The Gunn Salute Good News About a Great Family Volume 7, Issue 1 Winter 2018 Inside this issue: AGM 2018 Cover & 3 2018 AGM President’s Letter 2 Sarasota Games 3 New Members 4 International 5 Gathering Flowers of the 5 Forest Int’l Gathering 6-8 Itinerary Int’l Gathering 9-11 Booking Forms Branch 12 Commissioners Officers of the 13 CGSNA Storekeeper 14 We’re On Facebook! 15 Gunn Items for Sale 15 CGSNA Editor’s 15 Position Page 2 The Gunn Salute Letter from the President – Winter 2018 Dave Ziemer Hello again Brothers & Sisters of Clan Gunn! We just concluded another AWSOME AGM in Florida at the Central Highland Games. It was a wee bit cold, but we hearty Scots & our Viking constitution (along with a dram or two) hardly noticed! The tent was always busy, with lots of visitors, family & those who were there to become a part of our wonderful Clan. We signed 18 new or renewing Gunns. We also raised $1755.00 in the raffle for the Clan Gunn & Clan MacCallum - Malcolm Society Piping Scholarship! A great job by all! I would especially like to thank Howard H. Curran, Charlie & Alexie Kehm, Chuck & Jän Franz and Steve & Sandy Wilson. Also, thanks are in order to James Edward Smith. He not only was he helping host the tent, James represented Gunn in the heavy athletics as a competitor! We were also thankful to have our Clan’s Chaplain, Becky Robbins-Penniman at the Games. She gave the invocation for the Games, a very special honor for her & Clan Gunn, and blessed our meeting as well. It was also great to see Woody Williams at the games! He’s been to almost all the AGMs that I have the past few years! Thanks to all for hosting a wonderful event, one which I will remember for a while. I won’t ramble on about the meeting itself, but a lot of important things were decided or discussed that pertain to the way we do things as commissioners & deputy commissioners. I would ask you to read the minutes of the meeting & start to think about how this might affect you & your regions. Speaking of regions. We are going to be needing a Commissioner for the Montana/Utah region. If anyone is interested, let David Bricker or me know if you are interested. I am looking for a Commissioner to host the 2019 AGM, targeting spring or early summer of 2019. I would ask that anyone who is interested send me an email. The process is for us to look over the proposals & pick the one that meets our requirements of timing & location. Try to include as much as you can as far as accommodations & meeting space/banquet ideas or estimates. We are going to approach AGM locations in this manner going forward. We want to give potential hosts a year or more to get their ducks in a row. It makes of a less stressful job of planning & hosting an event. Feel free to email me at [email protected] with any questions about this or any other stuff in this letter! I hope to see a bunch of you at the gathering in Scotland this summer! Slàinte mhòr agad! Dave Page 3 The Gunn Salute Sarasota Games 2018 By: James Edward Smith A cold and windy morning gave way to a beautiful day off Fruitville road for the annual Sarasota Games. The games themselves were, in a word, growing. A bit bigger than the year before and showing promise of even more the grounds where they were held are ready for more and bigger everything. Clan Gunn had, as usual, one of the most spectacular and hospitable tents of all the clans in attendance, with Deputy Commissioner and unofficial War Chief James Smith taking his first run at leading a table, and the ever wonderful company and mentoring of 1st VP Charlie and his wife Alexis, even sporting at one point our own Wolf Warrior! The tent space itself sat facing the athletics field, which ran non-stop through the whole day, with the sheepdog demonstration field just behind. Under roof were held the dance competitions, across from them the stage played a variety of Celtic music, and sandwiched between there were good eats and vendors. Though the turnout of actual clan Gunn members was small for the parade, we did manage to sign up a full 300% greater membership than the year previous! A small achievement when the bare numbers read 3 new members, but every bit helps and it shows these games are on the rise. Page 4 The Gunn Salute 2017 New CGSNA Members These individuals from all across the country joined the Clan Gunn Society of North America in 2017. Keith Beddingfield Erin Maness Victoria Tillotson Kimberly Billings Lori Maness Joyce Waser Pamela Bishop Steven Maness Michelle Webb Rachel Black Howard Mann Kathy Wetzler Cynthia Bloomfield Pauline Mann John Wiley Craig Chapman Sandra Manson Timothy Wiley Mark Chiocca Thomas Manson Christopher