Volume 40, N0. 4 August 2019
When did Scotland become the country we know today? By the beginning of the 13th century the Britons were essentially done ceding their land to the Scots. The Scots and the Pics were one people and although there were still Vikings in Danelaw, most of the Eastern borderlands were under control of the Scottish King. The battle for Scotland came down to a fight between the King and the Lord of the Lorne. Through much of that century there were running battles between the King of Norway Haakon IV & first and Alexander II and upon his death Alexander III of Scotland. In 1263 Haakon set off with a large fleet and some 20,000 Vikings to crush the Scots and claim Argyle and the outer islands once and for all. Alexander was outnumbered but fought a guerrilla type war until the autumn storms destroyed much of the Norwegian fleet. This was the battle of Largs. Not only were the Scots victorious but the battle was also famous for an attempted nighttime raid by the Norsemen to route the Scots. This was only foiled by the barefoot warriors stepping on thistle which led to cries that alerted the Scottish army. The Scots went on to win a final decisive victory and the thistle became a symbol of Scotland. The Vikings retreated to the Orkney Islands for the winter where King Haakon passed away in December of 1263. This was the last Norwegian attack on Scotland. The king’s son had no interest in continuing the invasion of Scotland and in 1266 renounced all claims to Scotland in exchange for 4000 marks. Soon the Norse descendants looked to the Scottish King for protection and the Orkney and Shetland islands also became part of Scotland. This is the Scotland we know and love today.
We have not been idle over the summer. On June 16th a small contingent of the society was present at Scot’s day at Ticonderoga. We had a pleasant time, helped by a few wee drams, and continued our communion with other societies there. It was a relatively small gathering, but a moving tribute at the Blackwatch Cairn. The fort appears to be committed to improving the activities and participation at the annual event and we are looking forward to seeing those improvements next year. June 22nd saw us again at the rooms for our spring picnic. We took this opportunity to dedicate the rampant lion sculpture in the backyard. The donor family was in attendance and they were very thankful for the effort. We again had a fine turnout and superb dining with the base meal again supplied by Mr. Graves the non-steward. On July 17th we hosted a lecture at the rooms jointly with the Irish Museum. The discussion was about the orange societies that have been active internationally and their relationship to uprisings in Ireland. The talk was well attended and well received. The president’s tea was held on July 28th with a much better attendance than last year. This is always difficult with so many people being away for the summer. The food was good and plentiful and all appear to have had a good time. Pictures of the event should soon be posted on the website. The board of managers have meant several times during the summer to address issues and keep the society moving forward and the nominating committee has started its task of putting together a slate of officers to be presented later this year.
We are ready to start our fall activities. Next weekend the Scottish games will kickoff in Altamont. We are registered and our tents will be set up for Saturday the 31st of August. I hope to see many of you there and to keep the shopping at a minimum. The next stated meeting will be on Thursday, September 12th. . This will be the annual officers barbecue. Usually this is a short meeting followed by good eating, drinking, and comradeship. This year we do have a number of issues that need to be addressed so we will need to spend a little bit more time for the formal program. Our treasurer, Charlie Brown, has proposed an amendment to the Constitution relating to dues. This has previously been presented to the membership however, as per the Constitution, it will need to be formally read at that meeting. It will then be presented to the board of managers for their comments and voted upon by a quorum at the November stated meeting. We have also asked the representative of the construction company working on the building next door to come and talk to us about their plans. You may also know that the rooms fall within an area that is proposed to be designated as a historic neighborhood. We have also requested someone from the city to be there at that meeting to discuss the implications of that action to the society and the rooms. We should be looking at a date in the near future for the first single malt tasting of the fall. Lastly we are again looking at the possibility of a fall picnic.
A few final notes. I would like to thank Jay Higle for his help in setting up the society’s participation at Ticonderoga including getting the supplies there and setting up the tent. He has also been instrumental in setting up a joint lecture for October. I’d like to thank Dan Graves for organizing the spring picnic and supplying most of the food. I would also like to thank Dan for ordering and installing our new door to the roof from the attic. Lastly I would like to thank Rich Hixon for arranging the dedication to the rampant lion and other work he has done on or organized for the rooms over the summer.
Once again I would ask all the members to look at the different committees available and express any interest they may have in serving on those committees. The list is available in the management manual and constitution available on the Internet website. Lastly I’m excited about a joint venture that we are undertaking with the Albany Institute of History and Art. On October 19th there will be a fascinating lecture and panel discussion about Alexander Hamilton and his impact on our area. The lecture will occur at the Institute and guests will be invited to the rooms following this event for a reception. This will be very similar to the event we had relating to a lecture on Rosslyn Chapel several years ago. I have sent a copy of the invitation and schedule to Simon Locke requesting that it be put on the website shortly. I hope this finds you all well and look forward to seeing you at the games and at the first stated meeting of the fall.
MEMBERSHIP OF COMMITTEES August 25, 2019
Audit Committee: Timothy Thornton (chair), Thomas Goodfellow, Patrick Foy
Cemetery Committee: Kenneth Kuch, Peter McLetchie, Joseph Shook
Endowment Committee: David Hasso, Peter McLetchie, Charles Brown
House Committee: Richard Hixon (Chair), Charles Marshall (Security Officer), Patrick Foy, Spencer Ryan, Kenneth Kuck
Garden Committee: Charles Marshall, Jack McEneny, Patrick Foy, Peter Ford, Gordon Peters, J. Alexander Higle
House Stewards: Daniel Graves, Richard Beach
Library Committee: Willard Bruce, Joseph Shook (Consultant)
Liaison to National Trust for Scotland USA – to be appointed by President
Malt Tasting Coordinator: Dan Graves, Peter McLetchie ‘
Past Presidents: (Nominating Committee, Credentials Committee) Joseph W. Shook, chair
Program Committee: Jay Higle, Gordie Peters, Jack McEneny
Scottish Events Chairman: Frank Alguire
Web Master: Simon Locke