On Monday 19th December 2005 in Maybole Town Hall, the Lord-Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran Major Richard Y Henderson invested on behalf on her Majesty the Queen, David Kiltie as a Member of the Order of the British Empire. The ceremony was held at 12.30 pm with over 80 guests attending the event. Click on the image on the left and those below to view them full size. The text of Major Richard Henderson's speech and the citation can be read below.

Local councillor and friend of David for over 30 years, Alan Murray, said the award was "richly deserved".

Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran, Major Richard Henderson, bestows David Kiltie with the MBE.

David was "honoured" to receive the MBE for services to the community of Maybole

Maybole Town Hall was packed with friends, family and members of the public who wanted to witness the unique ceremony

Provost Gordon McKenzie and Lord Foulkes of Cumnock also attended David's ceremony in Maybole Town Hall.

Family man David was delighted to have his six daughters and nine grandchildren with him when he received his MBE

David credits wife Margaret and the sacrifices she made over the years, for his MBE

David Kiltie MBE
Investiture by Major Richard Henderson Lord-Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran
on behalf on her Majesty the Queen

Thank you chairman. Before I read the citation I would like to explain that when a person is honoured in the New Year or birthday honours list they are invited to an investiture at Buckingham Palace or Holoyroodhouse where they received their award from the Queen or the Prince of Wales. Naturally the vast majority accept the invitation, but few for one reason or another express the wish that would like to receive their insignia locally. In that event the Lord Lieutenant is asked by the Queen to carry out the investiture.

David Kiltie as always thinking of others, expressed such a wish so that members of his family, friends and colleagues might be present instead of the one or two who are permitted if the investiture takes place in one of the royal palaces.

I am always delighted when someone in my Lieutenancy of Ayrshire and Arran is honoured in the New Year or birthday honours list for those so honoured are very special people and few in number. The honour is bestowed by the Queen, which is very different from the large number of other awards made by various organisations during the year.

It may interest you to know that the order of the British Empire was created in 1917 during the First World War when there was a need to honour many who had served in different ways. Originally it featured Britannia with a purple ribbon. Queen Mary would have preferred pink but King George V overruled her saying that pink would get dirty in London. Queen Mary had to wait until 1936 when having been appointed Grand Master changed the colour to her favourite colour of rose pink, which remains the ribbon colour to this day.

Ladies and gentlemen, you have heard from Councillor Alan Murray David’s remarkable record of service to the community for my part I have valued enormously his wise advice as a long standing member of my JP Advisory Committee for South Ayrshire which make recommendations to the first minister when justices are required. I can think of no one more deserving of an award than David Kiltie.

Mr. DAVID KILTIE

(Extract from Citation)

He has been a driving force on Maybole Community Council since 1977 and is currently Chair. He envisioned, helped to found and is Chair of May-Tag Limited, a voluntary sector training company established by the community council in the 1980's during periods of high unemployment. May-Tag, under his leadership, has developed various projects for the benefit of the community including a local jobs access agency Signposts, which was so successful it is now maintained by South Ayrshire Council.

The new Maybole Resource Centre opened in 2004 and is managed by May-Tag, who received significant Lottery funding for this community project. He also drove forward the rescue of an ailing charity shop in the High Street, forming a committee to offer the shop lease to different charities weekly. This has increased fund raising in the town by 400% over the past three years. He led a project to help disadvantaged community members with painting, decorating and gardening maintenance, for which May-Tag was allocated £200,000 lottery funding and has helped over 300 local families.

He was instrumental in getting over 20 local groups together to form Maybole Community Development Group, which he Chairs and he applied for a similar amount of funding, which has stimulated groups to access funding and learning opportunities amongst other new projects. He came up with the idea for a community website, which receives 300,000 hits per month and played a major role in encouraging locals to contribute and sustain the website, as well as a free quarterly newsletter, delivered by Scouts.

In total he has worked to attract over £0.5m of funding to the community. He has contributed to the founding and success of many projects in the town including the Maybole and District Business Association, the Town Twinning (now twinned with five towns), Carrick Community Transport and the annual town gala. He received the Citizen of the Year Award in 1984 in recognition of his work in the community. He was a member of South Ayrshire's Strategic Learning Plan Committee, is the Diocese of Galloway's Press Officer and member of South Ayrshire's ICT Learning Strategy Sub Group to look at setting up local community websites. He sets an excellent example to others of active citizenship and is always prominent in standing up for the interests of the community and people of Maybole.

