THE SCOTS CANADIAN Issue VI Newsletter of the Scottish Studies Society: ISSN No. 1491-2759 Summer 2000 Red Wilson proclaimed Scot of the Year 2000 t was a grand affair. The eighth annual Scot of the Year and Tartan Day I Celebration Dinner in April at the Granite Club went off without a hitch. The Guest of Honour, Lynton "Red" Wilson, arrived on the scene in full Scottish regalia and made an excellent speech (details inside). Toronto's Granite Club was at its usual elegant self. The food and service were outstanding and the entertainment was terrific -- a great setting for a wonderful event. Speeches were short and to the point and the evening finished right on schedule. All in all, the dinner, sponsored by the Scottish Studies Society and hosted by the Scottish Studies Foundation, was one of our best. For this, thanks is due to co-chairmen Neil Fraser Scots Wha Hae Red Wilson and his wife Brenda in the foreground. At the rear (left to right), Cathy a desire to nurture and Spoel and her husband and former Scot of the Year Michael MacMillan, Dr. Mordechai Rozanski (University of Guelph President), Mrs. Rosanzki and Ed preserve Stewart Chairman (Scottish Studies Foundation) their heritage in Canada are invited to join and John Macdonald along with our hard- international corporations. However, a key working financial guru Alan McKenzie. factor in his nomination as Scot of the Year Wilson, one of the titans of the Canadian was his role in launching the HISTOR!CA business world, joined an illustrious group Foundation of Canada, which is aimed at of Canadians who have received the award making all Canadians more aware of the since it was inaugurated in 1993. Major- history of their country. General Lewis MacKenzie, The Hon. Bertha Red personally donated $500,000 to the Wilson, Lloyd Robertson, Col. the Hon. launch. Charles R. Bronfman, another Donald S. Macdonald, Col. the Hon. Henry founder of HISTOR!CA, sent a note says he N.R. Jackman, John Cleghorn and Michael regretted that he was unable to attend the THE SCOTTISH STUDIES MacMillan. dinner honouring his close friend but by way Jackman and MacMillan attended the of compensation, sent along a cheque for FOUNDATION dinner but several former Scots of the Year $l,000 as a donation to the Scottish Studies a charitable organization and many other business leaders sent their Foundation. regrets --- they were in attendance at the The evening's entertainment was the best dedicated to actively Business Council on National Issues. The ever. George Walker gave a stirring supporting the BCNI held an important session the same "Address to the Haggis" while the Pipes and night at the Royal York Hotel with political Drums of the 48th Highlanders of Canada Scottish Studies Program and business leaders from across Canada at and Sandra Bald Jones' Scottish Dance the meeting. Red, who was accompanied by Company of Canada were outstanding with at his charming wife Brenda, was supposed to their stage presentations. The University of Guelph be at the meeting but nothing could keep Watch this space for news on next year's him away from the Scot of the Year dinner. dinner. It will be another "don't miss" event Charitable registration Red is BCE Inc.'s Chairman of the Board and we hope to attract as many Foundation No. 119253490 RR0001 and a director of numerous Canadian and members as possible. Chairman of the Membership Committee, Alan McKenzie who contributes his valuable service as our Treasurer, David Hunter our Letter from the Chair Secretary and Editor of this newsletter and John Macdonald and Neil Fraser who under society auspices carried the heavy load of membership, we believe, is the best way to organizing both the Sailpast and the Tartan do that. Day Dinner. A thousand thanks to you all. As I have reported previously we have Now on to another year during which we over the last year employed some targeted shall try to report to you regularly and advertising to encourage new members to hopefully with positive results. join our ranks. I’m not going to cite again With thanks for your continuing support. varied vehicles we have chosen over others Sincerely, than to note as I hope you did our latest Ed Stewart efforts that ran in the "National Personals" in the Saturday Globe & Mail throughout the month of April. A committee consisting of Christine Boyle of the University of Guelph Wide variety of talks featured at and our Secretary David Hunter is currently Spring Colloquium reviewing what further steps might be taken. While recruiting new members in This years' Spring Colloquium which took significant numbers is important, equally place on March 18, was sponsored by the important is the need to retain, on an ongoing