HISTORY
In November 1946, the late Sergeant George Machray of Edinburgh City Police invited retired police officers from Edinburgh City, the Lothians and Berwick, Roxburgh & Selkirkshire to meet at Edinburgh Court House in the city's High Street to discuss the formation of a Retired Police Officers' Association.
About 200 police officers attended and, under the chairmanship of the late William Webster, a former Chairman of the Scottish Police Federation, they went on to establish a local Association from which a petition was sent out to retired officers throughout Scotland to establish the present day Retired Police Officers' Association in Scotland.
In May 1947, ten Branches were created throughout Scotland and the extended Association was duly recognised by the then Secretary of State for Scotland as the representative body for Scottish retired police officers.
In March the following year, the first Council Meeting was held in Stirling where its Constitution and Rules were agreed and approved. The objectives of the Association shall be to safeguard the rights of all retired members, their Widows and Dependants, and to promote measures for their welfare with particular regard to pensions.
At this time, the Association comprises twelve branches representing over 4800 retired police officers. It works closely with the National Association of Retired Police Officers in England and Wales and Northern Ireland and is represented on the Public Services Pensioners' Council, the Trustees of the Police Dependants Trust and the National Police Fund.
Traditionally the Association keeps in close contact with Chief Officers, Police Associations and Federation representatives, serving colleagues and individual Force Welfare Officers, whose assistance and support greatly enhances the aims of the Association.