FORSYTH NOTES July 15, 2006

Welcome to the one hundred twenty-third issue of Forsyth Notes . Forsyth Notes is published bi-monthly by Clan Forsyth Society of the USA, and is your e-link to your extended Forsyth family. Click here for back issues of Forsyth Notes in PDF format.

A Wee Bit of Scottish Humor

Sadie Forsyth from Camlachie had bought a computer for the first time, but was having the inevitable problems getting it to work. So she phoned the technical support number.

Having listened attentively to Sadie's description of her difficulties, the support technician said: "I want you to right-click on the Open Desktop. Now, did you get a pop- up menu?" Sadie said in a tentative voice "I don't think so."

The technician tried again: "Just right-click on the Open Desktop - what do you see now?" Again, Sadie replied "Nothing." "OK," said the technician, "Can you tell me what you've done up until now?"

"Well," said Sadie, "You told me to write "click" on the desk, so I wrote "c l i c k" and nothing happened."

Forsyths in the News

Cheyenne Forsythe - Instaurator Ruinae

Following is an edited version of an e-mail that I received from Cheyenne Forsythe. Cheyenne is another Forsythe who is making a difference in the world:

I'm very proud to say that I have made our family motto come alive, in myself, for everyone to know what we have always truly stood for.

In 2003, as a soldier in Iraq, a Special Forces soldier came to me for help. As a mental health specialist, I did what I was trained to do and also helped support him afterwards, while the Army charged him with cowardly conduct. The Army later dropped all charges. The First Sergeant of the Mental Health Advisory team sent to Iraq in 2003 was also from Miami and after we had a long conversation, he said to call on him if I ever needed anything. Well, I emailed him and asked if he could find a way to get the charges dropped. I don't know if that did it, but I did everything in my power to make that happen. You can find many articles and interviews I gave on the topic if you Google my name.

PBS' Frontline also made a show about it called "The Soldier's Heart". It's about treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder on the frontlines. I don't know if I would have been as persistent as I was, if I hadn't known my father's family history. Your site made that so easy for me. Thank you, and I'm sure that soldier and all the other soldiers, I've helped, would also thank you, for helping to focus my motivation.

Enjoy the motto in action. Instaurator Ruinae .

You can watch the story at PBS' Frontline website at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heart/view/ . The show aired on March 1, 2005.

I was interviewed in the film, I also appear in one of my most favorite pictures from the war. I'm standing in front of Saddam Hussein's Administrative Palace in Tikrit. I call that photo, "The Conquering Lion of Babylon". I appear in the second chapter, around eight minutes in.

My father is a member of Clan Forsyth Society. Our plaque is hung next to the front door in our Miramar, Florida home.

He taught me to always look twenty years into the future. Right now, he's preparing our land in Antigua for the Cricket World Cup which is next year, and will be held in Antigua. He's building his retirement home, which will be temporarily used as a guest house for some lucky cricket fan. The land is cleared, the architect has the plans, and I've lit a fire under dear old dad.

Thank You,

Cheyenne Forsythe

Note: We plan to include more about Cheyenne and his great work in a future issue of Forsyth Notes .

Did You Know?

Conan Doyle's obsession with the afterlife Iain Lundy (Scotland.com – July 12, 2006)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle created the master detective Sherlock Holmes and blessed him with powers of logic and deduction that none of his fictional contemporaries could match. And in many ways Sir Arthur Conan Doyle resembled his greatest character. He was a tall gentlemanly figure and pillar of Victorian society. His medical background allowed him to diagnose patients in the same meticulous manner with which Holmes solved murder cases, and he had a highly intelligent and creative mind.

Yet Conan Doyle, who was born into a wealthy Edinburgh family in the mid-19th century, had another side to his personality which few devotees of his work realise. The author who perfected the art of reasoning and common sense in his detective novels was entranced by spiritualism and the occult.

It is strange to think that the creator of Sherlock Holmes believed in fairies - but it is true.

Witches were still being persecuted when, in 1916, Conan Doyle publicly proclaimed his belief in spiritualism and the existence of a life hereafter. It was a risky "coming out" statement and clashed with the prevailing sceptical view of such matters.

Conan Doyle lost many friends and his credibility was shattered but there was a compulsive streak to his personality. From then until his death in 1930 he embraced spiritualism with an almost fanatic passion.

