OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SCOTTISH ST. ANDREW SOCIETY OF GREATER ST. LOUIS WINTER 2016 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE ANNOUNCEMENTS Chris Fulton Hello SSAS Members ty organizations and expanding our visibility throughout NEW MEMBERS and Friends, the St. Louis area. Please reach out and connect with oth- Since the Fall issue, the er members you may not have seen in a while, plan an following are new members I hope everyone had a outing, tell others about us, and ask them to come along. to our Society: wonderful holiday season having spent time with This Spring we would love to see you, your families and Christopher & friends and family. friends the weekend of April 8-10 at Missouri Tartan Karolyn Alexander Day Festivities in Washington, MO; and at the 2nd an- James & Susan Campbell, Jr. We started 2016 with a nual Kilted 5K Run/Walk sponsored by SPAE, the Scot- Stuart Hartzell Alexander & big bang with our annual tish Partnership for Arts and Education, on April 23 at Margaret Mackie Robert Burns Dinner. McCluer North High School in Florissant. This is just Ariel Martin This was such a wonder- the beginning… we are planning to be present at the James McCaughan ful event—the Clayton numerous ethnic festivals throughout the summer and ballroom at the Frontenac could certainly use volunteers to help staff our informa- Hilton was filled with everyone dressed in their finery tion booth. and the entertainment, as always, was stellar. This event leaves me breathless every year and really feeling my We would love to see you at our monthly socials on the Scottish Heritage. 2nd Thursday of each month at the Scottish Arms. We are also working on a few social events like Trivia nights I want to thank everyone who helped plan and execute at local pubs and maybe even a whisky tasting or two. HELP!! this event: the Burns committee; the presenters; the pip- We must have volunteers ers and dancers; the Sisters of the Haggis. I find myself Keep your eyes on the website and the Thistle Times for to staff our booth at the already anticipating the 2017 event. details and list of upcoming events. upcoming Tartan Day Festivities. Call or email In keeping with Leap Year, your Society will leap forward Thank you for your continued support. Suzie Jack (314-497-4251; working more closely with the other Scottish communi- Chris Fulton [email protected]) or Chris Fulton (314-777-0855; [email protected]). IT’S THE YEAR OF “HELP YOUR EDITOR” Steve Nichols, Editor The Thistle Times is a newsletter about and for the so- Your participation in Scottish related activities... ciety and the membership. As such, I feel more articles Diane McCullough regularly contributes articles SAVE THE DATE of and about individual members would have appeal to about the events of the Scottish Partnership for Arts other society members. and Education (SPAE). Some of the ladies are mem- bers of the Daughters of the British Empire. It would Here are a few ideas to consider: be interesting to learn about some of its activities, projects, etc. Tell your family story... April 8-10, 2016 We’ve had articles about a member’s family story Missouri Tartan Day Please send me your articles at: of emigration to the United States and another Festivities [email protected] member’s history of her clan. A few years ago Herb Washington, MO McLain wrote a four part series of the arrival or his forebears to the New World and their migration to Missouri. Joan Strachan wrote about Clan Strachan April 23, 2016 and its royal connection in the Winter 2013 issue. SPAE’s 2nd Annual Kilted 5K Run/Walk Pictures and accounts of your visits to Scotland... and other reaches of the Commonwealth: Iona Bald- win wrote about her visit to Australia including Cam- perdown to see the first ever statue of Robert Burns. z Michael McIntyre wrote about “My Visits Home” that showed pictures of him and his son in the homeland of their clan. The Scottish St. Andrew Society of Greater St. Louis | www.stlstandrews.org 44TH ANNUAL ROBERT BURNS DINNER MARY MORISON Steve Nichols, Editor (photos courtesy of Janey Brewen) by Robert Burns This year’s account of our joyous dinner will begin with a big thank you to the Burns committee, rather than tacking it on at the end. I want to be sure you O Mary, at thy window be, know who deserves credit for such a great production. It is the wish’d, Karen Kraft guided the committee that includes Iona the trysted hour! Baldwin, Liz Belcastro, Denise Duffy, Rose Sarno, and Those smiles and glances let me see, Grace Teall. A big change this year was of course the That makes the miser’s venue—same hotel different rooms. I