Our 19th Annual Dinner Dance		Miscellanea
Scottish Country Dancing Builds Social Capital		Calendar of Events
The Burn's Night Supper

"Tartan(ic) and Old Lace" seems an appropriate title for a dance evening wherein were explored so many Scottish dances from the 18th century. And like the mountains of a newly explored continent, some of the dances were gently rolling, while others proved very challenging. But we all made it back alive -- nay, even had a lot of fun during the jaunt.

The event this year was held at the Luepke Senior Center, and began with our traditional pot-luck dinner. The tables were decked with tartan table cloths, and beautiful centerpieces of heather, made by Valerie Moore (with special thanks to Sandy Bakker and Coventry Gardens Flowers for their help with the materials).

In addition to the main turkey course, there were many salads, casseroles, and other side dishes. When we have so many cooks, each bringing his or her own "soup", the result is always a wonderful collection of flavors and textures, and this year was no exception. And during dinner, we were soothed by Jennifer Pratt-Walter's Celtic harp.

The band The Scottish Rose, led by Theresa Webb, provided the dance music for the evening for both the family dancing and the main program. The dance floor was frequently occupied by from five to seven sets of dancers, who hailed from as near as Vancouver, Portland, and Kelso, and from as far away as Ashland, Boise, and England!

Many thanks to all for helping chairperson Linda Mae Dennis prepare this wonderful event.

The Scottish Rose

I recently attended a lecture at Reed College on the subject of building Social Capital in America. The speaker, Robert Putnam, showed how the level of the American Society's social networks and connections has steadily declined for the past 40 years. For example, from 1975 to 1995, the number of yearly picnics we go on has declined from 5 to 2. Changes in work, family structure, age, suburban life, television, computers, women's roles and other factors have contributed to the decline. You can read more about the subject at the web site: http://www.bettertogether.org.

Every measure of American social connections has declined. Some examples of activities with lower frequency are: fewer attend club meetings, fewer family dinners, fewer times having friends over, signing fewer petitions and voting less, belonging to fewer organizations that meet, knowing our neighbors less.

You have already done something to reverse the problem. You have joined the Vancouver-USA Scottish Country Dancers Association! We are building friendships within our dancing group. We serve the community by performing together, which strengthens social bonds. And dancing is good for your health!

The previous low point of Social Capital in the United States was around 1900. Rapid industrialization, immigration, technological change, and urbanization disrupted traditional patterns of community organization. These forces dislodged people from their structures, on the farm or in the old country that had anchored their lives, and thrust them into a state of personal uncertainty and social disorganization. The nation showed symptoms associated with declining Social Capital: crime waves, political corruption, urban decay, a widening income gap, and poorly functioning schools.

Alarmed by these trends, civic and social entrepreneurs around the country invented a new set of institutions to create community in ways that fit their new lives. They led others to connect with one another and to change a system that was no longer working. Many of the nation's most prominent voluntary organizations, most significant political reforms, and most visionary organizers were products of that time. Perhaps driven by similar forces in Scotland, the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society was founded during the same time period.

Within our association, we can invent new ways of connecting within our community. For instance, in order to help you meet your goal of attending more picnics, we will have a joint picnic with the Portland SCD group on June 27th 2004, at Lewisville Park!

On January 31st, The Vancouver USA Scottish Country Dancers and the Fort Vancouver Pipe Band jointly sponsored a Burns Supper, in honor of Robert Burns, Scotland's most famous poet. The affair, held at the Moose Lodge in Vancouver, was a "sell out" attended by many members of the non-dancing public, as well as by dancers, pipers, friends, and the odd haggis connoisseur.

The haggis arrived on a tartan stretcher with great pomp, accompanied by a piper. Following Burns' Address to the Haggis (ably delivered by Sandy McKenzie), the assembly (or at least the curious) sampled the steamy "pudding".

