Dear Friends and Colleagues
I have pleasure in putting pen to paper (so to speak) as your new President.
What a great time we had in London, which was for many, our first full face to face conference in nearly three years. I do want to take the time to thank the team at Heathrow led so well by Steve and supported so well by Judi. We had a great time of learning, networking and enjoying fellowship with each other. It was also great to see a number of colleagues join the conference online.
I also want to thank the outgoing Board led by Pierre for your contribution to the life of the Association and especially your encouragement and communication through one of the toughest times in aviation history.
There are a few chaplains that are also either finishing or retiring and I especially want to mention the Reverend Canon Jonathon Baldwin from Gatwick who will retire at the end of the year after more than twenty years as an Airport Chaplain with four of those years as President of the IACAC Board. We wish you well in retirement but hope that you stay connected to the Association.
I have led my first couple of Board meetings and I look forward to working with the Board. Over the next few newsletters I want to give you a little Bio on each member so you know who is representing you. We are also going to undertake a short survey in the next couple of months as we want to determine how the IACAC can support and build up its members.
We will also be undertaking a study to ensure that when the IACAC badge is seen at an airport somewhere in the world the airport understands what this badge means and that the chaplains bring the best to the airport where they are serving.
I was reminded a few days ago of the opening of the Creation account in Genesis which says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the water.”
I guess for many this last couple of years has stripped away an industry that we were all comfortable working in, even though it did seem to be going at such a pace that people were often at breaking point.
I believe just like God had an empty canvass to work on when he created the heavens and the earth we each have a new canvass to work on as the airline industry rebuilds and refocuses. I believe as a new board we also have the opportunity to build on the work of those who have gone before but also to create a new canvas with an exciting and enriching story.
I would encourage you to send us your stories and news so we can keep in touch with each other.
God bless each of you in your corner as we share together is Civil Aviation Chaplains.
Martyn Scrimshaw
Melbourne Airport
President