithmcclure12a@aol.com