8 Garden Rose Path
Maybole Ayrshire KA19 SAG

It gives me great pleasure on behalf of her Majesty the Queen to invest you as a member of the most excellent order of the British Empire.

Speech by Alan Murray

This MBE is richly deserved in that it concerns his voluntary work for this town through four decades.

He served on Maybole Town Council when he was only in his twenties.

He was secretary of the community association founded in 1975.

In 1977 he became chairman of Maybole Community Council and has been chairman ever since.

He chaired the May-tag job training scheme which continued on its own for 16 years and continues to be a board member of its successor under the umbrella of Momentum Scotland

He has been over the years a prime mover in many, many community initiatives.

I will list some of them but no doubt I’ll miss a few in my attempt.

leader in charge of Maybole youth club
chair of the town council Attractions Committee – bringing a whole range of entertainments to the town including jazz, folk music and theatre
he was one of a small group who were instrumental in reviving the gala day or gala month as it once was
he is very active within his church
he worked a leader with the summer playscheme during his annual vacation

(he also did more than his fair share in ensuring a good supply of children to attend the playscheme)

he was the prime mover in establishing our twinning links with Crosne

He also was or is a driving force behind

community development group,
the resource centre,
the business association
and the charity shop
along with Rich Pettit he started the Maybole web site which is a fantastic community resource much appreciated by many people in the town, and perhaps even more appreciated by those who have left the community and are now exiles
and incidentally in between times has served as a J.P. for 16 years.

Just as a wee sideline he writes for the local press.

It would, I think, be appropriate to mention that over the years he has also helped many people on an individual basis. His big regret about the MBE was that his mother died shortly before he was awarded it.

But more than all of this he has always been supportive to those who wished to develop anything that could in any way benefit the people of our community and was willing to work and lead or support others who were doing so.

David’s work over the years has helped this small town retain a big identity and a sense of its place in Ayrshire, Scotland and the world.

In congratulating David on his honour we must also congratulate Margaret who brought up six girls while Davy was otherwise occupied.

The award is as much for Margaret as it is for Davy!

Ayrshire Post Articles by Edwin Lawrence

HE COULD have been at Buckingham Palace but he chose Maybole Town Hall.

And it was typical of David Kiltie to give family and friends precedence over even HM The Queen. No disrespect to Her Majesty, but the town hall was the perfect place for David to receive his MBE.

For David, 60, was given the honour for services to Maybole. And it was fitting the community should wit ness it being bestowed. Naturally, David’s family, wife Margaret, six daughters and nine grandchildren were there too. Mr Maybole received his MBE from Major Richard Henderson, Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran, acting on behalf of HM The Queen.

The major later told the Post: It was marvellous that someone honoured for services to the local community should choose to receive it locally. Major Henderson said it was only natural for most people to accept an invitation to a royal palace. But he pointed out: David expressed the wish to receive his honour in Maybole so that his family, friends and members of the community could be present, instead of the one or two who could have accompanied him to a royal palace.

And so the red carpet was out in Maybole on Monday this week for a miner’ son who was born in rented rooms in Kirkwynd. David Kiltie was once in charge of Strathclyde Region’s computer system. But he still found time to devote to his beloved Maybole, inspiring a range of community groups

THERE was never a day like this even in the proud history Carrick’ s ancient capital. A son of Maybole receiving Royal acclaim among his ain folk. David Kiltie was presented with his MBE by Major Richard Henderson, Lord Lieu tenant of Ayrshire and Arran. The award was bestowed on David, 60, by HM the Queen in her birthday honours back in June.

He could have collected it at Buckingham Palace or Holyrood House.

But David decided it should be in Maybole, in front of his whole family, along with friends from the community. It was for services to the town over many years that David was given his MBE. And Major Henderson was delighted the community pulled out all the stops to make it a day to remember.

