Since the formation of the Captains of the Parish Association an AGM has been held on 12th May or close to it and a lunch or dinner with a guest speaker on or near 11th November. Both being traditional days in the Manx calendar - 12th May the old May Day and 11th November Hollantide when farm workers were taken on for the year , tenancies were let and rent fell due. A summer outing to a place of interest followed by a meal also usually takes place near to 16th July which traditionally was the first day of the Herring Fishery.
Covid 19 and the lock downs put paid to this in 2020 with no AGM, outing or meals taking place.
On 6th August 2021 an AGM, summer outing to a place of interest and a meal were held together. The Captains held their AGM in the new meeting room at the former Patrick School, Knockaloe. They were then joined by their spouses or family members for a tour of the incredible Knockaloe Visitor Centre which has been created within the old school by a dedicated few during the course of just a couple of years and opened in May 2019. The main hall is a most comprehensive museum of memorabilia , photographs and other items to very high professional standard. The introduction room contains a scale model of the former alien internment camp created during the Great War on the Knockaloe Moar Farm. This has the technical ability for sections to light up when buttons are pressed. The group was given a most competent and professional commentary by Wilf Hewson to indicate the background to the establishment of the camp, its running and eventual disposal. Members were left to view the main exhibition area by themselves as well as the Archive and Database Room where research on internees , guards and civilian staff is carried out.
With Wilf as their guide, they then visited the adjoining churchyard to see the graves of seven Turkish internees , 2 Jews and several guards from a number of different regiments. The German Internees (over 100) were exhumed and reburied at a massive military cemetery at Cannock Chase during 1962.
Some of the Captains were then taken on a tour up the main drive to Knockaloe , viewing the walls made from broken slabs of concrete from under the hundreds of huts that comprised the camp and also what are now a row of cottages but were built as butchers' shambles for the camp. The location of the four inner camps and the isolation hospital were pointed out.
The whole party then reassembled at Close Leece Farm Café a short distance away for an excellent afternoon tea. The event coincided with the 88th birthday of Raymond Gawne, Captain Of Arbory Parish for whom everyone sang 'Happy Birthday'. Captains present were from Andreas, Arbory, Ballaugh, Braddan, German, Jurby, Lonan, Marown, Maughold, Michael, Onchan and Patrick. A photograph was taken by Laura Williams, daughter of Charles Fargher, Captain of Marown Parish.
