scottish newslettervictoriahighlandgames.com/games/wp-content/uploads/... · 2017. 4. 5. · 2...
TRANSCRIPT
The Sons of Scot-
land is a Canadian fraternal
organisation – which means
it is an insurance company
as well as a benevolent asso-
ciation. It was formed in
1876 to provide Scottish
immigrants with an organi-
sation where they could
meet together, and to help
with their insurance needs.
At one time, all members had to take
out an insurance policy but that is no longer
the case. For those people who do not want
insurance, but do want a financial investment,
there are now also segregated funds etc. If you
don’t want any of the financial products, you
can be a social member.
We support community events (eg.
Charity walks), and promote Scottish culture.
Each January, we hold a Burns Supper and
donate a Scottish themed book to the Library
in memory of Robert Burns; in April we spon-
sor/organise the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan; in May
we sponsor the Children’s Area and an infor-
mation booth at the Highland Games. We also
support and help each other.
We meet on the third Thursday of
each month (except July and August). Some-
times we have a business meeting followed by
some sort of entertainment (speaker, musician,
games etc.) then tea and a blether; and some-
times we have an activity (for example, at our
May meeting we plant hanging baskets) fol-
lowed by tea and a blether. We have a pot luck
dinner twice a year preceding the meeting. We
also hold a picnic in July, a corn roast in Sep-
tember and occasional other outings through-
out the year. You may note a common thread
here - food seems to be a part of everything
we do........if you feed them they will come.
A social membership costs $60.00 per
year ($5.00 a month), which can be paid annu-
ally (in January) or semi-annually (in January
and June). There are no other costs unless
there is a dinner or an outing etc. Having said
S E R V I N G T H E S C O T T I S H
C O M M U N I T Y O F
G R E A T E R V I C T O R I A
E D I T O R :
L A R R Y S C O T T Sons of Scotland Benevolent Association
SCOTTISH NEWSLETTER
A P R I L 1 , 2 0 1 7 V O L U M E 2 : I S S U E 4
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E
Sons of Scotland 1
Upcoming Events: April 2
Upcoming Events: May & Beyond 3
Contact Information Scottish Groups 4 Cornwall: Celtic Duchy of England 5
Cultural Centre
18%
Donations accepted at:
www.victoriahighlandgames.com
Tae Victory!
$2,000,000
Victoria Scottish
Cultural Centre
that there are a couple of
voluntary small expendi-
tures: you would be sup-
plied with a name tag when
you join, and if you forget
to wear it at a meeting you
pay a fine of 25 cents, and,
if you wish, you can con-
tribute to the ―birthday
box‖ in the month of your
birthday. The money from both of these helps
to pay for the greeting cards we send out.
Historically speaking, the Victoria
Camp was chartered in 1956. On November
18th, 1956, the Victoria Daily Colonist head-
lined a picture with ―Scottish Invasion Wel-
comed‖ and went on to explain that ―Invading
Scots 150 strong swept ashore from the Van-
couver boat yesterday for the opening of Victo-
ria’s first Sons of Scotland Lodge, the Bal-
gownie Camp.‖
Balgownie Camp used to hold an an-
nual Spring Tea and Bazaar (in 1981, the profit
was $634.60) at which the wife of the Mayor
or Lieutenant Governor often greeted guests.
Frequent dances were also held - a formal
dance in 1957 cost $2.50; an informal or fun-
time dance in 1958 cost $.50 plus $.05 for tea.
We had a Quadrille Team which competed at
the Highland Games and danced at other
events. We organised a Highland Dance com-
petition from 1984 until 2002 - a smallish
friendly competition especially enjoyed by the
younger dancers and their families. In 1994,
many of our members worked as volunteers at
the Commonwealth Games and also hosted the
spouses, families, and friends of the Scottish
Team participants. As the times and the inter-
ests of society have changed, so have the ac-
tivities of Balgownie Camp. We do not do all
the same things that we used to do, but we do
continue to welcome new mem-
bers with open arms. Submit-
ted by: Keith and Irene Feir —
email: [email protected]
April 6 is Tartan Day – wear
your tartan out and about!
