Issue 2015 No 3 ISSN 0822-2401 September, 2015 s I write this, I am looking out the window of the second storey of an old hunting lodge near Tongue in north Sutherland. Te scene is breathtakingly beautiful, consisting of a view A Oct. 15 Meeting of Members Nov. 28 Charity Ball through 100-year-old mature pines and sycamores that surround the lodge on to rugged rocky outcrops Oct. 18 West End Get Together Jan. 22 Burns Dinner with heather, bracken, and gorse that all sweep up Oct. 24 Voices of Peace, Dreams of Jan. 25 Burns at the Statue (St. Andrew’s Church) together towards spare, bare crags of raw granite Home Nov. 22 Church Parade which rise to royal heights above. Oct. 25 East End Get Together Feb. 18 AGM Mary and I arrived here today after having spent the last 10 days in Caithness, homeland of Clan Tis whole experience has been so wonderful on Sinclair. Te frst seven days were spent with about From the so many levels: the unbridled joy of playing music 100 Sinclairs from around the world exploring our for people who not only invented it but listen to it President mutual patrimony in the land that is Caithness: the with passion; the daily sight of the landscape that majestic ruin that is Castle Sinclair Girnigoe on Mary describes as achingly beautiful; hearing jokes Sinclair Bay on the North Sea; the neolithic standing that are 10 times funnier in that inimitable accent, stones in Orkney; a joint dinner with our long-time and the camaraderie of my de-racinated kin fnding rivals, Clan Gunn, at which no lives were lost and solace in each other and in meeting our Scottish Castle Mey, latterly the home of Elizabeth the cousins. Queen Mother but historically the home of the Earls of Caithness, hereditary Chiefs of Clan Sinclair. Tese have all reminded me – in spades – why the Indeed the whole Sinclair Gathering was organized St. Andrew’s Society is such an important point and hosted by the present earl, the Rt. Hon. Malcolm of support and strength for the Scottish diaspora Sinclair, PC who will be our guest of honour at this in general and for us expatriate Scots here in year’s St. Andrew’s Ball. Toronto in particular. And this is true no matter how long it has been since our emigrant ancestors Te last three days in Caithness were spent with my left Scotland’s shores – be it a year ago or six band, Caledon County (fddle, guitar, and pipes) Rory in John o’ Groats generations ago. as we played several venues: special guests of the weekly Wick Pipe Band Scottish Music Show, and To that end, your Society continues to promote three pubs in Turso and Wick. Tis was especially Scottish culture in the city as well as mount events gratifying to the three of us as we were so warmly of interest not just to Scottish expats, but to the received playing traditional Scottish music, albeit wider community as well. Your Ball Committee with a Canadian accent. We had completed our CD under the steady hand of Ball Chair, Glenda just in time for the tour and were pleased with brisk Vergos, is already hard at work putting together the sales that told us our music was being heard and 2015 edition of the St. Andrew’s Ball. appreciated. continued on page 2 Tis of course is our premier event of the year but I hope your summer was as good as mine and here’s From the there are more events of a more casual nature that are to a great Fall and and a grand Ball. in the works as well, thanks to the ever fertile mind of With best wishes, President our Programme Chair Darren Purse. You can see the (continued) details elsewhere in this issue. Rory Sinclair, President Te Newsletter of the St. Andrew’s Society of Te Society website is www.standrews-society.ca Contact Toronto appears three times a year. Te mailing address is Te President of the Society is Rory Sinclair. St. Andrew’s Society (or Charitable Foundation) points Te Editor of the Newsletter is Ian McHafe, who PO Box 94024, may be reached at [email protected], by phone 3409 Yonge Street, at 905-846-0567, or by fax at 905-846-1783. Ian has Toronto, ON M4N 2M8. two assistants at present: Rachel Pennington-Little, Email to the Society may be sent either through the who is in the process of succeding Ian as Editor; and “Contact” form on the website or to Susan Paterson, who is chiefy responsible for style [email protected] and proofreading. West End Get Together at East End Get Together at St. James’s Gate Dora Keogh 5140 Dundas St. W., 141 Danforth Ave., Etobicoke, ON M9A 1C2 Toronto, ON M4K 1N2 Phone: 647-350-5140 Sunday, October 25, 2015 @ 4 pm Sunday, October 18, 2015 @ 2 pm Come