the histle Blà Allt ’ s S o c i e t y t n d r e w o f L o s A a’Bhonnaich S t . A n g June 2010 h e e l e The Battle of Bannock Burn T s (Bannockburn) a message from John E. Lowry, FSA Scot President. Andy Slammed Dear worthwhile activities spread Members, carefully, we hope, throughout I am pleased the year when the majority of you to report that can join in and pursue those Past President interests you indicated as new John Benton has members. You know what they are breezed through and when they are from the heart surgery and is back home in Events Calendar elsewhere in this Scot Andy Murray exited from Pasadena making a nuisance of issue. Having just overseen (with the French Open Tennis himself with poor Cynthia. A mitral a fine volunteer crew) two of Championship at Roland Garros valve and heart pacer may not those SASLA events, I am able to May 30 and his goal of lifting a make him a new man but will make some timely observations. Please see Andy Murray, page 6 return the one we know and love to The New Member Reception held Roibert a Bruis further service among us. Welcome recently at the lovely home of (Robert the Bruce) King of Scotland 1306–1329 back, Dr. John! Mrs. Victoria Pushee was a great is planned as a warm and Aren’t we fortunate to live here success with but one omission— welcoming Society outing. une 24, 1314 marked a in SoCal where there are diversions some new members! We certainly The other recent event was the Jsignificant victory for to occupy our time every day and know that one can be caught with Costa Mesa Scottish Festival the supporters of Robert twice on Sunday?! If your a chock-a-block schedule as we, (currently called ScotFest) where the Bruce against the commitments are like some of my ourselves, were with an the Society marquee was nobly English King Edward II. own, too many clubs and societies emergency trip to Michigan manned by Trustee Stuart Bird- Despite overwhelming only want one thing—100% of your forcing us to be among those Wilson with the able assistance of odds Bruce inflicted an time! They want it ALL. Well, the St. absent. Please don’t give up just Clans Moffat and MacPherson (our uncompromising defeat to Andrew’s Society of Los Angeles is because you missed “your” NMR, stalwart Daves) and Ian Skone- Edward that greatly not like that. We plan a few however, as each calendar event strengthened his position Please see Message, page 6 in Scotland. However, as with the battle which was to take place 430 years later, it would be naive to suppose that this was a In Gear battle between Scotland and England. As at Jim Clark World Formula Champion 1963, 1965. Culloden there were a 1 significant number of Jim Clark was born in farm. Clark, undetered continued Scots, with different Kilmany, in the county of Fife to a to race in rallies and other local Jim Clark, OBE interests to Bruce, fighting Scottish farming family, roots that races under the guidance of his for Edward. would stay with him for the rest of close friend Ian Scott-Watson. The causes of in the his life. He was the only son in a Later he joined a team run by Jock In 1959 Clark signed a Formula middle ages, can often be family of four daughters. His early McBain known as the Border 2 contract with Colin Chapman's traced to individual or racing exploits were initially met Reivers named after raiders who Lotus team. In Formula 2 Clark family instinct for by family disapproval, not the sort plagued the border regions enjoyed immediate success and of activity suitable for someone between Scotland and England signed on with Lotus for their See Bannockburn, page 6 expected to take over the family during the 13th-16th centuries. Please see Jim Clark, page 4 2 the thistle june 2010 Letter from Edinburgh Calendar of Events San Diego Highland Games It is generally regarded as a joke if after June 26 & 27, 2010 the wedding one takes the mother-in- Garden Party President July 10, 2010 John E. Lowry, FSA Scot law with one on the honeymoon but Vice President that is what my wife and I did when we Board Meeting John D. Macpherson married on 1st June 2002. July 17, 2010 Treasurer David Moffett Not only did she accompany us but so did her Kirkin of The Tartans Secretary sister-in-law, my wife's aunt, two other relations Date TBA Joan C. Standing and five of my wife's friends. As many of my wife's guests came from Seaside Highland Games overseas, we decided to offer them a tour of Scotland following our Board of Trustees Oct 8, 9 & 10 Norman Auslander wedding, and this is what we did! On 3rd June eight of us set off in our rented people carrier Robert Burns Supper John L. Benton, M.D.