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THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE ST. ANDREW'S SOCIETY OF LOS ANGELES

MONTHLY NEWS AND UPDATES: NOVEMBER 2023

CALEDONIAN BREAKFAST

Three Cheese Scrambled Eggs

O’Brien Breakfast Potatoes

Hickory Smoked Bacon or Sausage Links

Fresh Baked Danish, Muffins & Brooklyn Bagels

Cream Cheese and Sweet Butter

Sliced and Whole Seasonal Fruit & Yogurt

Chilled Orange, Cranberry & Apple Juices

Fresh Brewed Coffee and Shangri-La Organic Teas

Choice of: Champagne, Mimosa or Elderflower Mimosa

SPACE IS LIMITED

To Purchase Tickets

EVENT CALENDAR

2023

St. Andrew's Day Brunch: Saturday, December 2nd

Altadena Country Club

2024

Robert Burns Celebration: Saturday, January 27th,

Four Seasons Los Angeles @ Beverly Hills (Tickets on Sale Now)

SASLA AGM: Saturday, February 24th

TARTAN Film Festival: April 6th - 13th

PILGRIMS

Scottish Ancestry?

For many of us here in America, Thanksgiving is a special day of giving thanks no matter if an ancestor came over on the Mayflower or not. It's a celebration of appreciation and a thank you to those Ancestors of ours who came before. Most of us know that our Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower had English ancestry, but could there also have been some Scottish connection going back a bit further? A past genealogist from The Mayflower Society estimates that about 50 to 70% of all Mayflower descendant's in the U.S., have Scottish ancestry. Coincidence? Here are a few Mayflower names who also happen to be septs of various Scottish clans. You be the judge...

Brewster - Clan Fraser

Brown - Clan Douglas, Clan MacMillan, Clan Lamont

Cook - Clan Stewart, Clan MacDonald

Fletcher - Clan MacGregor

Soule - Clan Douglas

Mullins - Clan MacMillan

White/Whyte - Clan Lamont, Clan MacGregor

SCOTTISH THANKSGIVING

Many of us have added special family additions to our Thanksgiving meal and table.

Here are some tips on making your Thanksgiving a bit more Scottish!

by Tom Doran

The day before Thanksgiving is the most traveled day of the entire year, and indeed it seems like the whole nation is on the move to visit family and close friends. And as is the norm, Turkey is the main item made for the meal. But, let's have a change of pace and seeing how this is a Scottish-American newsletter, lets go in a slightly different direction. Perhaps you might want to celebrate by eating what may be seen as purely Scottish fare. Many Scots helped found the American nation, so it's appropriate I feel. So, with that in mind, lets start Thanksgiving day with what is a modern-ish, typical (possibly mildly stereotypical) Scottish breakfast. That usually means eggs, bacon, beans, tomatoes and mushrooms – with Lorne Sausage and Black Pudding thrown in. Add a potato scone, a pot of tea and one is set for the day!

36 HOURS IN GLASGOW

Written by Natalie Whittle for the New York Times

Photograph by Robert Ormerod

Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, crackles with character. It’s a hub of grass-roots energy where art shows, plant sales and film screenings pop up in tenement flats, railway waiting rooms and disused buildings. Once known as the second city of the British Empire, Glasgow struggled to reinvent itself after the closure of its shipyards. Now, cultural hotspots have sprung up in outlying neighborhoods — like pockets of the Southside, for example, or Dennistoun in the East End — and plans are underway to revive the city center. Glasgow has a full global banquet (yes, so much more than deep-fried Mars bars, the battered-chocolate invention of Scottish fish-and-chip shops) and a love of live music (check the roster at classic venues such as Barrowland Ballroom). Another thing you’ll get to know in Glasgow is its infinite variations of rain. Be waterproof top to bottom, and you’re off to a good start.

Key stops:

Pollok Country Park, on the Southside, is Glasgow’s largest green space, home to the impressive Burrell Collection, as well as a lovely walled garden and much-photographed Highland cows.
Glasgow Botanic Gardens, an oasis at the heart of the West End, the central area north of the River Clyde, features a spectacular glasshouse.
Hunterian Museum is a wonderfully eclectic collection of antiquities inside the splendor of the University of Glasgow campus, with the Mackintosh House, a replica of the Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s home interiors, across the street.
Queen’s Park, on the Southside, offers views of Glasgow and, on a clear day, the mountains beyond. It is also a good starting point for exploring the mini-neighborhoods in the surrounding area — Strathbungo, Pollokshields, Govanhill and Battlefield.