2
April Events: Vancouver Island Piper’s Club
Pipe Major Rene Cusson —
Pacific Gael Pipe Band
April 1, 2017—8:00 pm
Cash bar. Admission $10.
Venue is Sergeants Mess,
Bay St. Armoury, Victoria.
Parking: enter from Field St.
Admission $10. Open to all.
Carlos Núñez in Concert (from Galicia, Spain)
McPherson Playhouse
7:30 pm—Thursday, April 6, 2017
Fusing music from his native N. Spain with
Scotland, Ireland, Brittany and beyond.
Tickets $55 — available at:
www.rmts.bc.ca/events/carlos-nunez-2017
-mcpherson-playhouse
VISCDS Spring Fling Social
April 22, 7:30—9:30 pm
Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan Service April 2, 10:00 am
St. Aidan’s United Church, Victoria
Put on your tartan and join the congregation for this spe-
cial service to celebrate Tartan Day. We will ―kirk‖ the Ma-
ple Leaf Tartan in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday.
Roger Hind will pipe, and the Gaelic Choir will sing. Spon-
sored by The Sons of Scotland. For more info contact
Irene at (250) 652-5773 or [email protected]
Tartan Day Celebration April 8, 12:00—4:00 pm
Centennial Square Pipe band, highland dancers, Celtic rock
band, heavy sports demonstration, etc.
Sponsored by Victoria Highland Games Association.
Knacker’s Yard performing at Centennial Square
forTartan Day, 2016. Photo by L. Scott
Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan Service 2016 at Anglican Cathedral.
Vancouver Island
Scottish Country Dance Society:
Spring Classes
Tuesdays, April 18 to May 23
7:30 – 9:30 pm
City Light Church Hall,
550 Obed Avenue
$36.00 for six classes
Beginner level classes;
everyone welcome, even if
you’ve never danced SCD before!
City Light Church Hall
550 Obed Avenue
Admission $10
Refreshments will be served.
Program available online at:
www.viscds.ca/events-2/
VISCDS Mini Socials
Thursdays, April 27 to May 25
7:30 – 9:30 pm
City Light Church Hall,
550 Obed Avenue
$5.00 per night
May Events & Beyond:
3
153rd Victoria Highland Games
& Celtic Festival 2017 May 20-22 at Topaz Park, Victoria
www.victoriahighlandgames.com
*Highland dancers are invited to gather at
the Highland Dance stage at the Highland
Games, 11:30 am on Saturday, May 20 to
do 4 steps of the Highland Fling.
Annual Victoria Tartan Parade 11:00 am—Saturday, May 13, 2017
Parade starts from Centennial Square at 11:00 am and pro-
ceeds down Government St to Legislature Lawn. Wear your
tartan and walk in the parade!
Tilted Kilt Pub Crawl Wednesday, May 17
Contact Jim Maxwell at [email protected] for tickets. See
website for details. http://victoriahighlandgames.com/
games/schedule/pre-games-events/tilted-kilt-pub-crawl/
A double decker bus shuttles four
teams among the Bard & Banker, Yates St Taphouse, Irish Times, and
Strathcona pubs in the downtown of
Victoria. Sponsored by Lighthouse
Brewing. Each of the four teams is
accompanied by a piper and a high-
land dancer. 5th Annual Pub Crawl!
Vancouver Island
Scottish Country Dance Society
May Ceilidh
Saturday, May 27th
7:00—10:00 pm City light Church Hall
550 Obed Avenue, Victoria
Admission $5.00
Suitable for everyone.
Conversational Gaelic Immersion
Irish Pilgrimage Tour October 17—November 6, 2017
June 5-9, 2017
Edelweiss Club Hall
$350 per person.
Pamphlet sent with this
newsletter. Or contact [email protected]
Contact Vanessa Hammond
250.415.9272
Pamphlet explaining trip is
available on request.
Annual Clan Torchlight Ceremony 8:00 pm –Saturday, May 20th
BC Legislature Buildings
VHGA Kilted Golf Tournament
Sunday– 3:00 pm, May 14
Olympic View Golf Club 643 Latoria Road, Victoria
3:00 pm Shotgun Start—Best Ball
Price $75 per person.
Includes nine hole green fee, power cart,
practice ball, dinner, dessert, coffee station.
