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ICG Final Report Council of Scottish Clans & Associations REPORT OF THE COSCA WORKING GROUP ON GATHERINGS, GAMES & FESTIVALS July 10, 2014 INTRODUCTION One result of COSCA’s Scottish Clan & Family Caucus at Grandfather Mountain/Lees McCrae College in July 2013 was the formation of five working groups dedicated to working in several identified subject areas over the following twelve months. One of these was (and is) the Working Group on Gatherings, Games & Festivals (“Gatherings Group”). This is the report on the work of this group since July 2013. Membership: Members: Ken Scott, Clan Scott, COSCA Vice-President - Chair Sir Malcolm MacGregor, Clan MacGregor, Convenor, Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs Viscount Dunrossil (Andrew Morrison), Society of Scottish Armigers Ed McLean, Clan Gillean USA, Clan MacLean International Bill Elliot, Clan Elliot, 1st Vice President, Clan Elliot Society USA Hugh, Lord Montgomerie, Society of Scottish Armigers Bruce Durie, Shenachie of Durie, Society of Scottish Armigers Joe Wiggington, Clan Armstrong, President, Saint Andrew’s Society of Mid-Maryland Ralph Wallace, Clan Wallace (Board), Scottish-American Military Society (Regional Commander) John Cochran, Clan Cochrane Other Repeat Participants: Susan McIntosh, Clan Mackintosh, COSCA President Clark Scott, Clan Scott, COSCA Treasurer John Bellassai, Clan Gregor, COSCA Trustee Jamie, Lord Sempill, SCSC 1 Meetings: The Gatherings Group has been a dedicated, active committee, with 10 teleconference meetings since the 2013 Caucus (on September 25, October 10, November 2, December 8, January 26, February 8, February 16, March 9, April 13 and May 18). The meetings were heavily supplemented by extensive e-mail traffic and telephone calls. THE GROUP’S WORK While the committee’s work could encompass a wide range of subjects, the principal mandate and consensus over the past twelve months was to focus on the topic of international clan gatherings (ICGs) of the sort held at Edinburgh in July 2009 and what for a time was contemplated as a second similar gathering at Stirling, in June/July 2014. This focus arose out of a perceived general desire among much of the Scottish diaspora (and at least some in Scotland) for this type of large international gathering in Scotland on something like a 5- to 10-year cycle, and a related desire or perceived need to address various issues and concerns that have arisen concerning such gatherings. Indeed, by the time of COSCA’s July 2013 Caucus, there was already significant concern that, contrary to earlier expectations, planning and Scottish Government statements, there would be no 2014 Gathering at Stirling, causing much disappointment, considerable consternation and some anger in the diaspora community. The working group’s wishes were (and are): (1) to promote and support the holding of periodic large international gatherings in Scotland (with possible related or ancillary gatherings in “off years,” possibly at locations outside Scotland); (2) to support and be part of the “call” for a 2009-type Gathering in 2014, in connection with the ongoing difficulties in planning and achieving a 2014 Gathering; (3) to take a considered “lessons learned” look at both the 2009 Gathering and the planning and problems associated with the failure to hold a similar Gathering in Stirling in 2014; (4) to share observations and recommendations that will hopefully lead to a successful ICG in the next several years and in years thereafter; and (5) to play an active, helpful role in planning and implementing future gatherings, giving particular voice to Scottish diaspora interests and perspectives. The 2009 Gathering As background and preparation for the group’s overall work, we studied the 2009 Gathering in Edinburgh.1 Some 120 clans were represented from all over Scotland and the diaspora. A 1 Some of the information considered included the Audit Report on The Gathering 2009 (Audit Scotland, prepared for the Auditor General of Scotland, June 2010), The Gathering: Economic Impact Assessment, Report for EventScotland, The Gathering & Homecoming Scotland (Ekos, September 2009), as well as an extensive personal debriefing by Jamie, Lord Sempill. In the interest of completeness, we 2 complete accounting is beyond the scope of this report, but various results of our discussion are reflected in the “First Principles” and other recommendations that are made elsewhere in this report. In general, and while the fact that some of the event’s creditors were not paid was indeed unfortunate, we believe that the 2009 Gathering was a tremendous, if imperfect, success and that much of the criticism that has been directed at it at by various Scottish authorities, media outlets and others has been too narrowly focused and has failed to appreciate the overall value of the Gathering, both in financial and non-financial terms, including the tremendous amount of good will and tourism promoted in the Scottish diaspora. In sum, the Gathering generated more than £10.8 million to the Scottish economy,2 promoted terrific good will