Scottish Dancer
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CountryScottish Dancer Young dancers P8 Dance Scottish Week P11 Interview with our President P16 No 6 APRIL 2008 RSCDS Members’ Magazine The Official RSCDS tartan Supplied exclusively by Tartankilts.com Full range of products G Kilting fabric G Fabric for skirts G Kilts G Fabric for dresses G Ties G Wool Shawls G Fly Plaids G 50% Silk/50% Wool Shawls G Flashes and hose G Rosette Sashes G Charlie and G Plain Sashes Argyle Jackets G Sporrans and belts G Cummerbunds and Bow ties G Accessories G Baseball caps, Flat caps, Shoe bags and Cushions All tartan woven in the highlands of Scotland. Visit www.tartankilts.com JANET WASHINGTON at CLAIRE CHARLES DESIGNS G 20 years experience Two New CDs G Exclusive stockist of From Keith Smith and Muriel Johnstone RSCDS tartan silk Silver Tassie Todlen Hame SSCD20 SSCD21 and polycotton The De'il Amang the Tailors Todlen Hame The Silver Tassie Sugar Candie G 70 Clan tartans also The Deuks Dang O'er my The Dancing Bees/More Bees Daddie A-Dancing available John of Bon Accord Light and Airy Silk £30 per metre Saughie Haugh Well Kent Polycotton £15 per metre Red House Ladies' Fancy A Wisp of Thistle None So Pretty The Engine Room Full Stock Carried Miss Ogilvie's Fancy Blue Bonnets Holyrood House/Argyll's Fancy Closed Thursday & Sunday The Barmkin The Dancing Years Minister on the Loch For bespoke outfits please Jean Martin of Aberdeen Fight About the Fireside/ make an appointment Reel of the Royal Scots Fireside Reel Information and all Scotscores product details from 8 West Moulin Road, Pitlochry PH16 5AD email: [email protected] or visit Tel: 01796 473787 web: www.scotscores.com 2 www.rscds.org Editorial Contents News from Coates Crescent 4 Changes and developments at Headquarters From the Chair, Management Board and Committees 6 News and comment from Irene Bennett, Welcome to this issue of Scottish Country Dancer. Putting the Alex Gray, the Convenors and the Schools Director finishing touches to the magazine highlighted for me the number of Young Dancers 8 members who have contributed to its pages. Thank you to all of and the results of the Dance Scottish Week competition you. With articles and photographs from all over the globe, covering RSCDS Conference Weekend 10 dancers of all ages and experience, from the President and Chairman A look back at the Society's AGM and Conference to the newest members, Scottish Country Dancer brings home to us Dance Scottish Week 11 the reach and diversity of the RSCDS. If you feel that your branch Events large and small or your corner of the Scottish country dancing world is under- The RSCDS Archive 12 represented in these pages, please get in touch. I shall be interested The Duke of Atholl, our first President in what you have to say and I shall try to include something from A tribute to Jean Milligan 13 you in the next issue. I am particularly pleased to see the return of Celebrating her life and work a letters page this time. The Society is changing and the pages of In my opinion 14 Scottish Country Dancer is one forum where you can air your views Ian Brockbank (Edinburgh) offers some views about what is happening and where we should be going. A Weekend in Tallinn 15 On the subject of change I have written elsewhere about the Society The International Branch weekend in Estonia AGM. It was a good deal less cosy than we have come to expect. Dr Alastair MacFadyen 16 There was real edge to some of the debates. Yet the Conference An interview with our new President weekend as a whole was remarkably friendly and everyone seemed From around the world 18 to be having a great time, especially on the dance floor. Serious Reports from our regional correspondents challenges lie ahead, most obviously financial, and key to resolving David Young 22 them are underlying questions about the Society's role, the The life and times of this 18th century composer and dance collector relationship between HQ and branches, what we as members expect Reviews 24 from the Society and indeed what the Society can reasonably ask of New recordings and books us. From my experience of the Conference I am confi dent that the Scottish Branches Conference 25 social spirit, co-operation and friendliness that characterise Scottish Feedback from the conference in February country dancing will see us through the difficult decisions we must Overheard on the Web 26 take so the Society can continue to thrive in future. Some recent postings on the internet Letters to the editor 27 What will you be doing in Dance Scottish Week in September? Considering it was our first attempt, DSW 2007 was very successful. Obituaries 28 The more branches and members that