That the Parliament congratulates Banff Rugby Club on reaching its 40th anniversary; notes that the club will be hosting a celebration of rugby on 25-26 May 2018, including a fundraising dinner for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, which helps fund research into motor neurone disease, and exhibition games from the club's men’s and women’s teams, and wishes everyone involved at the club all the very best for 2018 and beyond.
Current Status:
That the Parliament congratulates Banff Rugby Club on reaching its 40th anniversary; notes that the club will be hosting a celebration of rugby on 25-26 May 2018, including a fundraising dinner for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, which helps fund research into motor neurone disease, and exhibition games from the club's men’s and women’s teams, and wishes everyone involved at the club all the very best for 2018 and beyond.
Supported by: Ruth Maguire, Colin Beattie, Ash Denham, Liam McArthur, Mark McDonald, Sandra White, Richard Lyle, Clare Haughey, David Torrance, Joan McAlpine, Graeme Dey, Bill Kidd, Fulton MacGregor, Kenneth Gibson, Jenny Gilruth, Alex Rowley, Gillian Martin
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That the Parliament congratulates Aberchirder Primary School in Banffshire on celebrating 50 years since the school opened on 14 March 1968; recognises that events to commemorate the occasion included Aberchirder’s Got Talent, an afternoon tea and an exhibition on the school’s history; notes that pupils were invited to design a tartan for the airline, Loganair, as part of a competition, which the P3 pupil, Luke Reglinski, won; welcomes that the tartan, which has been registered with the official tartan registry, will be incorporated into the school uniform; wishes the head teacher, Lisa Campbell, and all the pupils and staff in the school well, and looks forward to the next 50 years of education in Aberchirder.
Current Status:
That the Parliament congratulates Aberchirder Primary School in Banffshire on celebrating 50 years since the school opened on 14 March 1968; recognises that events to commemorate the occasion included Aberchirder’s Got Talent, an afternoon tea and an exhibition on the school’s history; notes that pupils were invited to design a tartan for the airline, Loganair, as part of a competition, which the P3 pupil, Luke Reglinski, won; welcomes that the tartan, which has been registered with the official tartan registry, will be incorporated into the school uniform; wishes the head teacher, Lisa Campbell, and all the pupils and staff in the school well, and looks forward to the next 50 years of education in Aberchirder.
Supported by: Ash Denham, Joan McAlpine, Sandra White, Kenneth Gibson, David Torrance, Edward Mountain, Richard Lyle, Bill Kidd, Jenny Gilruth, Ruth Maguire, Tom Arthur, Gillian Martin
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That the Parliament congratulates Cassie Findlay from Grange in Banffshire, who was awarded Grampian Young Burnsian at The Robert Burns World Federation North East Scotland Schools Competition; recognises that Cassie came first in the poetry competition and for piping, second in the fiddle section and third for singing; notes that the competition was held in Meldrum Academy, Oldmeldrum, on 24 March 2018, and wishes Cassie and all the other competitors from Grampian well in the National Festival for Secondary School Children, which will be held at Denny High School on 21 April 2018.
Current Status:
That the Parliament congratulates Cassie Findlay from Grange in Banffshire, who was awarded Grampian Young Burnsian at The Robert Burns World Federation North East Scotland Schools Competition; recognises that Cassie came first in the poetry competition and for piping, second in the fiddle section and third for singing; notes that the competition was held in Meldrum Academy, Oldmeldrum, on 24 March 2018, and wishes Cassie and all the other competitors from Grampian well in the National Festival for Secondary School Children, which will be held at Denny High School on 21 April 2018.
Supported by: Sandra White, Bob Doris, Clare Haughey, Joan McAlpine, Bill Kidd, Graeme Dey, Richard Lyle, Mark McDonald, Stuart McMillan, Ruth Maguire, David Torrance, Gillian Martin, Ash Denham, Jenny Gilruth, Fulton MacGregor, Tom Arthur, Ivan McKee
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That the Parliament congratulates the 1st Macduff Scout Group on the £132,000 renovation of its Scout hut; acknowledges that the project received £64,560 from the LEADER programme with the rest raised by the troop; notes that the building, which has previously been a school and a chapel, was gifted to the Scouts in the 1940s; understands that the renovation provides a more efficient internal layout and an extension to the building, has raised the roofline, provides room for a kitchen and offers ample storage to support broader community use; acknowledges that the four-year project was led by the chair of the Scout Committee, Colin Buist, and wishes the Macduff Scouts well in the refurbished hut.
Current Status:
That the Parliament congratulates the 1st Macduff Scout Group on the £132,000 renovation of its Scout hut; acknowledges that the project received £64,560 from the LEADER programme with the rest raised by the troop; notes that the building, which has previously been a school and a chapel, was gifted to the Scouts in the 1940s; understands that the renovation provides a more efficient internal layout and an extension to the building, has raised the roofline, provides room for a kitchen and offers ample storage to support broader community use; acknowledges that the four-year project was led by the chair of the Scout Committee, Colin Buist, and wishes the Macduff Scouts well in the refurbished hut.