The scorn and derision heaped upon Conan Doyle was tempered only by the great public affection for the man. There was an element of sorrow that someone who had achieved so much could seemingly be "taken in" by tales of haunted houses, spooks and fairies.

Psychic researcher Harry Price wrote of him: "Among all the notable persons attracted to spiritualism, he was perhaps the most uncritical. His extreme credulity, indeed, was the despair of his colleagues, all of whom, however, held him in the highest respect for his complete honesty. Poor, dear, lovable, credulous Doyle! He was a giant in stature with the heart of a child."

There were early signs of Conan Doyle's interest in the subject. In 1888, shortly after the publication of his first Sherlock Holmes novel, A Study in Scarlet , he wrote a book entitled The Mystery of Cloomber which dealt with the afterlife of three Buddhist monks. The same year, in Hydeville, New York, a young girl called Margaret Fox confessed that she and her two sisters had been lying about their alleged communications with a ghost which had caused a worldwide sensation. Conan Doyle dismissed her confession saying, "Nothing that she could say … would in the least change my opinion, nor would it that of anyone else who had become profoundly convinced that there is an occult influence connecting us with an invisible world." His credibility was seriously damaged by his belief in the story of the Cottingley Fairies. In 1917 two sisters produced photographs which purported to show them with fairies and goblins in the garden of their home in Cottingley, Yorkshire. They were dismissed at the time as fakes and the girls later admitted they had cut out the pictures of the fairies from a book. Conan Doyle, however, insisted they were genuine.

He also fell out with his friend, escapologist Harry Houdini, following a séance during which Conan Doyle's second wife, Lady Jean, claimed to have received 15 pages of communication from Houdini's late mother. The communication was in English, a language Houdini's mother could not speak.

But despite his apparent gullibility, Conan Doyle is still revered in the world of spiritualism 75 years after his death. He is the Honorary President-in-Spirit of the Spiritualists' National Union, a body that promotes the advancement of the religious philosophy of spiritualism.

Union member Graham Hewitt said: "Conan Doyle was ‘he who must be obeyed’ in the spiritualism movement. He was very active. Some of his establishment friends abandoned him because of his beliefs but he promoted the movement until his death. He gained credibility because he mixed with the people involved in psychic research, he did not just take things at face value."

Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh's Picardy Place in 1859 and studied medicine at Edinburgh University. He created the greatest fictional detective of all time and a few days before his death in 1930 wrote: "The reader will judge that I have had many adventures. The greatest and most glorious of all awaits me now."

Iraq Battle Honours For Two Scots Regiments Gethin Chamberlain - The Scotsman – Nov. 11, 2005

British regiments which fought in Iraq during the 2003 war have been granted permission by the Queen to display two new battle honours on their colours. The units, which include the Black Watch and the Royal S cots Dragoon Guards (RSDG), can include the battle honour 'Al Basrah' and the theatre honour 'Iraq 2003', along-side the names of other great battles that already appear on their colours.

The Black Watch battle honours include such famous names as Waterloo, Balaclava, Sebastopol, the Somme, and El Alamein, while the RSDG, whose predecessors also fought at many of those battles, can count the first Gulf war in 1991.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the decision about which regiments should receive battle honours was based on their involvement in operations within the land territory of Iraq during the phase of major combat operations between 20 March and 1 May, 2003. A spokeswoman said the combat regiments and corps selected had 'contributed significantly to the successful coalition land operations, demonstrating the utmost steadfastness and gallantry in the face of hostile fire'.

Adam Ingram, the armed forces minister, praised the units selected. He said: 'These honours represent a historic and traditional means of recognising the immense efforts British soldiers have made in bringing democracy to Iraq. Our soldiers and their families can be very proud of the role they have performed and the sacrifices they have made to guarantee a brighter future for the people of Iraq.'

The decision to award the battle honours - a term which is used colloquially to cover both battle and theatre honours - was approved by the Queen in June this year.

According to the MoD, battle honours serve 'as a permanent record of achievement of which past, present and future generations of service personnel can be proud.'

Both the Scottish regiments were involved in the final assault on Basra on 6 April which led to the fall of the city and marked the start of the collapse of the Iraqi regime.

A spokesman for the Black Watch welcomed the award. He said: 'The battalion is very pleased to receive the battle honour. It is the first since the Battle of the Hook in 1952 [in Korea] and it is apposite to receive it at this time of the year when we are remembering those of our regiment who have fallen.'