The Lord Lieutenant himself played his part to the full, and proved a worthy representative of The Queen. Carrick Academy Band played as guests, including pupil representatives of all May bole’s schools, arrived at Maybole Town Hall. Other guests included Provost Gordon McKenzie of South Ayrshire and Lord Foulkes of Cumnock.

David and wife Margaret were piped into the main hall by Pipe Major Gavin Nicol of Maybole Pipe Band. Alex Kelly, a colleague of David’s on a number of bodies, including the community council, welcomed everyone. And Councillor Alan Murray, another long-time colleague and friend, traced David Kiltie’s contribution to life in Maybole. Major Henderson underlined the importance of the award he was about present, and read the citation that accompanied it

News Article from the Carrick Gazette

EARLIER this year, David Kiltie was stunned to discover he had been awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to the community of Maybole.

However, the dad-of-six was left with the hard decision of which two guests to take with him and wife Margaret to Buckingham Palace to witness his investiture. After a lot of thought, David decided he would like to have all of his family around him on the day, including his nine grandchildren.

So, surrounded by his nearest and dearest, the Lord Lieutenant of Ayrshire and Arran, Major Richard Henderson, invested on behalf of her Majesty the Queen, David Kiltie as a Member of the Order of the British Empire on December 19th.

Major Henderson spoke of David's achievements and the rare honour that was being bestowed upon him, and joked as he read the citation from HM The Queen that he had never read a longer one. He added that he could think of no-one more deserving than David, who is an "excellent example to others of active citizenship".

David (60) said this week: "Receiving the MBE from the Lord Lieutenant was always an option. I was scheduled to go to Buckingham Palace on December 14th with three guests. As I've got six daughters and nine grandchildren, I wouldn't have been able to choose between them, so it's nice that the whole family could be there at the Town Hall, the place where I carry out most of my community work, and where I met my wife."

David was delighted that permission was granted for him to receive his award in the Town Hall. He said: "Because I was receiving the MBE for services to the community of Maybole, the Town Hall was the only place that made sense to me.

"It's the place where I've carried out most of my community work from the days of Maybole Town Council. It's where I met my wife. Our wedding reception was held there in 1966 and our married daughters wedding receptions were also in the Town Hall. So there are both family and community reasons why I'm delighted it was held there."

In fact, it's his family that David credits most for his MBE, and says that without the sacrifices they made, his community work would have been impossible.

"It's thanks to Margaret I've been awarded the MBE as she was the one who made all the sacrifices, and to an extent so did the girls. In a way the family do lose out.

"I have a very understanding wife, and it's been a partnership in many ways because of her continual support." With six daughters and nine grandchildren, David describes himself as "a family man".

He said: "The girls tried to encourage Margaret and I to go to Buckingham Palace to collect the MBE and make it our big day, but I'd rather have had my whole family around me, and I was relieved that Buckingham Palace agreed that the community council could host the ceremony in the Town Hall.

"I thought is was a marvellous event. I could not have asked for anything better. To be awarded with the MBE is a tremendous honour and to be presented with it in Maybole Town Hall was the icing on the cake.

"I would like to thank the Lord Lieutenant, Alex Kelly, Alan Murray and everyone involved in making the day such a great success." Margaret added: "It was a wonderful day and all the family thoroughly enjoyed it."

David Kiltie was born and bred in Maybole. A pupil at Cairn Primary from 1950-57 and then on to Carrick Academy, it was during his schooldays that his lifelong passion for community work, and for the people in the community, began. He recalls: "In 1961 my dad broke his back down the pit for the second time, so we had no money. A school exchange trip to France had been arranged but we couldn't afford for me to go."

However, David hadn't counted on the support he would get from those around him. Head Teacher Leonard White was determined he would go on the trip, and when the neighbours heard, they contributed a pound here and there to ensure young David would be going to France. He says: "Margaret's mum even gave me a pound. That's the kind of town Maybole is. People pitch in and help where help is needed. They rallied round for me and I've never forgotten that."

Carrick Academy school captain from 1962-63, David recalls Mr White trying to encourage service to the school and the community. "I attribute a lot to that time in my life," he said.

On leaving school David trained as a chartered accountant, and worked in computers for publisher Collins in Glasgow before taking a job with Ayr County Council in 1970. David always had an interest in politics and worked in local government for a couple of years, but it was being elected to Maybole Town Council in May 1969 that propelled him into working with so many other groups over the coming years.