Supported by: Ruth Maguire, David Torrance, Sandra White, Kenneth Gibson, Richard Lyle, Joan McAlpine, Edward Mountain, Graeme Dey, Mark McDonald, Bill Kidd, Tom Arthur, Fulton MacGregor, Jenny Gilruth, Ivan McKee, Gil Paterson, Gillian Martin
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That the Parliament acknowledges that there is an increasingly wide spectrum of applications for digital technology, including those related to internet shopping, banking, travel and automated supermarket checkouts; understands that the latest digital technology has the potential to be developed for electronic and internet voting and deliver electors flexibility in their choice of voting method; considers that the traditional paper voting method has remained virtually unchanged since 1872 and has yet to benefit from advancements in technology; notes the calls by the Institution of Engineering and Technology for government to embrace the latest knowledge in electronic voting, which it believes will encourage more young people in the Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituency and across Scotland to vote and help reduce the costs of the traditional paper voting system; recognises that there are important security considerations relating to confidentiality and eligibility that must first be resolved; believes that when these issues are resolved and public confidence is earned, electronic voting has the potential to deliver lower cost elections and improve voter turnout; acknowledges what it sees as the opportunity presented by the Scottish Government’s consultation on electoral reform to further investigate the potential benefits of electronic and internet voting systems, and notes the calls on individuals and organisations to take part.
Current Status:
That the Parliament acknowledges that there is an increasingly wide spectrum of applications for digital technology, including those related to internet shopping, banking, travel and automated supermarket checkouts; understands that the latest digital technology has the potential to be developed for electronic and internet voting and deliver electors flexibility in their choice of voting method; considers that the traditional paper voting method has remained virtually unchanged since 1872 and has yet to benefit from advancements in technology; notes the calls by the Institution of Engineering and Technology for government to embrace the latest knowledge in electronic voting, which it believes will encourage more young people in the Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituency and across Scotland to vote and help reduce the costs of the traditional paper voting system; recognises that there are important security considerations relating to confidentiality and eligibility that must first be resolved; believes that when these issues are resolved and public confidence is earned, electronic voting has the potential to deliver lower cost elections and improve voter turnout; acknowledges what it sees as the opportunity presented by the Scottish Government’s consultation on electoral reform to further investigate the potential benefits of electronic and internet voting systems, and notes the calls on individuals and organisations to take part.
Supported by: Ruth Maguire, James Dornan, Graeme Dey, Bill Kidd, Joan McAlpine, Ash Denham, John Mason, Clare Haughey, Fulton MacGregor, Richard Lyle, Richard Lochhead, Sandra White, Jenny Gilruth, Gillian Martin, David Torrance, Tavish Scott, John Finnie, Neil Findlay, Alex Rowley
Current Status: Achieved Cross Party Support
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That the Parliament congratulates the 15 pupils from schools across the north east in reaching the final of the My Future Aspirations art competition; notes that the winner, Jessica Broadrick, is a pupil at Portlethen Academy; further notes that the competition finalist, Ryan Baxter, is from Banff Academy; understands that the competition challenges S1 and S2 pupils from across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to create a self-portrait that illustrates personal aspirations for future learning, development and career choices; understands that DYW North East and Thorpe Molloy worked together to showcase the aspirations of young people more publically; acknowledges that the competition complements the curriculum for excellence capacities of being a responsible citizen and effective contributor; notes that it has been running since 2009 and celebrates pupils’ artistic talent, creativity and inclusion; commends everyone involved in the competition, and wishes them further success in the future.
Current Status:
That the Parliament congratulates the 15 pupils from schools across the north east in reaching the final of the My Future Aspirations art competition; notes that the winner, Jessica Broadrick, is a pupil at Portlethen Academy; further notes that the competition finalist, Ryan Baxter, is from Banff Academy; understands that the competition challenges S1 and S2 pupils from across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to create a self-portrait that illustrates personal aspirations for future learning, development and career choices; understands that DYW North East and Thorpe Molloy worked together to showcase the aspirations of young people more publically; acknowledges that the competition complements the curriculum for excellence capacities of being a responsible citizen and effective contributor; notes that it has been running since 2009 and celebrates pupils’ artistic talent, creativity and inclusion; commends everyone involved in the competition, and wishes them further success in the future.
Supported by: Joan McAlpine, Bill Kidd, Ruth Maguire, Graeme Dey, Clare Haughey, Stuart McMillan, Richard Lyle, Fulton MacGregor, Ash Denham, Jenny Gilruth, Clare Adamson, Gillian Martin, David Torrance, Gail Ross, Ivan McKee, Ben Macpherson
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That the Parliament congratulates Rosehearty Community Boat Club on its £10,000 grant from Awards for All Scotland, which it will use to renovate its recently acquired new premises into a community space; notes that the club offers boating experiences to people of all ages and offers the opportunity to learn craft skills development through boatbuilding workshops; recognises the important role that outdoor facilities such as this can have on improving community and social wellbeing for people of all ages; commends the club’s efforts to expand its offering to the community, and wishes it success with its new project.
