Fraser (60), a civil engineer, lives in Kirkintilloch with wife Diane.
They have two children, Ailsa (33) and Morven (31), and four grandchildren.

What does a Session Clerk do?
The main function is to look after the administration of the Kirk Session which runs the church.
I have to organise the elders and was heavily involved in the church's purchase of the North Hall.
I also communicate with the church's headquarters in Edinburgh.
It's really the week by week business I deal with.
The minister will sort out the services and I organise all of the auxiliary business.
It's amazing how many things there are to do.

How did you feel about taking on the role?
I was greatly honoured to be offered the job.
However, I was always aware there would be a lot of work involved and thought it might be better for a retired person to take on the role.
But I was prevailed upon and the minister thought I was the right man for the job.

Were you happy about the North Hall purchase?
I was excited when our offer was accepted because I was very apprehensive about our chances as I was very aware we were up against residential buyers.
However, we felt we had to get it because there weren't any other options.
We couldn't just have had the church without any halls nearby to allow us to hold events like Sunday school.
It was the Monday after I took up the role when the hall went on the market, and as the minister was away at the time, it was an interesting start!

What else have you done within the church?
I was part of the Youth Fellowship for a number of years in the 1970s.
I then went abroad to work for a while, and when I got back I became involved again when I did a visitation around the district, trying to get people who had drifted away back to the church.
I've also been an elder for about 30 years and, two years ago, was involved in 'Cadder's Coming Together' where we tried to get more people involved in the church.


What is your day job?
I'm a civil engineer with Chivas Brothers in Dumbarton and have been there for about 17 years. I'm involved in projects like new builds, warehousing and bottling halls.

Where did you go to work overseas?
I was working as a civil engineer in Saudi Arabia for three years and was involved in a massive new port they were building.
It took a bit of getting used to with the different culture and it took me about six months to become accustomed to, but it was a very interesting job.
I got to see how Muslims live and work, which was absolutely fascinating.

What hobbies do you have?
I spend most of my spare time doing DIY, which I find I really enjoy.
I also like curing, cycling and walking. Just a few weeks ago, we went walking on the Yorkshire Dales.
I enjoy skiing, but I've not had the chance for the last couple of years.
Of course, I'm glad to say my grandchildren take up a lot of my time as well.

What ambitions do you have for your time as Session Clerk?
To be honest, I would be very pleased if I managed to do the job as well as the previous Session Clerks.
I find that quite daunting as they are people that I have admired throughout the time I have been involved with the church.
Ideally, I would like to see more young people getting involved in the church.
The young ones we have at the moment are very enthusiastic, but it's hard to attract more of them into the church.

Getting to know you
First car: Ford Popular
First record: Roy Orbison - Pretty Woman
Book currently reading: Among Muslims by Kathleen Jamie
Favourite TV programme: Songs of Praise
Favourite holiday destination: Anywhere in Europe
Famous person most like to meet: Nelson Mandela