FUN with the Young Single Adults

The Young Single Adults were asked to decorate the LARGE hall at the Stake Center for the Gold and Green  Ball to be held after Seminary/Institute graduation on June 14. A large transport parachute was obtained, and then came the fun of getting it UP, UP, UP, stringing lights and other gauze curtains and ceiling coverage to transform the hall into a white wonderland. Unfortunately, it took a lot longer than was originally estimated. Fortunately, it turned out very delightful, with tables with green runners and vases of lilies as the finishing touch.

Finally, the big evening came. Fortunately, the graduation was nice. We had 33 course completion certificates presented, although unfortunately, only half of the people were there. Our council president was finally able to graduate from Institute; one of the courses must be Book of Mormon, and he missed that one on the course rotation, because he was on his mission. Several students spoke, then the Stake President and the government official from the Kingdom of Fife. The Stake President talked about knitting, then asked who knitted. One of the seminary graduates (a guy) raised his hand, and he was asked to come up front with his mom, and the president showed everyone a pattern for a cardigan sweater, and said the directions were just gobblygook to him. His point was that we need to have a pattern for our lives to achieve the best we can be, and fortunately, the gospel gives us that.  

Our stake president with city official and graduates

 The Gold and Green Ball followed with a live band.

Dance action --  celidh, anyone?

Our assignment was to sell the drinks, for a money-maker for the youth programs. We set up a little table at the back of the hall, and set up shop. Fortunately, it was a fun way to watch the dance and interact with people. Unfortunately, the amount of drinks we were advised to buy (at least 400 drinks, including bottled fancy juices, soft drinks and bottled water) was WAY too much. And it turned out out we only sold 1/3 of our water bottles, and about 2/3 of our other drinks. Also, unfortunately, we assumed that cups would be provided along with the plates, napkins, etc. So Elder Bylund made a furious trip around town to the few stores that were still open, and not being successful, went to the other building and got cups from our YSA closet. We didn't have a picture of us at the table, as we were lucky just to have survived the evening!  Fortunately, we have lots of drinks left for summer YSA activities!

YSA activities continued at a high pitch with registration for summer Institute.. We contacted the new seminary graduates, who are now YSAs.  Yay. They are very cute and make the rest of us feel a bit older. As a kickoff to our summer course, which will be Family History (yayay...generating enthusiasm), we held a summer barbecue. Fortunately, we were blessed with beautiful weather, the warmest day we have had so far this year. After some scurrying and confusion,  the coals were ready for the burgers, sausages, venison and other misc meat that people brought. Since we were right by the street, many people got to see the YSA in action.

Can you feel the excitement?

Some of the "newbies"

If you were counting up the fortunatelys and unfortunatelys, you will see that we are still feeling quite fortunate on our mission.  

The Great Canal

Ever since discovering that his ancestors (William Anderson 1798-1859) and Elizabeth Gourley (1801-1888) lived next to the Great Canal (See item 2 in Glasgow post), Elder Bylund has become obsessed (well at least infatuated or interested) with canals. This interest is augmented as some of my descendants also live near the Erie Canal (Kevin and Emily in Rochester).

The Great Canal (now called the Forth and Clyde Canal) is 35 miles (56 km) long and opened in 1790. It crosses central Scotland and provided a route for the seagoing vessels of the day between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde at the narrowest part of the Scottish Lowlands. It was very successful in its day, but suffered as the seagoing vessels were built larger and could no longer pass through. The railway age further impaired the success of the canal, and the canal became dormant in the 1930s and was closed in 1963. 

Also built starting at Maryhill (the home of my ancestors) was the Glasgow Branch of the canal which connected to downtown Glasgow. 

Glasgow Branch of the Great Canal 

The Union Canal, from Falkirk to Edinburgh, was opened in 1822 and was similarly initially successful, but met the same fate as the Great Canal. It is a contour canal, which closely follows the contour line of the land and avoids delays caused by going through locks. It connects with the Great Canal at Falkirk. Originally there were a series of 11 locks to connect the two canals.

The Falkirk Wheel in action.

The Falkirk Wheel now connects the Union Canal with the Forth and Clyde Canal. It is a clever rotating boat lift, which opened in 2002, reconnecting the two canals for the first time since the 1930s as part of the Millennium Link Project. By insuring the water levels on each side are the same, the weight on each arm is also equal, regardless of where there are 0, 1 or 2 boats on either side. According to Archimedes' principle, floating objects displace their own weight in water, so when the boat enters, the amount of water leaving the caisson weighs exactly the same as the boat.

We took the boat ride up the wheel, up to the Union Canal and back down again. It rained some, but overall the weather was OK. It took about an hour and was quite the experience. 

The two locks connecting up to the Union Canal after coming up the Falkirk Wheel  from the Great Canal.

The approach to the Falkirk Wheel from the top.

The lock gates are still operated by man power.