heard many fa- treasure poor: vorable comments about both rooms: generous space How blythely wad for the cocktail hour and the dinner and program, and I bide the stoure1, in my opinion, a nicer configuration of both rooms. A weary slave frae sun to sun, And I also want to recognize the work done by our Could I the rich reward secure, president—Chris Fulton alone is due the credit for the The lovely Mary Morison. display boards. Who would have thunk Michael Jack- son was a Burns fan?! And have you ordered your shirt 2 Yestreen when to the yet? I have. Thanks to Treasurer David Hoffman, for trembling string researching vendors. The dance gaed thro’ the lighted ha’3 To thee my fancy took its wing, After oiling ourselves at the cocktail hour it was on to I sat, but neither the show . President Chris Fulton formally welcomed heard nor saw: the revelers and MC Don Withrow laid down some Tho’ this was fair, house rules, before Allyn Hinton, Andy Davis, Mike and that was braw4, Gibbs, and Robert Lanning from SAMS Post 1821 pre- And yon the toast sented the colors. With the flags firmly in place, Suzie of a’ the town, Jack, Paul Frazier, and Chris Brennan toasted respec- I sigh’d, and said amang tively the President, the Queen, and Scotland. After them a’, each toast Pam Davis and Diane McCullough led us in Barb Cook and Stephen Butler “Ye are na Mary Morison.” singing the national anthems and Flower of Scotland. Perhaps it was the plaintive refrain of Flower of Scot- tributed to each table, we settled down to the delicious O Mary, canst thou land that quieted the crowd for Chaplain Millie Slack. wreck his peace, meal of salad, chicken, mashies, and Brussels sprouts. Millie always delivers a calming, sincere invocation in- Wha for thy sake The apple crisp cheesecake and molten chocolate lava wad gladly die? stilling a moment of quiet introspection, before leading cake were alternated between the diners. Intermission Or canst thou break us in Burns’ Selkirk grace. then gave us time to prepare ourselves for the festivities that heart of his, to come. Whase only faut is loving thee? It’s become custom that Matt Pantaleoni pipes in the If love for love thou wilt na gie haggis lovingly prepared by the Ladies of the Haggis. Don Withrow resumed the program introducing Sandy At least be pity to me shown: The hotel chefs always enjoy their role, and Chef Jerry Brown and her award winning Dance Caledonia. Mad- A thought ungentle canna be James Jester was no exception. Once haggis was dis- eleine Docherty, Morag Docherty, Colleen Rose, Meira The thought o’ Mary Morison. 1. storm 2. yesterday evening 3. hall 4. fine handsome SSAS Board Members The Scottish St. Andrew Society of Greater St. Louis | www.stlstandrews.org 2 44TH ANNUAL ROBERT BURNS DINNER (CONT’D.) WHAT DO YOU KNOW Steve Nichols, Editor (photos courtesy of Janey Brewen) ABOUT BAGPIPES? Sondov-Gold, Tracy Blevens, Jennifer Sarti, Sophie Lo- ban, Anya Loban and Rhiannon Landis demonstrated The bagpipes are in a class of musical instruments known as Highland dancing at its best. Besides their expert tech- aerophones that use enclosed nical execution, the vigor and stamina the girls bring reeds fed from a constant to their art is much to be admired. Madeleine Docherty reservoir of air contained in a bag. The bag in modern pipes has been dancing and competing for 20 years now. In is usually Goretx or another between their sets we were treated to a sword dance by synthetic material, but skins of Sandy’s newest students sister and brother Mikala and local animals, such as goats, sheep or cows, were formerly Wilson Brewer. used. The bag is kept full of air by the piper blowing into Stephen Modesitt, buoyant and full of hope, charm- Ode to a Haggis: the blowpipe (or blowstick). Courtney Stirrat and Anna Duffy By exerting pressure between ingly toasted the lassies. But Elizabeth did not let him his arm and body on the bag, off too easily with her repartee. But the piper regulates the airflow all’s well that ends well, and we through the chanter, the pipe that produces the melody toasted together. After thanking that the piper plays with both the Modesitts, Liz Belcastro joined hands. The drones are the set Don on stage to raffle the bottle of of tubes, usually extending over the piper’s shoulder, Scotch on each table. Our many and they create the constant thanks of Rob Whitesell and Major background sound. The Brands for providing this generous instrument we are familiar with is the Scottish Great Highland table prize. Don Withrow then in- Bagpipe, but many different vited Robert Sarno to the podium kinds are found the world over to deliver the Immortal Memory.