Current Status:
That the Parliament congratulates Rosehearty Community Boat Club on its £10,000 grant from Awards for All Scotland, which it will use to renovate its recently acquired new premises into a community space; notes that the club offers boating experiences to people of all ages and offers the opportunity to learn craft skills development through boatbuilding workshops; recognises the important role that outdoor facilities such as this can have on improving community and social wellbeing for people of all ages; commends the club’s efforts to expand its offering to the community, and wishes it success with its new project.
Supported by: Richard Lyle, Joan McAlpine, Sandra White, Edward Mountain, Gillian Martin, Liam Kerr, Bill Kidd, Ash Denham, Stuart McMillan, Clare Haughey, Ruth Maguire, Fulton MacGregor, David Torrance, Ben Macpherson, Ivan McKee, Tom Arthur
Current Status: Fallen on 13/03/2018
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That the Parliament congratulates Doug Jones on his election as Senator for Alabama, and welcomes the defeat of what it considers a racist, homophobic, anti-choice, pro-gun candidate who faced a substantial number of accusations of sexual misconduct which, while noting that these are yet to be tested in a legal forum would, it considers, have normally led to a candidate with a proper moral code to stand down from election.
Current Status:
That the Parliament congratulates Doug Jones on his election as Senator for Alabama, and welcomes the defeat of what it considers a racist, homophobic, anti-choice, pro-gun candidate who faced a substantial number of accusations of sexual misconduct which, while noting that these are yet to be tested in a legal forum would, it considers, have normally led to a candidate with a proper moral code to stand down from election.
Supported by: Pauline McNeill, Ash Denham, Ivan McKee, Bill Kidd, Clare Haughey, David Torrance, Neil Findlay, John Finnie, Fulton MacGregor, Ben Macpherson
Current Status: Fallen on 13/03/2018
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That the Parliament congratulates John Bell on being named Portknockie’s 2017 Citizen of the Year; understands that this was a surprise for John, who was presented with the John Addison Memorial Trophy following the village’s Christmas lights switch-on ceremony; recognises his continuous and varied contributions as a member of the community association, taking roles ranging from bingo night volunteer to vice-chairman, and commends John on his long service to the Portknockie community.
Current Status:
That the Parliament congratulates John Bell on being named Portknockie’s 2017 Citizen of the Year; understands that this was a surprise for John, who was presented with the John Addison Memorial Trophy following the village’s Christmas lights switch-on ceremony; recognises his continuous and varied contributions as a member of the community association, taking roles ranging from bingo night volunteer to vice-chairman, and commends John on his long service to the Portknockie community.
Supported by: Ruth Maguire, Clare Adamson, Jenny Gilruth, Ivan McKee
Current Status: Fallen on 13/03/2018
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That the Parliament congratulates Heriot-Watt University on its success in the Amazon Alexa Prize; notes that a group of seven Heriot-Watt Mathematical and Computer Science PhD students and two faculty advisers finished an impressive third in the global final of the competition for university students, which is dedicated to accelerating the field of conversational artificial intelligence; believes that the team’s success exemplifies that the university and Scotland are at the forefront of the development of artificial intelligence and robotics; understands that Heriot-Watt was the only UK team to reach the final and that it beat fierce international competition from the likes of Harvard and Princeton to do so; highlights that, during the course of the competition, thousands of Alexa customers put the software to the test by conversing with the three finalists’ socialbots on a host of popular topics and gave their feedback based on whether the conversation flowed naturally and the technology was up to the task; recognises that the Heriot-Watt’s Alana software came second for average length of coherent and engaging exchange and, on the final day of public testing, gained the highest average rating of all the teams; congratulates the Heriot-Watt students on winning $50,000, and wishes them well in their future studies.
Current Status:
That the Parliament congratulates Heriot-Watt University on its success in the Amazon Alexa Prize; notes that a group of seven Heriot-Watt Mathematical and Computer Science PhD students and two faculty advisers finished an impressive third in the global final of the competition for university students, which is dedicated to accelerating the field of conversational artificial intelligence; believes that the team’s success exemplifies that the university and Scotland are at the forefront of the development of artificial intelligence and robotics; understands that Heriot-Watt was the only UK team to reach the final and that it beat fierce international competition from the likes of Harvard and Princeton to do so; highlights that, during the course of the competition, thousands of Alexa customers put the software to the test by conversing with the three finalists’ socialbots on a host of popular topics and gave their feedback based on whether the conversation flowed naturally and the technology was up to the task; recognises that the Heriot-Watt’s Alana software came second for average length of coherent and engaging exchange and, on the final day of public testing, gained the highest average rating of all the teams; congratulates the Heriot-Watt students on winning $50,000, and wishes them well in their future studies.
Supported by: Bill Kidd, Richard Lyle, Ash Denham, Kenneth Gibson, Iain Gray, Joan McAlpine, Clare Haughey, Stuart McMillan, Sandra White, Gillian Martin, Jenny Gilruth, Clare Adamson, Colin Beattie, Ivan McKee, David Torrance, Tom Arthur
Current Status: Fallen on 13/03/2018
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