An Drochaid - The Bridge, September 2018 Newsletter version 3 An Drochaid - The Bridge Comhla ri Cheile - Together with Accord Volume 46 - Issue 3 September Newsletter CASSOC Founded in 1976, CASSOC is an 2017-2018 Board of Directors: organization for organizations. Our Chair: Karen Macleod McCrimmon primary purpose is to provide 1st Vice-Chair: Vacant coordination and communication 2nd Vice-Chair: Vacant between our member groups. We Directors at Large: encourage the celebration of our Terry Myles Scottish cultural heritage and the Oighrig Keogh promotion of this Scottish culture in Paul Elliot Canada in all its aspects. We seek John Duff to be the assembly of all groups in Past-Chair: Alene M. McNeill Canada who are pursuing Scottish Secretary: Jo Ann Tuskin interests. Treasurer: Kimberley Henwood AN DROCHAID – The Bridge is the newsletter of CASSOC and will be Patrons: published in March, June, Charles Edward Bruce, Lord Bruce, September and December. Items for DL MA MSc FSA Scot publication should be submitted to Major The Hon. Sir Lachlan the Editor, [email protected] MacLean of Duart, Bt. CVO DL Any member group of CASSOC may Meetings 2018: submit an advertisement to any The Executive Meetings will be 8 issue at no cost. April and 28 October 2018. The General Assembly meetings will Membership in CASSOC is open to be 6 May and 25 November 2018, any and all organizations which location TBA. promote or encourage some aspect of Scottish tradition or culture, Website: represent a link between the Scottish The website contains, among other people and their descendants and things, a list of Scottish and Celtic relations in Canada, or seek to Events in Canada, Canadian develop an understanding of the role Regional tartans, and a list of our Scotland and its culture has played member groups with a link to their in the development of Canada and websites and other digital media, as its history. well as their membership contact information. On the Events list, for each date, our member group events are highlighted with a link to their website. www.cassoc.ca Read More Frae the Chair Dear Clansfolk, I hope that you all had a relaxing summer. With fall just a few days away, it amazes me that I am hiding away from the heat in my air-conditioned home while some of our citizens are experiencing snow in Alberta. I had a wonderful time at the Fergus Highland Games in August and met many clan groups. I welcome all of our new members. Please continue to send notice of your activities to our Webmaster or Secretary so that we can advertise your events on our website. In our next issue, we will be sending out more information about the Great Canadian Kilt Skate in Toronto. This event is expanding and we are hoping to have a venue (mostly likely at tent at Nathan Philips Square) to advertise Scottish Clans and Societies. I have just spent a week with my grade 10 history class talking about history and identity. Many of my students do not know about their own histories. I have challenged them to talk to their parents and grandparents about the family stories that help to form their basis for their own journey. Whether it is creating a family tree or investigating how and why their families made the long journey to Canada (often leaving much of value behind); family history is important. In fact, Canada is built on a mountain of these individual stories. The Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics included a presentation by Spoken Word artist Shane Koyczon, entitled We are More quoted below. "We are young, we are cultures strung together then woven into a tapestry And the design is what makes us more than the sum totals of our history" While the design of this tapestry continues to evolve, our roots help to strengthen the threads. Our youth need to understand this. I challenge you to share a family account,an historical document, picture or something of your own story with one of your children or grandchildren. Perhaps you could tell of the legends of your clan, or the history behind your name. Spend some time with our young. Lure them away from their screens and entertain them with real stories and family characters. In the process, they may just understand themselves and their place in this great country a little better. Hold Fast, Karen Macleod McCrimmon Chair, Clans and Scottish Societies of Canada [email protected] Reminder: The fiscal year for CASSOC starts on September 1st, so membership renewals are now due. For further information, please contact Jo Ann Tuskin, [email protected] Scotland - Come Along, by VisitScotland