Scottish Studies Foundation and held in basis, those who have already joined our conjunction with College Royal at the ranks. The Board has discussed this University of Guelph. College Royal is the challenge on a number of occasions in an annual open house of the University, and attempt to devise ways and means by which gave participants the chance to see what else we retain your support. the University does besides Scottish Studies! Dr. Edward Stewart On the money front, I have mentioned in The Colloquium featured a wide variety of Chairman, Scottish Studies Foundation previous newsletters the commitment on the talks from students, faculty and graduates of part of the University of Guelph to give the program. Scottish Studies a prominent place in its Janay Nugent, MA 97 and now a doctoral Dear Fellow Members, upcoming fundraising drive and to direct student in the program spoke on Youth in funds raised for Scottish Studies to the Early Modern Scotland. Her stories of On June 1, the Scottish Studies Foundation Foundation and its proposed endowment. In scandals uncovered by prying servants held its annual meeting at the Arts & Letters late March, Alastair Gillespie, one of our entertained the audience. Club in Toronto. While we had hoped for a most helpful directors and I met with Tolly Bradford, a graduate of Scottish large turnout for this event, I realized that Mordechai Rozanski, President of the Studies who is now doing an MA at McGill, many of our members would not find it University of Guelph and other officials of took us to Africa with his story of the Church possible to be on hand. I thought, therefore, the University to discuss how we might go of Scotland Mission School in South Africa. that I might take this opportunity to convey forward. As a result, a preliminary plan was Faculty member Elizabeth Ewan tried not to all the supporters of the Foundation the devised and, hopefully, will be executed over to be too scandalous when talking about essence of what I reported to those who the next months. We have, I believe, reason Defamation and Insult in Sixteenth-century attended our annual gathering. to be very encouraged by these developments Scotland. In the proverbial nutshell, the major and while plans cannot be taken as “money Next we visited the world of the fairies themes of our organization, over the past in the bank,” I am hopeful that before our with Scott Moir (Ph.D. candidate) and his year, have been membership and money -- next year is concluded we should be able to Supernatural Scotland. building our membership numbers in a report that we have reached our target or The day concluded with Jackie significant way and moving more rapidly have come very close thereto. Fairgrieves, a visiting Ph.D. student from toward our goal of two million dollars Finally, as we come to a close of another Glasgow, and her fine analysis of Consider required to endow a Chair of Scottish Studies year of activity and, hopefully, progress it the Lilies, a masterpiece of modern Scottish at the University of Guelph. seems appropriate to give a deserving vote of Literature. The two go hand in hand although not thanks to those who have contributed One highlight of the day was the perhaps in an obvious way. For we know considerable time and effort to our cause. As presentation by Harry Ferguson of the Clan that it is not realistic to expect that we will be I have stressed in the past, we are an Fergusson Travel Scholarship to Shannon able to raise such a large amount of money organization made up entirely of volunteers. Creps, Ph.D. student in the program. through our members alone. To succeed on This means that every undertaking, from Shannon will use the scholarship for travel to the financial front we are going to have to membership administration through the Scotland next year to do archival research on elicit significant contributions from preparations of this newsletter to special her thesis on Women in the Scottish corporations, foundations and/or events such as the Annual Sailpast and Reformation. philanthropists who see the value of our Tartan Day Dinner, is carried out by one or A second highlight was Dr. James efforts. We know, however, that it will be more of our members, usually from among Conner's display of three of the fine Scottish difficult to convince such individuals and the Directors of the Foundation or our sister books from his collection, including a organizations of the merits of our cause if we organization the Scottish Studies Society. beautiful Coat of Arms from the early cannot demonstrate that Canadians of Meriting special attention in this regard are nineteenth century with hand-coloured Scottish ancestry are behind us. Building our Dr.