The Irish Guards were granted the same battle honours in June this year to allow them to troop their colour, with the new honours emblazoned on it, at the Queen's birthday parade."

The Bard’s Corner

An Edinburgh-based record company has "updated" the classic Sir Harry Lauder composition "Stop Yer Ticklin' Jock" and turned it into a modern dance piece in the expectation that it will turn young Scots into fans of the entertainer who was described by Sir Winston Churchill as "Scotland's greatest ambassador." Lauder toured the world for 40 years with his music hall songs (mainly composed by himself) and his Highland dress and crooked stick. Scotland's reputation for thriftiness and looking after money owes much to his tales of the "canny Scott". Born in Portobello, near Edinburgh, Lauder worked in a flax mill and a coal mine before winning a singing contest which set him off on his new career which saw him at Carnegie Hall - and golfing with presidents. Songs such as "I Love a Lassie" and "Roamin' in the Gloamin" were inspired by love for his wife and "Keep Right on to the End of the Road" was written after his son was killed in action in the First World War. The new version of "Stop Yer Ticklin' Jock" is one of the tracks on a CD entitled "Scotland....Let's Party" - which claims to put the tart in tartan....

Words of “Will You Stop Yer Ticklin’ Jock!” were written by Sir Harry Lauder and Frank Folley, and music was written by Sir Harry Lauder. The words here are from a Web site dedicated to Sir Harry Lauder where you will find a number of his other songs. You can find out more about Sir Harry Lauder here .

Will You Stop Yer Ticklin' Jock!

Oh!, I'm, courting a farmer's dochter. She's one of the nicest ever seen. Her cheeks they are a rosy red, And her age is just sweet seventeen. When I throw my arms around her neck and try to steal a kiss, Oh, she'll wriggle and giggle and twist and twiggle, And then you'll hear her shouting this-

Chorus Will you stop yer tickling, Jock! Oh, stop yer tickling, Jock! Dinna mak' me laugh so hearty, Or you'll mak me choke. Oh, I wish you'd stop yer nonsense, Just look at all the folk. Will yer stop yer tic-kle-ing, tic-kle-ic-kle-ing. Stop yer tickling Jock!

Oh!, she went to the seaside with me, I thought she would like to see the sea. Oh!, I did enjoy mysel' that day, And I can tell you, so did she! On the railway train as we went Thro' the tunnels in the dark, Oh, ev'ry time I wink'd at her, The passengers heard her remark -

Chorus

Oh!, I went to the farm one Sunday, Because she invited me to tea. Her faither and her mither went to the kirk, Which was a'richt with me. What a lovely, lovely feed we had, Of ham and eggs and bun! Oh, and after that we had some treacle, Roly poly just for fun -

Chorus

Oh!, I'm thinking o' getting married, In that, d' ye ken, there'll be nae harm. Oh! because I think she's just the sort of lass To keep me nice and warm. I think she has a lot o' brass, But that I'll find out soon, If she has, then we'll go riding On the 'Tupp'ny Tube' for the honeymoon.

Chorus (twice!)

Images of Scotland

Rampart Scotland has a Colour Supplement each week with online photographs taken in Scotland to show the current season and its flora and fauna. See each Week's Colour Supplement at http://www.rampantscotland.com/colour/ .

Scotavia Images provides a quality aerial photography service for Scotland. A large number of their excellent photographs, largely of the north of Scotland and the Highlands, have been included in their site. They give a unique view of castles, golf courses, glens, Highland scenery, towns and villages, stately homes, events, archaeology, events - and oil platforms. If you have ancestors with a Scottish Highland origin, they can provide an aerial view of the area they came from! See Scotavia Images at http://www.scotaviaimages.co.uk/ .

New Family Resource Sources On Line

You can go to the Brigham Young University web site http://www.lib.byu.edu/ and do searches of over 5000 books which the Family History Library has put online. ... the LDS Family History Library has begun the process of digitizing and making available on the Internet all of the Family History books in their collection. These are primarily books in the "929.273 Series" that are currently housed on the first floor of the Family History Library. They are adding about 100 titles a week to the on-line collection. Copyright issues are playing a role in determining the order in which they progress through this task; books out of copyright are being done first. As these Family History books are digitized and placed on-line, an entry is being placed in the Family History Library on-line catalog with a hyperlink to the digitized image.

