Volume 19 #2
The Scottish Country Dancer
Sep/Oct 2002

 
Articles in This Issue
    Manager's Message Teacher's Tunes
    A New Format! Phantom of the Dance, Vancouver's Fall Dance Party
    Kelso Highlander Festival Starts Sept 12 Games On the Horizon
    Calendar of Events
 
Manager's Message
 

Hello Scottish Country Dancers,

This is the first newsletter message from me as the new manager of our association. I would like to thank Geri Stuart for her dedicated service over the past nine years. I am currently the "manager in training". I am grateful to have the advice of Geri and the rest of the board to help me gain the skills to perform the job.

This summer has been the most active with dancing activities that I can recall during the five years that I have been a member. They include the summer picnic at Battle Ground Lake, special Wednesday social and technique dancing classes, the Morning River Walk, periodic dancing in Esther Short park, and a performance at the Clark County Fair.

The theme has been to take our dancing to where the people are. New people will see all the fun we are having and will want to join the class. I have received comments from some friends who were delighted to come upon us dancing along the Columbia River.

I am interested in your ideas to further enhance our cohesive community and make our association even more attractive to new members than it already is.

I look forward to dancing with you this Fall, when we will learn to perform the program for the "Phantom of the Dance"!

Tom Halpenny

 
Teacher's Tunes
 

Where Has the Time Gone?

The summer is slipping by fast-----ah, but we have had some good times--- dancing at our picnic, dancing in the park, and dancing at Creekside Estates. A big THANK YOU to Liza for organizing the picnic, to Fred for scouting Esther Short Park and picking free days, to Isaac for obtaining the Club House at Creekside: and a special thank you to Liza, John, and Geri for leading the socials.

There is a dance called "Wasn't It A Party!" which would be apropos to celebrate our dancing at Clark County Fair. It was an on stage party! Kudos to all who participated!

C U All in classes, Sept. 11th.

Marge

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A New Format!
by John Shaw
 

You may have noticed a slight change to the look of this issue of the newsletter. We've been looking for ways to simplify the production of the newsletter, and at the same time bring it closer to a format which would enable the emailing of each issue. Looking even farther ahead, perhaps we would one day like to post the newsletter on our web site.

With those goals in mind, we are exploring the possibility of using HTML (hypertext markup language, used by all the web browsers) as the formatting language. This issue of the newsletter (somewhat experimentally) is formatted using HTML -- whooHOO! a first for me!

Actually, I must admit, I cheated. What I really did was define a small set of XML tags which I use to "mark up" the raw text of the newsletter. (Believe me, this was VERY easy!) Then I used a program to automagically convert the text and my simple XML tags into the very tedious HTML newsletter, and I was done! The newsletter can be displayed in a browser, sent out as email, or posted on a web page, with no further processing needed.

As a test run, I cut and pasted all the text from an old issue of the newsletter into a text file. This part would be comparable to writing and assembling all the content of a newsletter. Formatting the newsletter took an additional ten minutes to insert the XML tags for the titles and paragraphs; another 5 seconds to run the script; and then the newsletter was ready to print. By way of comparison, it usually takes several hours over two evenings just to format the newsletter in Microsoft Word.

 
What do you think?

So, let me know what you think of this format! Also, let me know if you would like to help with the experiment by receiving this issue by email (and then letting me know how successful the mailing went). I need to find out which email programs will display this newsletter acceptably and which won't, and the more people who can help out, the better!

Thanks!

 
Phantom of the Dance, Vancouver's Fall Dance Party
 

Vancouver USA Scottish Country Dancers will be holding their Fall dance party on Saturday, October 26, in the Oak/Elm rooms of the Marshall Community Center, from 8 to llpm. (Please note that this is the fourth Saturday of October.)

In something of a nod to Halloween, yet striving for something different, the theme this year is "Phantom of the Dance"! Masks and cloaks are strongly encouraged. Other creative inventions will also be quite acceptable.

The live music will be provided by Lisa Scott on the piano and Leslie Hirsch on the fiddle. Those who have heard these two play know that they are reason enough to attend!

Dancers: $6; public spectators are welcome ($1 donation suggested); and children 12 and under are free.

The dance program:

    Tillamook Tides              (J)  Cameo Collection Bk 4 
    Sean Truibhas Willichan      (S)  Bk 27 
    The Reel of the Royal Scots  (R)  RSCDS leaflet

    The Wild Geese               (J)  bk (24)
    The Shores of Solway         (S)  10 Social Dances, Goldring 
    Round Reel of Eight          (R)  bk 27

    St. Andrews Fair             (J)  Five SCD for 1982
    The Crooket Horned Ewie      (S)  bk 14
    Sleepy Maggie                (R)  bk 11

    The Jubilee Jig              (J)  Golden Jubilee Leaflet
    The Sauchie Haugh            (S)  RSCDS Leaflet
    An Officer and a Gentleman   (R)  The Fort Worden Decennial Dances 

    Waltz

Dawn Pratt is the dance chairperson for this event. (Yeah, Dawn!) She is coordinating all the little tasks that, when all coordinated together, make for a successful and enjoyable evening. If you would like to help out with some of those "todo's", please give Dawn a call at 360-834-3450. "Many hands make light work."

 
Kelso Highlander Festival Starts Sept 12
 

The following is from the Kelso city web page at www.kelso.gov/recreation/festival/default.htm.

Come and experience a "Wee Bit O'Scotland" at the Kelso Highlander Festival. The festival begins this year on Thursday night, September 12th, with the Kelso Kiwanis Annual Wine Tasting, Ale & Artistry event at the Kelso Red Lion.

