Macrae Clan Newsletter Volume 32 January 2019
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1 g{x VÄtÇ `tvetx fÉv|xàç Éy TâáàÜtÄ|t tÇw axã mxtÄtÇw axãáÄxààxÜ www.clanmacrae.org.au Volume 32 - January, 2019 2 Message from Clan MacRae President Firstly, welcome to our January 2019 Clan newsletter. I’m am getting some very pleasing feedback each time I do a newsletter. I would like to thank Sue Tregoweth, our Clan’s representative in New Zealand, for all she does with collecting memberships as well as posting out the Clan’s newsletter in New Zealand. Sue also attends a number of Gatherings with the help of her husband and son, along with friend Heather Hine. Heather assisted at the last Auckland and Paeroa Highland Games. It was very pleasing to see all the MacRaes/McRaes who visited the Clan MacRae marquee at the Canberra Highland Gathering last October. There were grandparents, sons and daughters, grandchildren, friends and acquaintances of our grand surname. A full report appears on page 6. Exciting news was announced a few weeks back that from 17th October to the 19th October, 2019, ‘The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo’ is coming to perform in Sydney. The impressive esplanade of the Edinburgh Castle will be created at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium. Be sure to book early if you want to go. An attachment with our newsletter will be the details of our 31st Annual General Meeting. It is being held on Saturday 16th February, 2019, at the Katoomba Family Hotel, 15 Parke St, Katoomba NSW, commencing at 2 pm. Please join us for lunch prior to the meeting in the Family Hotel Bistro starting at 12.30pm but let Roslyn MacRae know you’re coming Ph: 0412 291 054 or email [email protected] It is easily accessible by train less than 5 minutes’ walk from the station or drive and park in their car park. Disabled drop-off is available so please read details. I am looking forward to seeing you all. Alan McRae. President oooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo 2019 UPCOMING EVENTS – AUSTRALIA 17th February 2019 – Richmond Highland Gathering – Richmond Oval, Richmond, Tasmania. [email protected] 6th April 2019 - Saturday - Bundanoon Highland Gathering - Enjoy a street parade with marching pipe bands, Clan Societies, children’s decorated floats, The Tartan Warriors - Bundanoon Stones of Manhood, Mary Kiani - Scottish 3 Singer, Bob MacInnes and Friends, Fiddlers performing in the Fiddlers Tent, Scottish Highland and Country Dancing, 120 speciality crafts, souvenirs and food stalls. http://www.brigadoon.org.au/ 19th & 20th April 2019 - Maclean Highland Gathering - A parade along the main street of all participating bands takes place on Easter Saturday (8.30am sharp) and is followed in the Maclean Showground by traditional Scottish games and dancing - tossing the Caber and hammer throwing, food stalls and Scottish products await the bands and visitors at the Showgrounds before a Grand Scottish Concert at the Civic Hall. [email protected] 26th May – 2nd June 2019 – Bonnie Wingham Scottish Festival - Wingham, NSW. This annual event is presented by the Manning Valley Historical Society and includes a week long program of Scottish themed events including a Scottish concert, Genealogy Fair, Highland Games, Ceilidh and more. Contact John 02 6556 9057 or www.bonnie-wingham-scottish- festival.manninghistorical.org 6th July 2019 - Saturday - Aberdeen Highland Games 2019 at Aberdeen in the Upper Hunter Valley of NSW. Parade of bands, clan representatives, Massed Band Salute and Chieftain’s Address, Highland and Country Dancing, Strong Man events - tug-of-war, three-legged races, and the famed Kilted Dash along with a multitude of stands selling all manner of Scottish heirlooms and souvenirs, clothing and garb, and food and drink. 12th October 2019 – Saturday - Canberra Highland Gathering , Kambah District Playing Fields, Kett Street, Canberra, ACT. Massed bagpipe bands will compete in the ACT pipe band championship. Highland dancers will compete in the Canberra City Championship. Other music types throughout the day, historical re-enactments, Tartan Warriors, lots of stalls. www.canberragathering.com.au 17th October – 19th October 2019 - The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo – Sydney. Greatest show on earth with more than 1200 performers from around the world. The esplanade of the Edinburgh Castle will be erected at ANZ Stadium in Sydney’s Olympic Park precinct. Further info: www.edinburghtattoosydney.com.au oooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo 2018 UPCOMING EVENTS – NEW ZEALAND 26th January 2019 – Saturday - Turakina Highland Games , in Turakina Domain, Turakina 4 27th January 2019 – Sunday - Ashburton’s Festival of Pipe Band Music , the Domain, Ashburton. 9th February 2019 - Paeroa Highland Games & Tattoo , Paeroa, New Zealand. 26th Annual Highland Games with evening Tattoo at the Paeroa Domain. www.paeroahighlandgames.co.nz 16th February 2019 – Sunday - Octagonal Day , Octagon, Dunedin. 