Wear your kilt/tartan if you wish! First tim-
ers and ―experts‖ welcomed as this is to be a
best ball format so everyone is a winner!
Please contact Jim Maxwell to register:
[email protected] or 250 598-0120
Starting at the front of the Legisla-ture at 8 pm, the Games duty pipe band will perform. People of Scot-tish background are invited to at-tend the ceremony wearing their tartan and support the clans! Twenty clans participated in 2016.
This is a free event open to the general public. Any
clans interested in the 2017 ceremony are invited to
contact Jim at [email protected] for more information.
4
Scottish Culture:
Saltire Society of Victoria: Contact is the Provost, Bob
Williamson 250-655-1270 or the society’s Scrivener,
Gordon Robinson 250-477-8317.
Sons of Scotland Benevolent Association: www.sonsofscotland.com For inquiries, Grand Chief is
Keith Feir. Contact 250 652-5773 or [email protected]
Victoria Gaelic Choir: The group sings in both Gaelic
and English. www.victoriagaelicchoir.com
Victoria Highland Games Association: President is Jim
Maxwell. Many volunteer opportunities exist. For info
see www.victoriahighlandgames.com
The Celtic Connection: Burnaby based tabloid publish-
ing since 1991. www.celtic-connection.com
Websites About Scotland:
Scottish Review is edited by journalist Kenneth Roy,
giving a weekly sampling of current news stories in Scot-
land. You can sign up for free. www.scottishreview.net
Rampant Scotland is a site begun in 1996 and written by
Alan Scott, a Glasgow-area resident who has lived in
Scotland all his life. He collects both news items and a
variety of photos of all things Scottish. Visit his site at
www.RampantScotland.com/letter.htm
Dance Instruction:
Brentwood Scottish Country Dancers: contact
[email protected] for more detailed informa-
tion. Classes happen at Brentwood Centre.
Vancouver Island Scottish Country Dance Society: www.viscds.ca Weekly classes for various levels of
ability. Further information may be had from Dora
Dempster, [email protected]
Bon Accord Highland Dancers: Lynne Griffith
Tel. 250 479-7804 [email protected]
Glengarry Highland Dancers: Carolyn Phillips-Cusson.
Tel. 250 758-0208 or email for information to
Kathleen Laurie School of Highland Dance:
Tel. 250 213-9627 [email protected]
Katie Dean School of Highland Dance:
H 250-920-3513 cell 250-514-8110 [email protected]
O’Connor – O’Brien School of Irish Dancing
www.ocobirishdance.com
Victoria School of Irish Dance: www.victoriairishdancers.com Contact Alison Paladini
Tel. 250 888-9421 or [email protected]
Victoria Area Pipe Bands:
BC Pipers` Association. This is a volunteer driven or-
ganization serving solo Highland Bagpipers, Scottish
Drummers and Pipe Bands in British Columbia, Wash-
ington, and Oregon. www.bcpipers.org
Castle Cary Pipes and Drums.
www.castlecarypipesanddrums.ca/
443 Squadron RCAF Pipe Band. P/M Stephen Kelly
[email protected] or [email protected]
Greater Victoria Police Pipe Band. www.gvppb.com
Pipe Band of the Canadian Scottish Regiment
(Princess Mary’s). Drum Major Glen Ereaut, contact at
Saanich Peninsula Pipe Band.
www.saanichpeninsulapipeband.blogspot.ca
78th Fraser Highlanders Pipe Band.
www.78fraservictoria.ca/ P/M Steve Kelly Sr.
2136 Royal Canadian Army Cadet Corps Pipes and
Drums. www.2136cadets.ca
Vancouver Island Caledonia Pipe Band.
www.vanislecaledonia.com
Local Businesses With Celtic Flavour:
Bard and Banker Scottish Pub, 1022 Government St,
Victoria www.bardandbanker.com
Freedom Kilts, 1919 Fernwood Rd, Victoria
www.freedomkilts.com
Irish Linen Stores, 1019 Government St, Victoria
www.irishlinenvictoria.com
Irish Times Pub, 1200 Government St, Victoria
www.irishtimespub.ca
Island Bagpipe, 5775 Alder Way, Nanaimo
www.islandbagpipe.com Bagpipes and much more.