By going directly to the BYU web site to view the images, you are now able to do full- text searches on each book, and on every digitized book in the collection. To find the digitized images, go to the web site of the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU at http://www.lib.byu.edu/ on their home page, and follow the links "Find Other Materials/Electronic/On Line Collections at BYU". Click on the "Text Collections" tab and select the "Family History Archive" from the list of collections that are displayed. (Direct link: http://www.lib.byu.edu/fhc/ ) You can use the "Search All" feature with the "Search Full Text" box checked. The "Advanced Search" will allow very high- powered searches that will allow certain phrases to be searched for and other words to be used to exclude potential hits.

Forsyth Lapel Pins

Clan Forsyth Society Lapel Pins are still available. The price is only $8.00 each, and they are immediately available. Get yours today! (Order Form below.)

Send orders to:

President Dale Forsyth Sandusky Clan Forsyth Society of the U.S.A. 4336 South 3150 West West Valley, Utah 84119

Make Checks Payable to: Clan Forsyth Society U.S.A.

(Actual size is 1 ¼” at the widest point)

Please send me _____ Forsyth Lapel Pins

At a cost of $8.00 each for a total of $______

Send to: Name: ______

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Tartan TV

For a taste of bonnie Scotland, try Tartan TV on your local PBS station. Go to http://www.tartan.tv/Web/Site/NewSite/WhatisTTV/Tartan_TV_on_PBS.asp and click on your state to see if your local PBS station carries Tartan TV, and to find your local schedule. The Tartan TV web site offers a wide selection of Scottish information and gifts, and can be accessed from its home page at http://tartan.tv . This is a great program, and we know that you will enjoy the weekly show. Check your local PBS station.

ScotGenealogy.com from The Electric Scotland

Alastair McIntyre [ [email protected] ] of the Electric Scotland welcomes you to his new Genealogy site, where you can add your own Family Tree and genealogy data. Once you register for an account and get access you will also be able to import and export gedcom files. The web address is http://www.scotgenealogy.com . You are cordially invited to participate in this new genealogical program.

Forsyth Message Board

Wayne A. Forsyth, Clan Forsyth Ohio State Representative, hosts a Forsyth Message Board where you can share information with other Forsyths; post photos and Genealogy information; meet with other Forsyth(e)s from around the world; leave links to other web sites of interest; help others find missing links and long lost relatives. By posting messages and information to this site you can help make this site a success, both for you and others. To join the discussion, simply go to http://forums.delphiforums.com/Clan_Forsyth/start . This is a great opportunity to share Forsyth information with your cousins.

Support a Forsyth Tent Near You

Make your plans now to attend the Scottish festivities in 2006, and to support your local Clan Forsyth Representative. Any assistance (physical or monetary) that you provide to your Clan Forsyth Representative will be greatly appreciated. If you are hosting a Clan Forsyth tent in 2006, please send your hosting schedule to Jim Forsythe at [email protected] for publication in Forsyth Notes .

Following is a list of Scottish festivals for the next two months where you can expect to find a Forsyth tent:

22-23 July 2006 Virginia Scottish Games Alexandria, Virginia www.vasscottishgames.org Hosted by Bill & Joyce Weaver [email protected]

30-31 July 2006 Pacific N.W. Scottish Highland Games & Clan Gathering King County Fairgrounds, Enumclaw, WA Hosted by Lance L. Forsythe-Washington Rep.

August 2006 Oregon Highland Games tentative Hosted by Nancy Beers-Oregon Rep.

12-13 August 2006 The Colorado Scottish Festival Highland Heritage Park, Highlands Ranch Southeast of Denver, CO Hosted by Dale M. Forsyth Sandusky- Chief's Commissioner in the USA [email protected]

19 August 2006 Scottish Festival & Highland Games Amherst Museum-2755 Tonawanda Creek Rd. Amherst, New York Hosted by New York Rep. Warren Forsythe [email protected]

2 & 3 September 2006 Caledonian Club of San Francisco Gathering and Games Alameda County Fairgrounds Pleasanton, California Hosted by Waldo and Pat Forsythe

9 September 2006 The Ligonier Highland Games Idlewild Park, Ligonier, PA East of Greensburgh-route 30 Hosted by acting Rep. Bonnie Jean Dick-assisted by Keith Sandusky