Topping the poll in the local elections in May 1969, David was elected to the Town Council on his 24th birthday. He recalls fondly: "Elections were a lot livelier in those days, and after hearing I had been elected to the Town Council, I came out onto the balcony to be greeted by the crowd, who started singing happy birthday to me!"

David's role at that time was Chair of the Attraction Committee, which was run by the Council and involved organising dances, concerts and gala days.

David says: "You rapidly get into the service part of running these things." When local government reorganised in 1975, David made the decision not to stand for the new Council, choosing to help create Maybole Community Association instead. He explains: "People in the town had been used to taking any complaints they had to one of the 12 councillors when the Town Council was still in existence, but after the reorganisation, there was only one councillor. We got some funding and the Community Association was formed to act as a bridge for people, and we passed on their complaints."

David was the first Chairman of Maybole community council when the organisation was formed in 1977, a role which he still finds himself in today. For a while, he found himself chair of both the community council and association. He says: "Both organisations do a power of work, and a lot of people have put in a lot of work over the years. I take a back seat in the association now, although I'm still involved."

David took early retirement in 1996, but that still didn't guarantee that he had any spare time in his life. "I usually found that when I gave up one thing, I'd take up another," he said.

It would take up too many column inches to even give a brief description of the many groups David's been involved with over the years, so we'll keep it brief: Founding secretary of Maybole Community Association in 1975; founding chairman of Maybole Community Council in 1977; first chairman of Maybole Town Twinning Association in 1982 of which David says: "This year will be the 25th anniversary of the first visit to Crosne. Me, Alan Murray, Jim Sym, Don Rabie went over. Since then we have twinned with two other towns and have reached special friendship agreements with other parts of Europe." David is also Chair of the May-Tag job training agency set up in 1988 by the community council.

Peter Walker of May-Tag commented: "I first met David Kiltie in 1999, and from the first, I was immediately impressed by his tireless involvement in the promotion of the town of Maybole. He has been instrumental in setting up committees and groups, in order that all aspects of the town's needs are represented, and participation by the local people encouraged. A modest man by nature, he has always shown a kindly manner and good sense of humour despite sometimes fraught pressures of his various undertakings, on behalf of the people of Maybole."

The man described by Alex Kelly as 'Mr Maybole' is also involved with Maybole Community Development Group; Maybole Resource Centre; Maybole Charity Shop; Jean Falconer Literary Competition; Maybole Sick Nursing Association; Carrick Housing Association; Carrick Community Transport Group; Carrick 800; Scouts; on the committee of Maybole Historical Society and is chairman of the pastoral council of Our Lady and St Cuthbert’s Church; Maybole’s longest-serving Justice of the Peace, and is on the Lord Lieutenant's committee which appoints new JPs; Maybole news correspondent for local papers for 25 years.

He said: "I was annoyed that the papers wouldn't cover the many good things that were happening in the town, so I started writing it myself."

David was also instrumental in helping to set up the award-winning Maybole website in 1999. "The Maybole website absolutely snowballed and folk rave about it now," he said. Alex Kelly also said that David's endeavours had done more than anything else to "keep the spirit of the town alive". Local councillor and friend of David for over 30 years, Alan Murray, added: "This MBE is richly deserved for voluntary work over four decades."

Finally, regarding the reason he finds himself receiving all this attention, he says: "The family have been really overwhelmed by the cards and e-mails we received on news of my MBE. For Margaret, the girls and the folk in Maybole, I'm happy to receive the award. It's an honour.

"It came totally out the blue. I see it as recognition for the town. It really has been built on other folk and I feel it's a bit unfair." David went on: "There are around 80 groups in Maybole and a lot of people would be surprised at the amount of volunteer effort that is put in by others, who should also be recognised and appreciated. When volunteers give up their time it is their families who make sacrifices as well. Lot's of folk gave up time for this to be possible for me.

"For instance, the community council is only as good as the people who put themselves forward, and we've been very lucky over the years.