Lion Rampant Scottish Pub, 6777 Beaumont Ave.,
Duncan. www.lionrampant.ca
North of Hadrian’s Kilts and Celtic Clothing,
264 Island Highway, Victoria www.northofhadrians.com
Out of Ireland Irish Importers, 1000 Government St.,
Victoria: www.outofireland.ca
5
These invaders introduced the
Anglo-Saxon language (450-
1150 CE) which would later
blend with the French of the
Normans to become Middle
English (1150-1500) and then
Modern English (from the
1500’s onwards). English
gradually became the working
language of Cornwall and
Wales, leading to the demise of
their local Celtic languages.
By this time the earlier Brittonic language had fully
taken on regional differences resulting in Cornish,
Welsh and Breton. During the Anglo-Saxon period there
were Brittonic Celts who migrated to the Brittany penin-
sula of France, as well as to regions of Spain and Portu-
gal. The name Brittany/Bretagne comes from this migra-
tion. (More on the Celts of Brittany in a future issue.)
The Cornish language is closer to Breton; Cornish and
Welsh are not mutually intelligible although they once
had a common origin. Manx, Modern Irish and Scottish
Gaelic are all derived from Old Irish and are from the
Goidelic branch. Cornish continued as the working lan-
guage of Cornwall until a language shift to the English
language was complete by the late 18th century.
―In the 2011 UK census, 557 people in England and
Wales declared Cornish to be their main language, 464
of whom live in Cornwall. Cornish is officially recog-
nised as a minority language by the UK government
under the European Charter for Regional or Minority
Languages, a status it has held since 2002. The Cornish
Language Partnership is the official body for promotion
and development of the language in Cornwall.‖ (Quote
taken from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_language).
The Cornish flag is a white cross on a black back-
ground. Cornwall in Cornish is Kernow. Hear their na-
tional anthem ―Trelawney/Song of the Western Men‖ at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMJYzyty2Z8 There are
attempts to more actively revive the Cornish language,
which is considered endangered.
Editor: Larry Scott
Cornwall —
Celtic Duchy of England
While we are used to hearing of
St. Andrew, St. Patrick and St.
David as the patron saints of
Scotland, Ireland and Wales re-
spectively, we can easily over-
look St. Piran of Cornwall. The
latter Celt was a 5th century
Christian abbot, who started out
as an Irish missionary sent to
Cornwall. He ultimately became
the patron saint of both Cornish
tin miners and of Cornwall itself!
Piran would have had to overcome a bit of language barrier
as the Cornish language comes from the Brythonic branch
of the Insular Celtic languages and his Old Irish tongue was
part of the Goidelic/Gaelic branch. (There were other Celtic
languages existing earlier in
Europe but the ones we
would recognize are those
that evolved in the British
Isles … the Insular Celtic
languages.) Prior to the Ro-
mans’ arrival in Britain in
1st C, a common Celtic lan-
guage called Brythonic (or
Brittonic) was used through-
out Britain. This language
resembled Welsh but the
Picts in northern Scotland
had a regional variation
known as Pictish. Linguists
think it was also Celtic based
and could be understood by
more southerly Brittonic speakers. The Romans imposed the
use of Latin in the parts of Britain that they controlled but
the Celtic language persisted and evolved regionally in the
more remote corners of the realm — Cornwall, Wales, Isle
of Man, Cumbria, Scotland north of Hadrian’s Wall.
If you would like to be on the email mailing list to re-
ceive the Scottish Newsletter, please advise Larry Scott
by email at [email protected] Your email ad-
dress will not be shared. Distribution is by email only
and is free of charge.
Celtic Lands of British Isles &
France in the 13th Century.
In contrast, Ireland was
not invaded by the Ro-
mans and its people kept
their Celtic tongue. After
the Romans left Britain
in the 4th C, the Angles
and the Saxons (tribes
from today’s Denmark
and Germany) were suc-
cessful in invading and
settling the territories
previously occupied by
the Romans. (White area
on map to left.)
Britain and Ireland in 4th C.
Red=Brittonic; Green=Irish;
Blue=Pictish
Cornish National Tartan
was created in 1963.
March 5 is St. Piran Day.
Photo: Pinterest