* followed by three guests in their car. We passed by Loch Leven castle Jan 29, 2011 Mary Corcoran, Ph.D where Mary Queen of Scots was imprisoned, only to be released by John D. Macpherson young Willie Scott who cleverly acquired the keys of the castle and Rev. Charles Robertson rowed her across the loch. Our first port of call was at Branklyn www.saintandrewsla.org Ian J. Skone-Rees, FSA Scot Garden in Perth which was gifted to the National Trust for Scotland. It Stuart Bird-Wilson was an interesting place to see standing on the side of a steep hill where we enjoyed our picnic lunch of sandwiches left over from our * Past president In Memoriam wedding reception! We then travelled north on the A93 driving through bonnie Glenshee which is celebrated in the duet song The Carolyn Groff Moffett Crookit Bawbee. We stopped in the Spittal of Glenshee for a cup of coffee and then continued past the ski slopes through the mountains The Thistle is the official to Braemar where we stayed overnight. The next day we visited publication of the Saint Andrew’s Society of Los Angeles. It is Balmoral Castle the summer home of the current monarch. I had been published four times a year. given permission to park near the castle as we had my mother-in-law Deadline for each issue is the who was in her nineties. We then took the famous Cock Bridge to first day of March, June, September & December. Tomintoul road (which is always the first to be closed with the winter Submit articles, photographs, snow) towards Inverness, on the way visiting the Culloden Carolyn Moffett passed away the and address changes to the battlefield. We stopped at the fascinating Clava Cairns – three editor at: [email protected]. morning of Monday, April 12, 2010 in enormous stone rings believed to be the remains of Bronze Age or the presence of her family. Carolyn The Editor circular chambered tombs consisting of a corbelled passage grave Saint Andrew’s Society, Los Angeles was born in Cleveland, Ohio to 12925 Riverside Drive with a single burial chamber linked to the entrance by a short Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 Lawrence Lyle and Frances Groff. passage and covered with a cairn of stones. www.saintandrewsla.org Carolyn is survived by her by loving On 5th June we changed our planned route as a Swedish guest The publisher accepts no husband David Moffett. They were responsibility for the opinions wanted to visit Loch Ness hopeful of seeing Nessie! So we drove down married on September 4, 1965 in Ohio expressed, accuracy of information, the side of the loch to Drumnadrochit and turned north past Beauly or similarity of names submitted by and settled in Southern California in authors. along the side of the Cromarty Firth to Tain, on the Dornoch Firth, 1970. Services were held Friday, April past Glenmorangie Distillery to Bonar Bridge, then northwest along CONTRIBUTORS 16, at the Church of the Angels, John E. Lowry, FSA Scot Loch Shin to Laxford bridge, turning south to Ullapool where we David Cargill Pasadena. Kenneth Sinclair Stewart stayed overnight in the Riverside Hotel, a welcome stop. Ian J. Skone-Rees, FSA Scot The family requests that in lieu of The next day took us on a very interesting part of our tour along flowers, a memorial donation in PUBLISHER the breath-taking mile long Corrieshalloch Gorge, which is one of the EDITOR AND GRAPHIC DESIGN Carolyn’s name be made to either of Ian J. Skone-Rees finest examples of a box canyon two hundred feet deep, where the the following: river plunges one hundred and fifty feet over the Falls of Measach. PHOTOGRAPHY Ian J. Skone-Rees There is a suspension bridge a little way downstream from the falls • City of Hope for the support of David Moffett built by John Fowler (1817-1898) who was also a joint designer on the Bone Marrow Transplant Research. PRINTING Forth Railway Bridge (on which my engineer great-grandfather Coronet Printing • Raul R. Mena, MD, Endowment George Charles Brettell worked). Fund for treatment, education and The story of Kenneth’s unique honeymoon tour of Scotland will continue in the next issue research of cancer. of the Thistle. Although Glenmorangie was passed by in this episode, Talisker is not! 3 St. Andrew’s Society of Los Angeles Scotland’s Influence in the United States A series of articles prepared by David Cargill The Scots were a valuable addition to a developing world.