Volume XXXIII President’s Message Number 9 June 2010 www.saintandrewtallahassee.org This has been a truly wonderful and rewarding year for me. I extend my most sincere gratitude to many of you who have given selflessly in service and substance to our Saint Andrew Society over this past year. The great ScottishAmerican naturalist John Muir once said: “Whenever we try to pick out anything by itself, we find that it is hitched to everything else in the universe.” We are all indeed “hitched” in the St. Andrew Society because of our love for the Scottish/Celtic culture. 2010-2011 SAS Board Elected The Annual Business Meeting and fish fry held Sunday, May 2 marked the election of the 2010-2011 Board of Directors of the Tallahassee St. Andrew Remembering the fun and fellowship, good food, fine entertainment, the colorful dress and the cultural fulfillment certainly inspires our sense of loyalty to Scottish ideals. Being “hitched” to a great cause leads me to the conviction that we have not yet reached our full potential. As I pass the gavel to President Society. Elected by acclamation were: Doris Henderson - Pres. Evan Hume - V.P. Kim Baldwin - Sec. Jacquie Hume - Treas. Mary Rixey - “Piper” Babs Stewart - Membership Jen Holzapfel - Educator Doris, my assignment to each member is to ponder the possibilities for even greater service and involvement in any and every way you can. Think about ways in which we can grow our presence in the community as a means of serving youth and education, burnishing our image, and yes, having a fun time doing it. Again, I thank the Board for their hard work and our membership for their support and continuing commitment to this old and wonderful org a ni z a t io n… pl e a se stay “hitched”! Scots Aye! Daniel MacDonald, President Dan MacDonald - Trustee Don Wilson - Trustee Laurie Long - Trustee Jack Madden - Trustee Jim Urquhart - Chaplain Nick Baldwin - Historian Eric King - Newsletter Ed. Darwin Gilmore - Webmaster Some of the Stories Inside this Issue: Sep. 14, Tues. 6:30 - Covered Dish Supper - Fellowship Presby. Church President’ Message 1 Editor’s Notes 2 Board News 2 Oct. 24, Sun. 3:00 - New Members’ Reception Educator’s Page 3 Dec. 5, Sun. - St. Andrew’s Dinner 4 Jan. 23, Sun. - Burns Night Mar. 1, Tues. 6:30—Covered Dish Supper - Fellowship Presby. Church was confronted by a well dressed You may remember in last month’s but seriously inebriated Weegie Cross I described member Laurie (Glaswegian) guest who stumbled Long a Monogrammer at “Your Logo down from the second floor and Here”, a local business specializing standing in front of her said: in embroidery (specifically the abil- "Haw hen, gonnae geez anurra ity to embroider your clan logo on rrom?" clothing). This month we feature "Well sir," she replied, "we're a Mary Gagola and her cost- bit crowded as its the festival, competitive internet Scottish cloth- so I don't know whether I could ing business Kiltmart.com located shift you immediately. It's pretty late you know". right here in Tallahassee. "Mmm'shory", said the guest courteously but slightly louder, "I Member Enterprises Notes from the Editor Tartan Banners Ordered Soon Most of you are aware of the tartan banners we display at our functions and use for Kirkin’s, Springtime Tallahassee parade, and at the Highland Games. We presently have quite a collection of which we are very proud. These have been donated by members. Many new members however have often remarked: “You don’t have my clan’s tartan!” While we indeed have well over 60, there are many clans for whom we have no banner. If you don’t see yours in our collection we invite you to order yours. We are therefore, about to place an order for several from Dunedin Scottish. The banner generally costs $7585. If you would like to add your tartan to the collection and receive a tax deduction, order yours today by calling Eric at 894.8055. We would like to place the order by the end of the month. Kiltmart can be found at 2141 N. Monroe St. or simply www.kiltmart.com. You are also welcomed to call Mary at 566.5166. Many of you may have already met Mary at her booth at the Highland Games. I know a few have even purchased a kilt from her. If you need a kilt, and don’t wish to pay the Queen’s Ransom for it check in with Mary. Scottish Humor repeat -gonnae geez anurra room?" "Why? What's the matter? Isn't the room I gave you comfortable?" she asked. "Sheems awright" admitted the Weegie guest, "Nev'less naidtaebe moved." "Well, what's the matter with your room?" she asked exasper- ated by now. Leaning forward conspiratorially the Weegie bent forward clutching the reception counter he said to her in a conspiratorial whisper: In the early wee small hours at an "Shh'oan fire!" hotel in Edinburgh during the festival the young lady at reception 2009-2010 SAS Board News - May/June Your Board is busy in transition to its many new members. Out-going President Dan MacDonald enthusiastically invited in-coming President Doris Henderson to preside over the June meeting. The year-end Audit committee chair was assigned to incoming V.P Evan Hume. A Budget Committee chair was assigned to Jacquie Hume. Anyone interested in serving on the Budget Committee, please contact Jacquie at 668.7300. Page 2 Be advised that the Humes will be in Scotland for a couple weeks. As a reminder: your Board will be recessed until September 13 when it will resume its normal 1st Monday of the month meetings. When it returns in September is will be reviewing and updating the by-laws. The Board is also seeking suggestions for entertainers for the St. Andrew’s Dinner on Sunday, December 5, and for Burns’ Night, Sunday, June 