With all the hustle and bustle of the past two weeks there has been very little time for even thinking of newsletters. I am sure the Federation Chief and Consort enjoyed their trip to the “Highland Province” filled with many surprises, finally to be shipped off to the Airport to catch their flight back to PE. It was great having them and I’m sure they are glad to be home to have a rest before off to Congress in Welkom in October. Our own Robin and Glenys Kelly have also been very busy with their Official Welcome at Randfontein and Boksburg taking place with the Federation Welcome. If you are on facebook there are pics of all the functions “Click” on the link below to see these varied functions.       

http://www.facebook.com/tommy.soutar#!/pages/Federated-Caledonian-Society-of-South-Africa/239226126092527                                                                                      

Next up for St Andrews is Chiefs Night on the 17^th of September 5.30 for 7pm. Usual venue Herbert Park Bowling Club. R60.00 Adults,  R30.00 Children 12 years or younger. The weather is getting warmer, the sick list is getting shorter, so we expect a good turnout for this function. The formalities will be dispensed with very quickly (if we can get started on time) and we can get on with having a real good Callie evening. Remember the kids are welcome and an activity table will be provided for them while we dispense with the formalities. Where else can you enjoy an evening’s entertainment with a meal for R60.00 and drinks at club prices? Your committee is aware of the economic situation and that is why we have held the cost of our functions at only R60.00 despite increases from the caterers etc. We have also looked at changing the dates of some of the functions as the 3^rd Saturday could be on the 15^th or the 20^th, (bit short of cash) again it wouldn’t make sense to move the functions to the 1^st Saturday as we would have had to hold Burns Night on the 1^st of January, Valentines would have been on the 5^th of Feb and Easter would have been on the 2^nd April, if it was 2011. What we would suggest is that Members who intend coming to the function Pay by Eft. And put their name as Ref then email Tommy to confirm the booking and payment. It’s one way of overcoming the mid-month crisis.                                                                                                                     

Banking details:  Nedbank  Bedfordview Branch 192-505   A/C no 1915127386.

 The Committee meets on the first Monday of every month at 7.30pm in St Andrews House and as a member you are welcome to attend any meeting, or to submit any idea you may have to improve our functions, or suggestions on something new to add to our calendar. As our Federation Chief said in her speeches, moving functions from evening to afternoon or vice versa does not improve attendances. St Andrews Society is very fortunate to have a very involved committee as can be seen from how we have gone out to promote the Society and the Federation in the past year. What can you the Member do to make St Andrews grow? Bring along other Scots or friends interested enough in the Scottish Culture to possibly join the Society.  

After Chiefs Night we have one of our FUN FUNCTIONS:  HALLOWEEN

Now is the time to think of your costume. No need for expensive hires, use your imagination, old or borrowed cloths, make-up etc. The most expensive costume doesn’t always win, the judging is on originality. For big and little kids let’s have a whale of a time. (Picture Flashback from last year) We will have witches, worm cake, spider jelly and frog soup as well as other dishes that we think up. Any ideas welcome?

St Andrews Scottish Society was the first of 5 welcomes to the Federation Chief and Consort Frances and Ivan Dickson, and all stops were pulled out to make it a memorable occasion, the hall was completely transformed into the St Andrews colours of Blue and White not forgetting the Tartan Trimmings. My thanks to all those who helped set the whole thing up, it really was fantastic “Andrew” our MC for the evening, “Rodney and his Pipers “, “Ma wee Champion” Skylah Guest for dancing, My wife who although she had her Fathers 80^th Birthday found the time to do the “Flowers”, The Ladies who supplied the cake and dished up the Food, “Cathy” from the Club who stayed behind and allowed us time for setting up, Mike & co for the Manual labour, Our fellow Societies for their support in fact everyone connected with the function (getting old might forget someone, no good in the Callies)  See Pic’s below or go to facebook will be published on the website shortly (Maybe it’s there already).

Best wishes to Alan Millar Who Celebrated his 81^st Birthday

And a Speedy recovery to Madge Kruger who was hospitalised

That’s it Until Chiefs Night (Please book early)

Slainte,

Tommy Soutar (Chief)

The Times of St Andrews Newsletter -  August 2011

The Times of St Andrews

“Affiliated to the Federated Caledonian Societies of Southern Africa”

Chief: - Tommy Soutar    Secretary: – Robert Lane    Treasurer: – Helen Weir

This newsletter comes to you early so that you can plan for our AGM on Sunday 31^st July. 1.30pm for soup and rolls, Meeting at 2.30pm then tea, coffee and cake after the meeting. This is a very important meeting as it maps the future of the Society over the next year. Please make every effort to attend this meeting, and please, please let us know if you are coming, for catering purposes. (No charge) if you feel that you could offer your services to serve on the committee you would be most welcome. Your commitment: 1 hour per month for the meeting, and to assist a bit at functions.

We do need new blood to carry the Society Forward.

Our Function on the 20^th of August is a very special one “Welcome to the Federation Chief” Frances Dickson and Consort Ivan all the way from PE. Preparations are well on the way for this Function. A Pipe Band, our wee Champion will dance for us and the food will be the usual quality. As this is a Traditional Function we ask you all to wear the Tartan. Tables will be of eight so please make up your party. We can only accommodate 70 people at this function so PLEASE book early don’t leave it to:  “Tommy always knows we come” as Tommy can be a bit forgetful also. Bookings would be preferred by email to info@scotldndsa.co.za Chiefs Night has been put back a month to the 17^th September as “St Andrews Scottish Society” feels that each Function is important and combining them undermines the stature of the “Federation Welcome”

We will have the R5.00 Raffle so start saving those R5 Coins.