At beautiful Tam O'Shanter Park on Saturday, September 14th, the festivities begin with a fun run/walk, highland dance competition. A parade at 10am will wind through downtown Kelso ending at the park with the welcome and parade of clans. Throughout the weekend at the park, there will be entertainment by Celtica, Heather Alexander, and Darby O'Gill. There also are performances by Clan Gordon pipe band, Washington Scottish pipe band, and the group Murphy's Law. With a "FREE" admission to the park you can experience a whole weekend of Scottish and Celtic culture, with the avenue of clans, Scottish vendors and even a Border Collie demonstration.

Saturday evening at the park there will be a clan's dinner with a catered barbecue feast and Darby O' Gill will entertain. Get your tickets now!

On Sunday, September 15th, there will be a Kirkin O' the Tartan worship service at Tam O'Shanter Park at 8:30 am and again at 10:30 am at the First Presbyterian Church in Kelso. A "Kilted Klassic Golf Tournament" tees off in the afternoon at Kelso's Three Rivers Golf Course with a great hole in one prize. The highland games will begin at the park at 9:00 am with those hardy lads and lasses tossing the caber and throwing the stone. The Kelso Rotary will be holding their annual duck race in the afternoon raising money for charities and scholarships.

Get your Highlander Festival buttons now for only $1.00 each and you could win a $600 Kelso Three Rivers Mall shopping spree as first prize, or a $300 grocery shopping spree as second prize, or $100 in dining gift certificates as third prize. We will be having lots of other prizes donated from various merchants in Kelso.

Don't pass up a whole weekend of Scottish and Celtic fun with free admission to the park!

 
Games On the Horizon
 

Many of you have attended the Portland Highland Games recently, and maybe some other Highland Games around the Northwest, too. But did you know that plans are being made to host a Highland Games event here in Vancouver? A new organization, The Southwest Washington Scottish Highlanders Association, has set the date for July 5th, 2003, at the Clark County Fairgrounds, just north of Vancouver, Washington.

Created just last year, SWSHA (pronounced swish-ah, according to their website) is a non-profit Association organized to facilitate any and all activities that promote, celebrate, commemorate, or recognize Scottish-Celtic Ancestry and Heritage in the southwest region in the state of Washington. You can visit their website at:

    http://www.swsha.org
    

These plans are still in the early stages, so stay tuned for more developements. Better yet, here is a golden opportunity to join this young organization and help in the shaping and planning of these activities, so be sure to contact them:

    Robert Robertson-Laeger (SWSHA President) email: TRUSTEES@SWSHA.ORG
    
    The Southwest Washington Scottish Highlanders Association
        PO Box 87371
        Vancouver, WA 98687
        Ph. 360.260.3733      Fax 360.260.3733
    

Their membership rates (as posted on their website):

    Senior citizen:     $15
    Student:            $15
    Individual:         $20
    
    Sustaining:         $30 (includes two 1-day admission tickets)
    Patron              $40 (includes three 1-day admission tickets)
    Sponsor             $50 (includes four 1-day admission tickets)

    Benefactor         $100 (includes five 1-day admission tickets)
    Corporate          $150 (includes six 1-day admission tickets)
    
    

 

Calendar of Events

Sep 9

First class of the Fall term, Portland RSCDS. Tigard Grange, 13770 SW Pacific Hwy., Tigard. 7:30pm $3/evening (1st time free). For info, call Don 503-692-5963 (dlgertz@teleport.com), or Debbie 503-620-3034 (mdmcrob@easystreet.com)

Sep 11

First class of the Fall term, Vancouver USA. Marshall Community Center, Oak/Elm Rooms, 1009 E. McLoughlin Blvd., Vancouver, WA - 7:45 pm. Class runs through December 18th. Enroll through the Vancouver Parks and Rec catalog, or at the class, or by phone at 696-8236. The catalog number for the class is #EN9290; the cost is $46.50 for city residents, and $48.75 for those outside the city.

Sep 12-15

Kelso Highland Games, in Kelso, Wa. See article this issue, or the Kelso city web site at www.kelso.gov/recreation/festival/default.htm

Sep 13-15

Fort Worden Scottish Country Dance Weekend, in Fort Worden, Washington. Check the Seattle Branch web-site: www.scn.org/arts/scottish

Oct 10

Alasdair Fraser, fiddle, and Paul Machlis, piano, in Concert, Thursday, October 10, 8 pm, at The Old Church, 1422 SW 11th Ave, Portland, Oregon. Tickets $17 in advance, $20 day of the show; Fastixx - 503-224-8499 Celtic Corner - 503-287-3009

Oct 12

Portland Dance Party, 7:30 pm, Tigard Grange 13770 SW Pacific Hwy., Tigard. (Music from CDs and tapes) $4.00

Oct 26

Vancouver USA Fall Dance Live music! by Lisa Scott, piano, and Leslie Hirsch, fiddle. Marshall Community Center, Oak/Elm Rooms 8-11pm. See the program in this issue!

Nov 9

Portland Dance Party, 7:30 pm, Tigard Grange 13770 SW Pacific Hwy., Tigard. Live Music!

 

Irate golfer, on his way to a round of 150: "You must be the worst caddie in the world!"
Scottish caddie (dryly): "That would be too much of a coincidence, sir."

  Do you have an item of Celtic interest you would like to see in print?  
  You can contact me in any of the following ways:  
  By mail:  
  John Shaw - SCD
  PO Box 2438
  Battle Ground, WA 98604
  By email: bcjs@attbi.com  
 
Generated Tuesday August 27, 2002