"I get quite emotional about this town. Maybole folk are always there for you if you need them, and they show respect. Community spirit must go on in other small towns and villages, but this is the only place I've ever known. "I've always felt quite lucky and blessed in a way because the folk in Maybole have helped me at times in the past, and pointed me in the right direction."

As well as his wife, daughters and grandchildren, David also has a sister Eileen, and his dad passed away in September 2004. The other important person in David's life who wasn't able to see him receive the MBE is his mum, Betty, who sadly died only a couple of months before he found out about his award.

"It almost seems like fate, but my mum was one of the few people who knew when the Queen's real birthday was, and when she died earlier this year, she was buried on that date. I know she would have been so proud to see me receive the MBE."

HE’S never been fazed in nearly 40 years of community work — but he is now. And it took HM The Queen to embarrass David Kiltie, by honouring him for services to Maybole. David, 60, received an MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours. And everyone’s been congratulating him on a deserved accolade. But anyone who knows him, knows he’s not comfortable with this kind of acclaim.

It’s a Scottish thing — remembering your humble roots. David Kiltie — the Dailly miner’s son, born in rented rooms in Maybole’s Kirkwynd. But he has another Scottish characteristic — a work ethic. He won the Gray Medal at Cairn Primary School, and went on to be school captain at Carrick Academy. He trained as a chartered accountant, but realised computers could change everything.

David worked in computers for giant publisher Collins in Glasgow. But by this time he was committed to Maybole — elected to the Town Council in 1969. He took a job with Ayr County Council in 1970, and became the computer installation manager for the Ayr sub-region when Strathclyde Region was born in 1975. Through time, he took charge of most of the region’s system, worth millions of pounds. And his last duty before taking early retirement in 1996 was de-constructing it all.

That’s his working life in a nutshell. But his other working life was all about Maybole. He was founding secretary of Maybole Community Association in 1975. Then founding chairman of Maybole Community Council in 1977. He was first chairman of Maybole Town Twinning Association in 1982. David was also chair of the May-Tag job training agency, set up in 1988 by the community council. And May-Tag went on to gain an amazing £4.5 million for training schemes and improvement projects. The company was a solo success for 16 years, before last year coming under the umbrella of national group Momentum. David Kiltie also has important roles with Maybole Community Development Group, Maybole Resource Centre, Maybole Charity Shop, and Maybole Sick Nursing Association.

He’s on the committee of Maybole Historical Society and is chairman of the pastoral council of Our Lady and St Cuthbert’s Church. He’s Maybole’s longest-serving Justice of the Peace, and is on the Lord Lieutenant’s committee which appoints new JPs. He’s shared many social occasions with Maybole families in his role as a DJ, and once had a chat show on local radio. David has been the Maybole news correspondent for local papers for 25 years — specialising in feel good stories about his home town. And he’s been a key man in taking these stories worldwide — helping to set up the award-winning Maybole website www.maybole.org in 1999.

Phew! How did he find time to marry Margaret Meek in 1966, and have six daughters? David and Margaret are now also grandparents to nine. Oh, we almost forgot about his role with the Scouts, and how he became secretary of football team Carrick Thistle, after breaking his leg in a trial match. And he was involved in Carrick Housing Association, Carrick Community Transport Group and the Carrick 800. But we’ve got to stop — to avoid any more David Kiltie blushes. It was bad enough for him when Pearl Barton of the OAPs left her version of Cliff Richard’s Congratulations on his answering machine.

Let’s leave the last words to David himself. He told us: “This came out of the blue, and I’m delighted to get an award which I feel is recognition for Maybole — a great wee town for volunteering. “There’s a lot of people in Maybole who deserve honours, and I hope they get recognition too.” David admitted: “I couldn’t have taken on my community roles without the support of my wife Margaret. Without her, it would have been impossible.”

(From the Ayrshire Post. Article by Edwin Lawrence. June 2005.)

After the AGM (June 2006) there was a surprise showing of the DVD of the investiture a few months ago and Alex Kelly presented a copy to David Kiltie. Mrs Kiltie was presented with flowers. Mr Kiltie thanked everyone who had been involved with the event saying, "It was a wonderful day for Margaret and I, and all our family. We were glad we decided to have the investiture in the Town Hall and no one could have done it better! This DVD will be a marvellous memory of all that happened."