The function started with the Chief introducing her top table, then we were entertained by one of our new members Ian Lamb who sang some lovely Scottish songs interspersed with the odd joke or two.

Lunch was then served – Chicken and salads with fruit salad and ice cream for dessert.

We were then entertained by Bronwyn Parker’s School of Celtic Dancing who performed 5 beautifully choreographed dances.  Our Chief then presented the girls with a small gift each and wished them all the best for the upcoming championships in Johannesburg.

Our Federation Chief was called upon to deliver her address which she did with aplomb congratulating the women folk in the Federation who were slowly taking over from the men, who had held all the important posts for the last 80 years. We had a lady Chief, lady Provincial Chieftain and a lady Federation Chief all at the top table. Quite a rare occurrence.

Chief Lyn then called upon Molly & Noel Gould and Nancy & Joe Dunsmore to come forward to receive a small gift from the Society on the occasion of their Golden Wedding Anniversaries during June 2010.

Our Pipe Band played a selection of tunes to round off the day before Auld Lang Syne was sung and a very fond farewell was bid to Jean and Andrew with wishes for a safe journey home.

Regards

Molly Gould
Durban

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I hope you all enjoyed the festive season and I wish you all a happy 2010.  Yours truly, Sheila Mackenzie is standing in for our Scribe, Betty Cruise, who is enjoying snowy weather of England along with husband David and their family.

Kindred Societies Quiz

On Friday evening 29^th Jan at 7pm we host the quiz at the Westville library.

BURNS ANNIVERSARY LUNCH – Sunday 7th February 12pm for 12.30pm sharp!

Please come along to the Hunt Road Masonic Lodge when we plan to celebrate the anniversary of Robbies birth. It is essential that you book by phoning  Molly Gould 031-5646639, for catering purposes. Cost is R40 pp. Please bring your own drinks and glasses. 

The South Coast Highland Gathering – Saturday 1st May 2010

This is once again a Championship Gathering which means we can expect the usual high turn-out by the pipe bands, as they have to compete in all championship events to gain championship points.

Band and dancing events will take place on Saturday.

The 4th Fort Nottingham Highland Gathering – Saturday the 15^th May 2010

With piping, drumming, and dancing displays and Highland games will be held at Fort Nottingham near Nottingham Road in the midlands.  Last year this gathering was a huge success and promises to repeat that performance this year.

I don’t know details at present, but I am certain a bus trip will be organised.

Botanic Gardens T B Kiosk - We supplied a team to work at the kiosk on Saturday morning 29^th November consisting of Noel Gould, Micky Rasmussen, Ronella Burrows and Sheila Mackenzie, and on the afternoon of  Tuesday 2^nd December, Micky, Jayne Moir, Elva Steyn, & Sheila served at the kiosk with Noel Gould taking the money again, which mounted substantially as there was a steady flow of visitors to the gardens.

Jayne, Micky, Ronella and Sheila worked on the afternoon of the 1^st of Jan. and a friend, Graham Ward acted as cashier for us. We were kept quite busy with a steady flow of people. Although overcast, it was a very humid afternoon and the main call was for icecreams.

We have found it necessary to change our day of work at the kiosk to the first Friday instead of Tuesday afternoon, as we have only Jayne, Micky and myself, with Noel as cashier, and some of us have other commitments on a Tuesday.

Scottish Country Dancing classes are held at the Randall Hall in Milner Rd. on the Berea.

We held our Christmas party on the 27th Nov. which went off very well. We are always pleased to have those dedicated dancers that trek all the way from Pietermaritzburg to help make up our sets.

We intend starting classes again the second Thursday in February at 8pm

Please phone Ronella Burrows 031-5647663 or 082-468 1644 if you are interested in coming along. You would be most welcome.

 Congratulations to those celebrating Birthdays in January:-2 Betty Cruise  
3 Leyton Wilson   
11 Michael Jackson        
14    Peter Oravecz              
17 Ann Miller                Mervyn Hinchcliffe   
25  Julia Jackson  
29  Walter Smith  

Birthdays in February :- 

12 Kate de Beer
12 Lyn Chasomeris       
14 George Chasomeris 
24  Beverley Howes                             (apologies to Mervyn and Kate for not being able to supply dates)

Birthdays in March : 

1     Pat Attree        
7    Joan Wilson                  
9   Jayne Moir                
20   Maria Hutton   
21   Quentin Sinclair           
25   Cecil Ritson

& April:      

 8    Catherine MacGregor     
8    Rosemarie Smith           
20  Micky Chasomeris
22   Sally Meintjies               
25  Nancy Dunsmore

Wedding anniversaries in March:-

6 Greta & Victor Auld                
17 Ann & Grant Miller

& April                                             

9  Betty & David Cruise              
29  Norma & Mike Muir

Obituary – it is with sadness that we record the death of Ian Watson (Jock). Jock entertained us many times at socials by playing tunes on his “mouthie”. He played in our Pipe band for years as bass drummer.

John and Sheila Imrie, (both were pipers in our pipe band) who had a baby son Daniel Russel Anton born 13th November 2008 in Warrington, England have have now moved to Cape Town to live. Maybe they will pay us a visit some time.

Member Cecil Ritsons great grand-daughter, Llewella Daphne Spence was recently christened at the quaint  St. John’s Prestbyterian Church at Nottingham Road. This church was originally brought here from Scotland in pieces and erected where it now stands, as a National Monument.

Please submit bursary applications as soon as possible. Applicants must have been a member of the Society for at least two years.

Also applications for the Wishart Trust must be submitted before the end of January. These grants are made to sons and daughters, or grandchildren of Members to assist in education.

During November of 2009, the Durban Botanic Gardens celebrated its 160^th anniversary. To commemorate the work done in the Gardens in earlier years by dedicated Scottish botanists, Durban Caledonian Society sponsored Dave Dickson, our Hon. Piper, to play pipes to welcome guests on their arrival to the dinner and yours truly made haggis rolls as part of the pre-dinner canapés, the haggis also being sponsored by the Society.

As an international conference concerning botanical gardens was being held  over the same period, various societies were asked to decorate the gardens with Land Art. The Berea Garden Club, to which Jayne Moir and I belong was also approached to produce something ornamental. Not exactly ‘land art’, we put together a little garden that we called ‘Food for Thought’ which was all vegetables, herbs and edible flowers with three small figures made of hessian; one eating, one watering and one reading. The following quotes were hanging from branches.

Food for Thought quotes

If you plan for a year, plant crops.

If you plan for a decade, plant trees.

But if you plan for a lifetime, educate.

Year by year the complexities of this spinning world grow more bewildering,

and so each year we need all the more to seek peace and comfort in the joyful simplicities.

From Women’s Home Companion 1935

Plant Happiness in the garden of your life.

Every sunset gives us one day less to live – but every sunrise gives us one day more to hope.

Remember to water freely with patience, and cultivate with love.

It is difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a home grown tomato. 

Lewis Grizzard

Live in each season as it passes; breathe air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each. Let them be your only diet drink and botanical medicines.

Henry David Thoreau

In your garden you must have thyme:

1)    thyme for one another
2)   thyme for family
3)   thyme for friends

Hope to see you on the 7^th Feb.  Sheila – Acting Scribe