9 September 2006 Fort Erie Celtic Festival Old Fort, Fort Erie ,ONTARIO, CANADA Hosted by New York, U.S.A. Rep Warren Forsythe [email protected]

16 & 17 September 2006 Oklahoma Scottish Festival www.okscottishgames.org River West Festival Park, Tulsa, OK Hosted by Oklahoma Rep. Kami Hoar [email protected]

22-24 September 2006 Evergreen Scottish Heritage Celebration & Clanjamfry Memphis, Tennessee Hosted by Tenn. Rep & Regional Director Jim & Patti Forsythe [email protected]

------Show your Forsyth pride. Wear your Forsyth tartan – Support your Forsyth Representatives.

Clan Forsyth Society of the USA

Forsyth Notes is a publication of Clan Forsyth Society of the USA. If you are not a member of Clan Forsyth Society, we invite you to join us, and enjoy the full benefits of membership in your extended Forsyth family. If you are not a member of Clan Forsyth Society, and would like to join Clan Forsyth Society of the USA, go to http://alt.xmission.com/~forsyth/application.html and complete your membership application. A gift membership to Clan Forsyth makes a great gift for your child or grandchild. Acquaint your family with their illustrious Forsyth heritage. The cost is small – the rewards are great. We welcome our Forsyth cousins to Clan Forsyth Society of the USA.

Clan Forsyth Society Web Site

Be sure to visit our official Clan Forsyth Society of the USA web site at http://alt.xmission.com/~forsyth for the latest information on Clan Forsyth Society of the USA activities. You can visit Clan Forsyth – Mid-Eastern Region web site at http://www.clanforsyth.org, Clan Forsyth updates, and back issues of Forsyth Notes . If you have a Clan Forsyth or Scottish oriented web site, send your URL to [email protected] , and we will share your site with other Forsyths.

Help Requested

Each of you know a Forsyth(e) who has made a difference, and because of whom the world is a better (or a different) place. If you know an outstanding Forsyth(e) that you would like to see featured in “Who Am I?” or “Did you Know?”, send a brief biographical sketch to Forsyth Notes at [email protected] . If you can provide any follow-up information on any Forsyth(e) featured in Forsyth Notes , send the information to [email protected] , and we will include the follow-up information in future issues. Your contributions will be appreciated. We also encourage you to forward any local news article highlighting a Clan Forsyth member for publication in Forsyth Notes .

What’s In A Name

There are many variations of the Forsyth Name. Some of the following may be alternate spellings of the Forsyth name: de Forsyth; de Fronsac; Farcet; Faresyth; Farsieth; Farsyth; Fawsyde; Fearsithe; Fersight; Fersite; Fersith; Fersy; Fersyth; Foirside; Forcet; Forcett; Forcitt; Forcyth; Foresaith; Foreside; Foresight; Foresith; Foresyde; Foresyth; Foresythe; Forsaith; Forsate; Forsath; Forsayeth; Forsayth; Forsaythe; Forscythe; Forseith; Forseth; Forsett; Forsey; Forseyth; Forside; Forsit; Forsite; Forsith; Forsithe; Forsitht; Forsitt; Forsiyth; Forsize; Forsycht; Forsyeth; Forsyth; Forsythe; Forsythes; Forsyths; Forsytht; Fronsac; Fursett; MacForsyth; and Sytes. Contact your local Clan Forsyth Representative to determine if you qualify for membership in Clan Forsyth Society. If you know anyone who bears the Forsyth name, or any one of the many variations, or who is married to a Forsyth, or who is descended from a Forsyth, please encourage him or her to contact their local Clan Forsyth Representative for additional information and a Clan Forsyth Society Membership Application. We welcome our cousins from around the world.

Closing

It has been said that there are only two kinds of people in this world—those who are Scottish, and those who wish they were Scottish. Take pride in your Scottish heritage and in your distinguished Forsyth heritage.

Jim Forsythe

Clan Forsyth Society of the USA James H. Forsythe Mid-Eastern Regional Director Tennessee State Representative New Mexico State Representative 6410 Poplar Avenue, Suite 130 Memphis, Tennessee 38119

Phone: (901) 767-0057 or (901) 763-0057 Cell: (901) 494-5436 Fax: (901) 767-0927 E-Mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.clanforsyth.org

Subscription Management

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