29th March - 2019 NZ Pipe Band Championships , Dunedin. oooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2019 --- NOTICE OF MEETING You are cordially invited to attend the 31st ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE CLAN MACRAE SOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND to be held on Saturday 16th February, 2019, at the Katoomba Family Hotel, 15 Parke St, Katoomba NSW, commencing at 2 pm. Please join us for Lunch prior to the meeting in the Family Hotel Bistro starting at 12.30pm. RSVP – Please advise me if you are attending the Lunch (for booking tables). Lunch will be from the Bistro menu at your own cost. AGENDA: Welcome, Treasurers Report, Presidents Report, Election of Office-Bearers for 2019 and General Business. NOTE: • Nominations for Office Bearers are to be provided to the Secretary prior to the meeting. • Items of Business should be forwarded to Secretary as soon as possible for inclusion in the meeting. • Provision will be made for members to attend via teleconference (details below). DIRECTIONS: Train to Katoomba Station, then the Hotel is less than 5 minutes’ walk from the station, walk up the stairs or ramp and you are at the top of Katoomba St., then cross the crossing and turn to your right, the hotel comes into view in a few minutes ahead of you. Drive to Katoomba, the Hotel is on the roundabout just off the Highway. Parking is available at the back of the Hotel. Access is via the Bottle Shop Drive-Thru entry in Cascade Street (behind Hotel). Disabled drop-off is available via the Drive-Thru Bottle Shop – then vehicle to be parked in car park. TELECONFERENCE DETAILS : All you need to do is: at 2pm (NSW time) on Saturday 16 February, please: Dial: (02) 8077 0506 - When prompted enter access code: 799719 followed by the # key. You will then be greeted and after a short period, allowing all interested members to connect, the meeting 5 will begin. For our valued New Zealand members, you can participate by dialling: +64 6-928 7532. Kind Regards - Roslyn MacRae, Hon. Secretary. Ph: 0412 291 054 or email [email protected] oooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo WELCOME NEW MEMBERS AND CONGRATULATIONS Welcome to our new members since our last newsletter: Mr Brett McRae – New Zealand Ian Elliott – New Zealand Marie-Therese McRae – New Zealand oooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo AUCKLAND HIGHLAND GAMES There was a full programme at the 43rd Auckland Highland Games & Gathering, at the Ellerslie Event Centre on the 17th November, 2018. The Solo Piping and Highland Dancing commenced at 9am followed by the Strong Man Events at 10am. There was a Parade of the Clans, a welcome by the President, Raising of the Standards and Malcolm Campbell sang the Flower of Scotland during the Opening Ceremony. Papakura, City of Sails, New Zealand Police, Northern Caledonian and Auckland & District were some of the Pipe Bands competing in the Pipe Bands Contest. Throughout the day there were children’s games, Scottish Country Dancing Displays, Historic Battles and Scottie Terrier, Shetland Ponies and Highland Cattle Displays. A special thanks to our New Zealand Lifetime Member Molly Akers for her recent generous donation to the Society. 6 WE STILL HAVE SOME MACRAE MUGS The Clan MacRae white ceramic china mugs are still in stock. Why not proudly proclaim your MacRae heritage over morning coffee or give as a gift to a ‘special’ MacRae. Each mug has a double emblem to allow for left and right handers. Every mug comes in a presentation box. They cost: - for 1 mug - $15 + $10 p&h = $25, or 2 mugs - $25 + $16 p&h = $41. The famous Clan MacRae mugs will be taken to all Scottish Gatherings that the Society attends so take the opportunity to obtain one. These mugs would make a unique birthday gift for that hard to buy for MacRae. oooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo PRESIDENT’S HEALTH Whilst my terminal melanoma cancer treatment has been ongoing over several years I was informed the day after Boxing Day last year that the cancer has now reduced by about 80% and could be clear in another 3 or 4 months. The new treatment is immunotherapy and is all experimental – but it has worked so far for me thankfully. Alan McRae - President oooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo CAMBERRA HIGHLAND GATHERING 2018 This gathering saw the largest number of MacRaes, family and relations visiting the Clan tent that I have attended as President or Vice President. Some 36 signed the visitor’s book during the day. Above left – Colin MacRae in the exhilarating official opening parade which incorporates a representative from each Clan in attendance on the day. Each representative carries their Clan banner. I motored down from Bathurst, with secretary Roslyn and her husband Colin travelling from Vittoria towards Orange. Others travelled from nearby villages and towns around Canberra with others from Albury, Melbourne, Sydney, the Blue Mountains and the Central Coast. 7 Left - Roslyn (Clan secretary) and her husband Colin with Gordon Ramsay, the Chieftain of the Day, outside the Clan MacRae marquee. Above right - Helen and Wayne Hunt visited so Wayne could meet Colin MacRae.