Williamson Steve Christie Denise Matos Jeffrey Williamson Julie Coe Linda Maynard Christopher Wilson Howard Curran Mark McComas George Wilson Lorne Currie Carolyn McKenzie Janet Wilson Mathew Eberius Melissa Medders Jarrett Wilson Diane Ebert Lynn Merrill Richard Wilson Dale Ellis Daniel Meyer Samuel Wilson C Emerson Mary Miltiades Seth Wilson James Fogarty Truman Mincer William Wilson Edward Fogarty, III Dorothy Moody Mark Wilson, Jr. Leslie Freeman Emily Moore Derek Wingate David Gagnon Christopher Nelson Ethan Worcester Jacob Gardar Diana O'Shields Bethany Wylie Paula Greenwald Tammy Peters Cecily Zagnaroli William Grey William Phillips Emily Ziser Angela Groenhout Kristine Podgorsak Crystal Gunn Kevin Prohl David Gunn Angele Propst Laura Gunn Barbara Putnam Robert Gunn Guy Richardson Ronald Gunn Wendy Riddensdale Ryan Gunn Richard Robbins Kara Harwood David Robinson Valerie Heberle Gregory Robinson We will begin including a list of Raymond Henderson Nicholas Robinson new members to CGSNA with Barbara Holder Shellee Robinson future issues of the Gunn Steven Horton Gregory Robison Salute Sherry Hosfeld Rhonda Robison Alan Jackson Jennifer Roy Fred Jameson Erika Schmitt Kevin Jameson Lynne Schroeder Cindy Jamieson Sharon Scribner Gary Jamison Shawn Scribner Jason Jarvis Kevin Seiler Dana Jaye Caleb Skaggs Charles Johnson Mary Sloan Ashley Jordan Robert Sloop, Jr. Patrick Joseph Timothy Smith Lynn Juneau Loren Sorenson Levi King Robert Stearns Peggy Larsen Tonia Stidham David Lassiter Grant Sullivan Byron Leger Daniele Summerfield Aaron Main Connie Tallman Susan Majara Gary Tate Page 5 The Gunn Salute 19th International Gathering July 21-28, 2018 The 19th International Gathering of the Clan Gunn will be held July 21 - 28, 2018 in Scotland. Activities will be held on the Orkney Islands and in Caithness. The itinerary is now complete. Links to the Itinerary and Booking Form follow this announcement. The U. K. Society is finalizing a link that will allow payment for activities at the Gathering to be paid by using PayPal. Payment will be taken in Pounds Sterling but charged to you in U. S. or Canadian dollars. New this year is a discounted rate for Society members. There is also a children's rate for those under 15 years of age. Also new this year is the timing of the church service at Kildonan. In the past it has always been held on the Sunday following the AGM and the Hallkirk Games. This year it has been moved to the Thursday so that more can attend. In the past some attending the Gathering had to miss the church service in order to begin travel home. Please be aware that Edinburgh will be busy at this time of year with The Edinburgh Tattoo and the Fringe Festival both beginning on 3 August 2018. Booking your accommodations early is advisable as this is the high travel season for Scotland. Members are welcome to contact me with any questions. Email is probably best at [email protected]. Rich Gunn Clan Commissioner for North America Bill Wilson—Flowers of the Forest William (Bill) Leroy Wilson passed away in Sacramento on December 24, 2017. Bill joined the Marine Corps and served in Korea, including the Inchon Landing, the retaking of Seoul and the significant Battle of the Chosin Reservoir. Bill married Lois Oleniacz in 1952 and they raised their two children in Cleveland, Ohio and the Bay area. In 1983, Bill met Susan Squires Roman and they shared a loving, respectful and joyful marriage of 33 years until Bill’s death. In addition to being a proud Marine, Bill was an equally proud Scot. A member of Clan Gunn, he was active in the Sacramento chapters of the St. Andrew’s Society, the Caledonian Club and the Scottish American Military Society. He also played the drums in the Sacramento Cameron Pipe Band. Bill was respected and admired as an accomplished artist. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Academy of Art University of San Francisco in 1957 and created many beautiful paintings, sculptures and pieces of jewelry throughout the years. Bill used his artistic talents throughout his professional career as a graphic artist working for several commercial companies and agencies. The last 38 years of his career were spent with the State of California Department of Water Resources. Page 6 The Gunn Salute The Clan Gunn 19th International Gathering 2018 – Itinerary Volume 1, Issue 1 Day 1 Saturday 21st July 15.30 We will meet at John O’Groats to catch the 4.00pm Ferry to Orkney. This is an unscheduled crossing and has been specially laid on for Clan Gunn and doesn’t hang about for stragglers. 16.30 – 18.30 Orkney registration will be held in the foyer of the Orkney Hotel, Kirkwall.