An Drochaid - The Bridge The bridge picture used in our header was provided by CASSOC files. Each edition of the newsletter will feature a new image of a bridge submitted by our group members. Many thanks to all who have provided pictures, and we look forward to the editions ahead. Scottish Highland Games & Celtic Festivals - Fall Date Event Location Aug 31-Sept 3 Carruthers Clan Gathering London, ON Aug 31- Clan Munro USA & Canada Gathering Halifax, NS Sept 2 Sept 1 Calgary Highland Games Calgary, AB Sept 1-2 Canmore Highland Games Canmore, AB Sept 2 Scottish Studies Foundation – Tall Ships Cruise Toronto, ON Sept 6-9 Clan MacFarlane Worldwide Gathering Estes Park, CO Sept 7-9 Festival Celtique de Québec Québec, QC Sept 8-9 The Beach Celtic Festival Toronto, ON Sept 8 Trenton Scottish-Irish Festival Trenton, ON Sept 23-29 Clan Sinclair Gathering Tour Italy Oct 5-13 Celtic Colours in Cape Breton Cape Breton, NS Nov 24 St Andrew's Society Toronto Charity Ball Toronto, ON Nov 30 St. Andrew’s Society Montreal Ball Montreal, QC Please let Jo Ann Tuskin know of any Burns events anywhere in Canada for January so that they can be published in the next newsletter and listed online. The Celtic Elements - Autumn Autumn – West – Water: Herfest The Celtic festival of Herfest, around The West is the place of autumn in the time of the autumnal equinox, the cycle of a year. The time when about 22-23 Sep, marks the end of the fruits swell and ripen. It is the the reaping or harvest time. The last place of harvest and rejoicing in the sheaf of corn was cut, the huntsmen bounty of Grandmother Earth. In the had returned with the quarry and cycle of a day, the West is the early everything would now be stored up evening, the time of relaxation after for the winter. It was a festival of the day’s work, the time of the setting thanksgiving for another year’s crops sun. The animals become less and sustenance. There would be active, often resting at this time in feasting, story-telling, poetry reciting, the warmth of the late afternoon’s and a thoroughly good time would be sun before it sets. Everything had by all. It marked the time when becomes peaceful and relaxing. the dark becomes dominant and the The power of the West is the power time for introspection begins. It was of Water. In the Autumn, the fruits the final festival of the year and are swollen with juice, everything brought to a close another cycle of feels buoyant and calm. The power sowing, tending and reaping. of Water is upward, buoyant, uplifting. It is the place of rest and relaxation, of lifted spirits and loving From Celtic Wisdom by Andy energy. It is the place of home and Baggott, Published 1999 by Judy nourishment, of feeling satisfied and Piatkus (Publishers) Ltd well fed. CASSOC on Display! Many thanks to various members for these pictures Welcome to New Members Clan Pringle, Clan MacAulay Association and The Ontario Genealogical Society! Welcome to returning member Clan Kincaid! Member Group News & Updates Member Groups are encouraged to submit news to this regular column in An Drochaid. If there is no news about your group, it is probable that none was submitted to the Editor. Deadline for submissions is the 1st of the month of issue - March, June, September, and December. Clan Bell of North America A family convention is to take place to seek a person to lead the clan or family as Commander. The Bell family has had no chief or leader since at least the early 17th century and it is not known if anyone can now prove that they are the most senior member of a known Bell family from that time. In the absence of such a person, it would benefit Bells if they had a commander who would lead the clan for the next ten or twenty years whilst a suitable person to be chief is identified or a descendant of the principal family of the name is able to gather proof of their descent and be in a position to seek to petition the Lord Lyon King of Arms for recognition. The manner in which such a person is identified is by family convention that must show support from a wide geographical area and from those who are members of Bell societies and those who are not. Members of the Bell family are planning that a gathering take place in Scotland in 2019 at which, it is hoped, a suitable person will be identified who will take on the role of commander Under the guidance of Mrs Elizabeth Roads, Snawdoun Herald of Arms, who has been appointed by the Lord Lyon King of Arms to oversee the family convention, we now seek applications from those who might wish to lead the clan for the next decade.