and join members, friends Come and join members, friends and family to say hello. and family to say hello. Tis is a casual get-together: bring friends Tis is a casual get-together: bring friends who would like to know more about us. who would like to know more about us. Cash bar & menu available Cash bar & menu available Musical Performance by Caledon County Te October Meeting of Members Te Annual Church Parade will be held on October 15, 2015 in the Ofcers’ Mess, will take place at St. Andrew’s 48th Highlanders of Canada, Moss Park Armoury Presbyterian Church Queen and Jarvis Sts, Toronto King and Simcoe Sts, Toronto ON Sunday, November 22, 2015 Cash Bar from 7:30 pm; meeting at 8 pm Te service will start at 10:30 am After a brief business meeting, Past President Doug Gibson Members are asked to meet will present material from his new book (see page 5). at 10 am in the Great Hall. 2 he St. Andrew’s Society of Toronto and the CHUM Christmas Wish program, distributing toys The Charity 48th Highlanders of Canada are looking to children in need in the Greater Toronto Area. forward once again to hosting the 2015 Tis year a donation box (for cheques only please, Ball TSt. Andrew’s Society Charity Ball on Saturday, payable to CHUM Charitable Foundation) will also November November 28, 2015 at the Fairmont Royal York be available. Hotel. Our Guest of Honour this year will be Te Rt. Te price of tickets this year has not changed and 28, 2015 Hon. Malcolm Sinclair PC, Earl of Caithness and remains $125 for members of the St. Andrew’s Hereditary Chief of Clan Sinclair. Society, 48th Highlanders, and RSCDS, and $150 by Glenda Vergos, Ball Committee Te St. Andrew’s Annual Charity Ball benefts the for non-members, and includes attendance at any of Co-chair Society’s and Regiment’s charitable work in Toronto the four practice dances. and annual cultural events. Since its founding, the annual St. Andrew’s Charity Guests attending the St. Andrew’s Charity Ball will Ball has been a signifcant event in the city’s social enjoy cocktails, a formal sit-down dinner, including calendar. haggis, traditional ceilidh dancing, and a presentation It has attracted participation and support from Ball Tickets of Scottish poet Robert Burns’ Address to the Governor Generals, Governors-General, Lieutenant Haggis, by W/O Chris Reesor. Te Ball concludes Governors, Cabinet Ministers, senior members of the will be on sale with the customary Beating Retreat by the Pipes and Canadian Armed Forces, media personalities and the in late Drums of the 48th Highlanders of Canada. who’s who in Toronto’s vibrant and active Scottish September Te St. Andrew’s Society and 48th Highlanders are community. once again collecting unwrapped toys at the practice Stay tuned – hope to see you there again this year! dances and the Ball, in support of the annual CP24 Te Guest of Honour at this year’s Ball is Te Rt. member of a European sub-committee considering Hon. Malcolm Sinclair, Earl of Caithness and legislation from Brussels on agricultural and Hereditary Chief of Clan Sinclair. environmental matters. Active in both business and politics, he served in In addition to his many public and other activities, he several senior positions in the Tatcher government, is the Hereditary Chief of the Clan Sinclairs and is being the only hereditary peer in the past century to therefore the Clan Chief for another Malcolm (who have served in the three great Departments of State is better known to us) and Rory, our President. (Foreign and Home Ofce and Treasury). We are delighted to welcome him as our Guest of Since 1994 he has been doing consultancy work Honour. as well as participating in political activity. He is a As of the end of July we had 114 Life Members and by making a (tax-deductible) donation to the St. Report on 181 Regular Members – of which 58 have not yet Andrew’s Charitable Foundation. Membership made a donation in 2015! Reminder: Membership in donations for the year 2016 are due as of Membership the St. Andrew’s Society of Toronto is accomplished September 1, 2015. We welcome the following 24 new members who have joined in the past year: Austin Wong Kenneth McBey John Mackie Fleming Margaret McCann Gordon Skerratt David Mhango Brenna McGibney Dave McCann Stewart Bennett Neil Coyle Deborah Bell Harold Shepherd Kimberlee McKinnon Cheryl Forth Christine March William Sayers Anthony Spellacy Bruce Forth Michelle MacAleese Chantal MacPherson Rebecca Spellacy Andrea Diamond Colleen Bell Dan Robertson We record with sadness the passing of the following Life Members.