for the Scottish brand, and invigorated continuing diaspora connections and revenue to the country. The 2014 Gathering Discussions of a possible second 2009-type Gathering began in Scotland in 2010. In 2011, the Scottish Government declared 2014 a Second Year of Homecoming, timed five years after the first one, to be held or based in Stirling, with the 700th year commemoration of Bannockburn to be part of the Gathering. The Stirling Council formally announced in March 2012 that it would plan, organize and deliver the Gathering. By October 2012, however, the Stirling Gathering had been cancelled. First the Stirling Council and then the National Trust for Scotland (“NTS”) seriously dropped the ball, with no Gathering being planned. At one juncture, there was nothing left but the Bannockburn Commemoration (albeit not an insignificant event), with no other Gathering or clan components. Following significant expressions of disappointment and dismay by the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (“SCSC”), COSCA and other clan organizations, 3 the clan dimension was partially salvaged when Visit Scotland (which took over the project from the NTS) and the event management company, Unique Events, belatedly added a reduced “clan village” (limited to 40 clans) and a clan parade in conjunction with the Pipefest at Stirling Castle. In short, the almost-didn’t-happen Second Year of Homecoming 2014 Gathering was salvaged as “Bannockburn Plus.” Unfortunately, by the time this Plan B (or perhaps more accurately, Plan C or Plan D) had emerged, it was well beyond the advance time needed by most of the diaspora to note that there was also something like an ICG in Scotland in 1977, which again seems to have resulted in, or been surrounded by controversy, but we did not focus on it, as something which occurred quite some time ago. 2 A £53 million benefit to the Scottish economy (which does not include extensive non-financial values like stronger diaspora connections and good will) seems like an outstanding return on an investment of public sector financing of £490,000 and additional short-term loans of £180,000 to assist cash flow. Any of us would be “Businessperson of the Decade” if we earned £53 million on a £670,000 investment. 3 As one well-informed Scottish leader noted, “a Homecoming without a Gathering was considered to be a contradiction.” 3 make international travel plans. Further aggravation and damage to the reduced Gathering was caused when it became known that a secret decision had been made to celebrate the UK’s Armed Forces Day (in itself a perfectly legitimate and honorable event) in the same Stirling vicinity and on the same Saturday as the first day of Bannockburn, when it could easily have been held at any number of other fully appropriate UK locations. At worst, this was a deliberate political ploy to draw attention and attendance away from Bannockburn (which appears to have been viewed by some as something of a “pro-Independence rally”). At best, it was a secretive, poorly made and badly handled decision that complicated and distracted from both events, at an overall location with limited infrastructure. Although the salvaged Bannockburn Plus 4 was ultimately more successful than feared, the 2013-2014 Gathering debacle will likely, and very unfortunately, be used by some as “further evidence,” together with 2009, that large ICGs do not work in Scotland.5 We disagree. In truth, 2009 was a tremendous success and 2014 succeeded as far as it was allowed to, despite every bit of poor planning and implementation thrown in its way. November 15, 2013 COSCA Letter to the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs On November 15, 2013, COSCA, by the working group, sent an official letter to the Standing Council of Scottish Chiefs (Annex A) communicating the diaspora’s strong desire and support for more 2009-type ICGs in Scotland, indicating our concern and frustration concerning Scotland’s failure to hold a full Gathering in 2014 as originally announced, and conveying our commitment to work closely with the SCSC in accomplishing future successful ICGs. The letter stated in part: We believe that the Scottish diaspora are part of Scotland, and an important part of our work is communicating and advancing the perspectives and interests of Scottish- Americans and the Scottish diaspora generally. Periodic clan and family gatherings, including those of the larger, more centralized and international sort, such as the 2009 Gathering in Edinburgh, are very important to the diaspora and we fully endorse them. While thousands of global Scots, including our members, were (and are) looking forward to the next year of Homecoming, in 2014, we are disappointed that more was not done to organize and carry out a 2009-type gathering next year. The planning of a Gathering around the Bannockburn commemoration seemed beset with problems and only somewhat belatedly was a clan component added to the program, 4 Public sector financing of Bannockburn Live totaled £390,000, with an additional £250,000 from Visit Scotland.
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