Hello everyone! Hope y’all had a good summer. Too hot in Texas during these summers. I wish we could import some nice, cool, Scottish weather for a change. Hopefully the cool fronts will start early this year and keep coming.
We have a wonderful music program coming up at our September 25th, 2006 meeting. A big thank you goes out to member Mark Monroe for arranging the upcoming performance of the Celtaire String Band. Be sure to invite friends and relatives to attend so we can fill up the auditorium. Celtaire String Band plays period music from early Texas, America, and Scotland. They performed at the May Houston Highland Games where many of our members enjoyed their music. Mr. Monroe has also arranged for Scottish Folk Singer Ed Miller to perform at our October 23rd, 2006 meeting. Mr. Monroe has also contacted Program Director Cheryl May and I about arranging for several interesting speakers to appear in 2007. Our November program will be dancing with the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society and in December we will have our annual Christmas party.
The 2007 Burns Supper Planning Committee met on September 5th, 2006. Co-Chairs Walter May and Becci Himes have everything on schedule and under control. Unfortunately, it looks like ticket prices for the Burns Supper will be going up, due mostly to Hotel meal prices.
Our fall annual Kirkin O’ the Tartans has now been scheduled for November 12th, 2006. Reverend Dr. Kevin Boyd of Saint Paul’s Presbyterian Church will be our host again for this worship service. The church is located at 7400 Bellaire Blvd. in Houston. Let’s have a good member turnout for this event.
Past Chieftain Wayne Barton and wife Brenda Barton announced at the recent Burns Supper Planning Committee meeting that they are moving to the Kerrville area to start a business. The Barton’s have contributed much to our Society over the years and they will be missed. Good luck from all of us on your new venture. We hope you will continue to visit.
In the May 2006 ‘Houston Scot’ member Ellen Johnson’s death was announced. I was notified of two errors in that announcement. Ellen was found expired on March 27th, 2006 in her home and not March 24th and Ellen’s birth city was El Campo, Texas and not Victoria.
At our last meeting in June I was advised by our membership director that we had 50 members that were overdue on their membership dues. Our Society has always gone by the rule of having dues paid by the end of September in order to qualify for the membership rate on ticket prices for the Burns Supper.
Chieftain Jim Monteith