get involved next time the Day School Diary 29 better it will be. High profile events generate the most publicity, Cover picture: Dancers at the RSCDS Conference Ball but you don't have to think big. If you are not organising something Photograph by Fraser Band, www.fraserband.co.uk yourself, join in with someone else. If you cannot get to a dance recruit a new member or just send a donation to HQ, your branch Editor Contact Andrew Kellett [email protected] or club. Whatever you do will have a positive impact. Editorial Board Advertising Elspeth Gray, Jimmie Hill, Linda Gaul For most readers summer is just round the corner, but whatever Pat Houghton, Jean Martin [email protected] season it is dancers are packing their bags and heading off to exotic Publisher locations for holidays that often involve a reel or two. I have heard The Royal Scottish Country Dan ce Society about members who claim to have performed the highest, the 12 Coates Crescent, Edinburgh, EH3 7AF lowest, the biggest or just the silliest Scottish country dance. I hope Website Telephone E mail www.rscds.org 0131 225 3854 [email protected] to run a feature next time on dancing in unusual places and Graphic Designer circumstances. If you think your group might qualify do, please, let Its All Good me know. Photographic evidence will be much appreciated. The Haughs, Cromdale, Grantown on Spey, PH26 3PQ [email protected] Happy dancing, wherever you are. Printer J Thomson Colour Printers Ltd 14-16 Carnoustie Place, Glasgow G5 8PB The next issue of Scottish Country Dancer will be published in October 2008. Please send your contribution to the editor by 1 August. Royal Scottish Country Dance Society - a registered Scottish Charity no. SC016085 www.rscds.org 3 News from Coates Crescent Elspeth Gray brings you up to date with some highlights from Headquarters Elections to management posts Opposite are the results of the management elections at the AGM, and a full list of the Board and Committee members for the current year. It was Distribution and Database disappointing that we had so few nominations last year, and members are The online database was rolled out to strongly encouraged to consider putting Branches in October. There have inevitably themselves forward for election – see the been a few teething problems, but these Chairman’s remarks in this edition for have mostly been ironed out. What this some encouragement! means for Branch members is that their Branch Secretary has password-protected, Posts available for election this year are: secure access to the names and addresses G Chairman Elect (for two years, followed by of their Branch members only, and can two as Chairman) amend and update them online. Changes G Management Board members: 4 vacancies made then synchronise with the database for 3 years, 2 vacancies for 2 years held here at Headquarters. So, if there is Piper Jurgen Munz outside Headquarters during G GP & Finance Committee members: 2 anything that needs to be changed – this Dance Scottish Week vacancies for 3 years can include choosing to have only one Board or the relevant Committee. G Education & Training Committee members: magazine delivered to your address if you Given that each Board member may have 3 vacancies for 3 years, 2 vacancies for 2 have more than one member in the up to twelve Branches for whom they act years household – please let your Branch as “liaison” – and many of them also have Secretary know.The Editor would be grateful full time jobs – it is clearly not possible for G Membership Services Committee members: not to receive emails about distribution, as it each of them to enter into extensive 2 vacancies for 3 years, 1 vacancy for 2 years is not his responsibility: your Branch dialogue with each Branch. However, we Nomination forms will be available on the Secretary, or Headquarters, should be your hope that when Branches receive the website on 11 April. You need: a proposer, points of contact. Reports of the MB meetings (the schedule seconder and 10 additional signatories; a Branch Secretaries – please don’t hesitate for mailing these was sent to Branch short profile outlining your experience and to let us know if you have any queries! Secretaries at the end of February) Branch what you would bring to the post you are Committees will consider the Reports and applying for; and a photograph! Applicants Branch anniversaries pass any comments back – either via for Management Board posts, who become Happy anniversary to the following Headquarters or to their MB contact. trustees of the Society, will be required to Branches, all of whom have reached major Members should be aware that the MB sign a disclaimer, confirming that there is “milestones” this year.