Chivas Regal Gift Set with Glasses is one of the prizes.

Come on It’s the last chance to support our “wee Champion this year”

Lets open our hearts to her hard work.

She has danced her heart out for these kids in need all you have to do to boost her efforts is by making a Donation, you can do it by EFT or at any absa branch.

SKYLAH’S CHARITY CHALLENGE 2011

HIGHLAND DANCING FOR CHILDREN IN NEED

Selected Charity:  St Mary’s Home,

42 Zinnia Street, Rosettenville, Johannesburg

Final Gathering of the year

S.A. Champs 30^th June 7.30am

Benoni High School

Dalrymple Street, Benoni

Benoni High School will be hosting this year’s 79th South African Highland Dancing Championships and Premier and Pre-Premier Competitions, as well as the South African Championships for Pipe Bands

The last competition for the dancing calendar and we are sending out one last plea for funds for Skylah to reach her target of R10000.00 for St Mary’s.

We are only R2500.00 away from this target and if we reach this target it will be a huge accomplishment as that would mean Skylah has doubled the funds that she initially set out to try and raise.

Donations / sponsorships can be paid into the following account (please use your name as a reference so you can be acknowledged):

S. Guest  ABSA Branch Code 632 005  A/C 926 087 262 6

A Facebook page has been set up called “Skylah’s Charity Challenge 2011” where competitions will be listed under the discussion page and any sponsorships or donations can be loaded onto the page.  Should you not have access to facebook you can email skylahscharitychallenge@hotmail.com with any sponsorship details or donations or contact Linda Guest on 072 052 0112.  We would also like to take this opportunity to thank each and every person that has supported Skylah in this challenge.  The support means the world to her!

Kind regards,

LINDA GUEST ON BEHALF OF SKYLAH GUEST “SKYLAHS’ CHARITY CHALLENGE 2011”

Skylah supports St Andrews Scottish Society at all our Traditional Functions as well as Intercontinental Day

Our ½ sheep (Baa) draw will not be drawn at St Andrews on the 20^th August it will be drawn at Easterns on the 27^th at the Welcome to the “Federation Chief” Tickets are still available and can be purchased from Robin Kelly at St Andrews Welcome or at Easterns Welcome, R100.00 for 10 draws. On the night or at St Andrews Welcome, if there are still tickets available these can be purchased at R10.00 per ticket valid for the 27^th nights draw only. Please support this fundraising effort As our objective is to have the funds available to book congress well in advance.

Now for a few Pictures of Christmas in July

All pictures are on facebook follow the link below. http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.167812773287145.42769.111579715577118

Slainte

Tommy Soutar (Chief)

The-Times-of-St-Andrews-July-2011

The-Times-of-St-Andrews-June-2011

All the pictures are included in the above Newsletter

All the pictures are included in the above Newsletter

A great newsletter so READ IT

All the pictures are here

Newsletter posted by “Speedy”

All the pictures are there as well

Ommision in Newsletter Jan 2011

Hi all,

as we approach this festive season Lovie, I and the Executive Committee wish you all Peace and Prosperity in the coming year. May we leave behind the effects of the 2010 recession and look forward to a very successful 2011 The Society has gone from strength to strength during the past year with St Andrews bringing home the cup for most increased membership for the 2^nd year running. Our functions have all been successful in that we have had good attendances and have at least broken even on the financial side at every function.  We have become more involved with Herbert Park Bowling Club and enjoy a good relationship with them. The Society repaired the faulty plugs in the kitchen and our committee member Mike repaired all the bar lights and several other repairs that were required, “Thanks Mike”

Although we have engaged Caterers for our functions our Ladies who Dish up, provide Cake and Raffle prizes, and I mustn’t forget my wife the Lady President, who has visited the sick and made the flower decoration for all our functions, have contributed to the success of the Society. In the Past Year we have tried to make all our functions “Family Oriented” encouraging members to bring the kids along this has also contributed to the success we have achieved. During the Past year we have had 2 new functions: Chiefs Night which was previously combined with St Andrews Night and St Andrews Night where we invited a guest who had assisted the Society and the Federation at 2 Congresses, both were successful events. Our Past Chief Jimmy Weir has given tremendous support to St Andrews with donations too numerous to mention and we thank him for his generosity. In the past year our own Jean and Andrew Kelly as Federation Chief and Consort have Plugged the Federation and the website from our first outing to VanderBijl Park “Burns Night “ all the way through the Gatherings to their final function.

The website www.scotlandsa.co.za will go through a serious upgrade during Dec/Jan with lots of links on it so log in and keep up to date.

________________________________________________________________________ I have sent out a flyer for The Christmas Party and Hogmanay. Please let us know if you are coming.

Our St Andrews Night held on the 20^th November turned out to be a very successful function; we had Ian Armstrong and his lovely lady as our guests of honour. Ian expressed an interest in the Society and the Caledonian Movement as a whole. He has some ideas he would like to sit down and talk about to help us expand.

Our thanks to Stewart for stepping in and doing the piping for us.