Following the sumptuous chicken dinner, during which madrigals and musicians played and sang many of Burns' songs, was the Burns' memorial speech, from which we learned of Burns' impact on the thought of his day and age.

Then, Sandy MacKenzie gave the traditional Toast to the Lassies, truly a compliment to the wives and sweethearts present, given with genuine good humor and grace, "impromptu from the heart" (engaged as he is). This was followed by the Response to the Laddies, given by Susan Shaw, (see below), which borrows lines and phrases from Burns' own poetry.

And, then it was time to dance! The Vancouver Scottish Country Dancers performed one dance "to show how it was done", and then invited the public to give it a try. To their credit, many did, and enjoyed it! The Vancouver Dancers finished their performance with The Shepherd's Crook, and Whigmaleeries.

The Vancouver Pipe Band then capped the evening by entering and marching the length of the hall, filling the space with the sound of the drums and pipes. The audience grew very excited -- for many, this was the high point of their evening, what they had been waiting for.

This very successful evening was closed with the traditional circle round the room, singing Robert Burns' most recognized song, Auld Lang Syne. Hip hip, HOORAY! Til next year.

presented by Susan Shaw

      On behalf of all the ladies,
      I cannot deny that all you have said is true.
      Our virtues (however numerous)
      And our vices (however few)
      Cannot compare to yours --
      And I'll leave that up to you.
      
      To all you laddies who wear the kilt
      We treasure and adore
      For ye know the joys of twirling
      As you dance around the floor.
      
      So compliments all around to men in highland dress
      Every one of you looks splendid and handsome!
      Now you begin to understand what women have always known,
      That ye must take care -- not to make your pleats a mess
      And also how you sit and stand and bow.
      
      Looking back at Scotland in the times of Robbie Burns,
      Those were, indeed, far less polished days,
      A time when rough rude men had naughty ways,
      Would swagger, swear, get drunk, kick up a riot --
      Nay, even thus invade a Lady's quiet.
      
      Now, thank our stars! Those Gothic times are fled;
      Now, well-bred men (and you are all well-bred)
      Most justly think (and we are much the gainers)
      Such conduct neither spirit, wit, nor manners.
      
      Today amid the world's turmoil, just let me mention
      The rights of woman have gotten some attention.
      And we thank you for that.
      
      So, ladies! Raise your glasses --
      To the men we've raised
      And the one's we've wed,
      A toast to the Laddies!
      ...enough said.
    

The oak tree's letter word duir means "door", and is related to the Old Goidelic dorus, the Latin word forus, and the Greek thura, all being derived from the Sanskrit dwr. In every tongue it is a word that implies that doors made of oak are the stoutest guardians against evil.

from the Glasgow RSCDS Bulletin, issue 81:
Readers may be interested to learn that a previously unnamed star in the Gemini Constellation has now been officially named "Jackie Johnstone and John Drewry". This came about thanks to Colin and Betsy Maxwell from Eaglsfield, Lockerbie, who, as members of the Dumfries Branch, wished to "honor" Jackie Johnstone and John Drewry for having taught the Morland Scottish Country Dance Week for the past fifteen years. They discovered, through the internet website, "Star Foundation, California, USA", that you could name an unnamed star, which is known to exist, but has no name. As both Jackie and John are named, it is very appropriate that an unnamed star within the Gemini Constellation should have been chosen.

In order to celebrate the event, regular attendees Dulcie and Paul Bond devised a strathspey called "The Double Eighty", and Chris Stewart composed the music. Many congratulations to both Jackie and John.

The children of the head of a prominent Scottish-American family decided to give him a book of their family's history.

The genealogist that they hired was warned of one problem: Uncle Angus, the "black sheep" of the family, had gone to Sing Sing's electric chair for murder.

The genealogist promised to handle the situation with tact and diplomacy. "I'll just say that Uncle Angus occupied a chair of applied electronics at one of our nation's leading institutions. He was attached to his position with the strongest of ties. His death came as a true shock."