(Natalie Whittle is a writer and an editor based in Glasgow. She is the author of “The 15-Minute City.")

ROBERT BURNS SUPPER

Special room rate for St. Andrew's Society Guests

(Limited availability - please email us)

For Tickets

SCOTTISH CLANS

The Clan is a concept which most experts believe dates back to the 12th Century. Clans were originally extended networks of highland families who had loyalties to a particular chief. In Scotland a clan is still a legally recognized group with an official clan chief. The chief's Seal of Arms, incorporated by the Lord Lyon's letters patent, is the seal of the corporation and only the chief has the legal right to use the seal on behalf of his clan.

Many clans have their own tartan as well as a seal and deciding which tartan to wear is often based on family history. For many families of Scots descent, it’s hard to work out the appropriate clan as some surnames are Scotland wide or have variations in spelling. But most Scots or people of Scots descent can work out their clan with a little research into family history.

The effects of emigration, whether it’s from the Highland Clearances or more recent emigration trends, mean that Scottish influences can be found in far flung places, like Gaelic speakers in Canada and Highland Games in Kuala Lumpur and St. Andrew's Societies throughout the world. Despite the end of the traditional system, Scottish clan culture has found its way into countries and traditions the world over.

If you do not have Scots ancestry but would like to wear tartan, there are many options for you: Black Watch, Isle of Skye, Royal Stewart are just a few, and there are many, many others. And don't forget our own Society tartan, which all members are entitled to wear.

CLAN SPOTLIGHT

Clan Ramsay

Craig and Valentina Ramsay are a Father and Daughter from Northern California who made the drive down to attend the Seaside Highland Games in Ventura last month.

Craig is the Northern California Commissioner for Clan Ramsay.

Clan Ramsay has a rich history that dates back to David of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon and Symon de Ramesie (a young Norman nobleman) who was granted lands in Midlothian from David in appreciation. During the wars of independence, William Ramsay declared for Robert the Bruce and was one of the signers on the Declaration of Arbroath.

If you're interested in getting involved with Clan Ramsay, please contact Craig at: Craigsramsay@gmail.com.

And thank you to our new friends Valentina and Craig. We had a blast with you both!

THE THANKSGIVING TARTAN

"Happy Thanksgiving to All"

INTERACTIVE MEDIA

The time draws near. The air crackles with anticipation. The people of Scotland hold their breath as they await the country’s biggest games event of the year:

Scottish Games Week 2023. Across five days and three cities, SGW is the very best of Scotland’s gaming industry. Developers large and small will be showing off their games and delivering presentations. Find out the latest and greatest of this exciting week of programming and interesting speakers. It's the ultimate games expo! website: www.gamesweek.scot

To get to know the creator of Scottish Games Week,

watch our podcast with founder Brian Baglow

PHOTO GALLERY

Scottish Minister, Richard Lochhead visits Los Angeles @ Consul General's Residence - Oct 2023

SASLA President, Kimberlee Bradford also pictured

New Members Reception at the Tam O'Shanter

(From top clockwise: Jason Love, Doug Brown, Tracy Weisert, Andy Brasted, Mitchell Brasted -- Member & Piper Jeff Cullen -- Kim Attebery, Ingrid Marroquin, Anthony Arnello)

PLEASE DONATE

This year your St. Andrew's Society has focused its charitable giving to include support of organizations that directly help Scotland and/or our community here in Southern California. Already this year we have given significant financial donations to:

The National Trust for Scotland

The Glasgow Food Bank S.W.

The Glasgow Food Bank N.W.

The LA Regional Food Bank

Project Angel Food

Glasgow Children's Hospital

Toys for Tots

This has been made possible by generous contributions to the St. Andrew's Society by its members and friends. Our continued support to worthy organizations can only be possible through your ongoing help. Any amount, no matter how small, can help. Even the most modest contribution can make a real difference.

St. Andrew's Society is an IRS registered 501 (c) (3) not for profit organization and your contributions are tax deductible. The Society will issue a letter of receipt for all contributions.

Please do what you can.

Thank you

Donate Today

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https://www.saintandrewsla.org/membership/application

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