2010 January 23. Please contact Mary Rixey at 385.7219. In case you missed it on page 1, the next event is our: Covered-Dish Supper on Tuesday, Sept. 14 at 6:30 at the Fellowship Presbyterian Church. Evan & Jacquie Hume will share their trip to Scotland adventures. New Members’ Reception on Sunday, October 24, at 3:00. THE ST. ANDREWS CROSS Educator’s Page Tartans & Kilts The word "tartan" describes the distinctive chequered pattern generally worked out in a woven material such as woolen cloth. Formerly, the colors came from vegetable dyes concocted by infusing various local roots, mosses and flowers. Now, of course, chemical dyes are used, but these can be skillfully modified to impart a soft, mellow hue which gives the new length of tartan an "ancient" appearance. Everyone is familiar with the kilt but the ancient dress of the Scottish Highlander, however, was not a kilt of this type, but a belted plaid (pron.: played). This plaid (the feileadh-mor or "great wrap") was a generous length of tartan cloth about 16-18 feet long and 6 feet wide. The upper portion covered the wearer's shoulders. It was belted at the waist and the lower portion hung down to the knees. By the early part of the 18th century, the lower half of the belted plaid (the feileadh-beag or little wrap") was in general use as a kilt. Since then, the kilt has been the traditional garb of Highlanders as regimental uniform, at Highland Games and outdoor activities, on social occasions such as weddings and dances, and today, of course, many Highlanders use it as everyday wear. Volume XXXIII Number 9 by Jean Holzapfel (Ed. note: When we were in Scotland many times, we rarely saw anyone wearing a kilt that was not entertaining or connected with the tourist industry, even at the Scottish Games, no plaid of any sort was seen by attendees. If you saw a regular person in a kilt, they were usually a visiting American tourist). member that he came to Tallahassee to entertain us several years ago and we really enjoyed his program. For more information, look on the internet or ask Jean Holzapfel about it. Scots Ancestry - Pass It On! The Scottish Clan & Tartans How do you get your families interested in their Scottish Ancestry and the St. Andrew Society? Well, it is good to start out young as we did. Our grandsons have marched in the Springtime parade since they were about 3 years old and they think nothing of wearing kilts, Scott even wears one to high school occasionally and requested a "utility kilt" for his birthday. Another good way to stir up interest is to invite them to SAS get-togethers like the upcoming Fish Fry. Of course you offer to pay for their meal too and maybe you offer to pay half of their kilt outfit if they want one. You will just leave them less in their inheritance! If they are old enough, you could watch movies like Braveheart or the Scottish TV show DVD "Monarch of the Glen" with them. Let's try to get our young people interested so they can take over when we go to our great reward. “Scotland Goes to Sea” Early news of the 2011 Scotland Goes to Sea Cruise is that they will cruise the Mexican Riviera January 5 instead of the usual Caribbean tour. One wonderful addition to all the usual good entertainers will be Singer Charlie Zamm. Members will rewww.saintandrewtallahassee.org The Clan, in Scotland, came to mean a group of families occupying a definite locality - a particular glen, for example, or an island. These families shared, or claimed to share, their descent from a common ancestor. The head of the group was the living "representer" of this ancestor and as such he was chief of the clan. To him the clansmen owed loyalty and respect. They accepted his jurisdiction over their daily affairs and responded to his summons in time of battle. The chief, in turn, was the patriarch, the head and leader of the clan. In return for their personal devotion to him, he had an obligation to protect his followers and to give help to any of them who were in distress. In each of these clan districts, local weavers produced a distinctive local tartan pattern or "sett". Thus members of the same clan probably wore the particular tartan woven and dyed in their own neighborhood. This became the traditional "Clan Tartan" and when the statutory ban on Highland dress was removed in 1782, the wearing of the clan tartan was a matter of pride just as it is today. Page 3 The St. Andrew Society of Tallahassee Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage P.O. Box 12034 Tallahassee, FL 32317 PAID Permit No. 272 Eric G. King, editor 850.894.8055 [email protected] Tallahassee, FL Return Service Requested Nick Baldwin, photographer [email protected] 850.877.0249 Our Website: www.saintandrewtallahassee.org Darwin Gilmore, web master [email protected] To: Help us stay in touch! Send us your address change, or for others, at the above address. 2010 Annual Meeting & Fish Fry The Annual Meeting is always a time of fun and celebration. This year’s event was one of particular humor and silliness...of course after the serious business of elections and Society financial reporting was completed. “Jim, it goes like this: „Some hae meat an canna eet…‟” “...I like your feathers. You‟re the clan chief of „Mac Who‟, George?” Always one to maintain decorum, outgoing-President Dan MacDonald introduced a new swearing-in ceremony for incoming President Doris Henderson - see picture below. “OK Doris. It‟s all yours. I‟m leaving!! I have my medallion and certificate... and I‟m… outa here! ^ Haven‟t had this much fun since... the sock hop!?! “I thought you said there would be Highland Salmon!” < “Scots on the Car Park”