The latest news from SASLA

Monthly news & updates

April 2021

Kimberlee Blair Bradford, FSA Scot President

St. Andrew's Society of Los Angeles

From the President

April is the month of rebirth and as spring is fast approaching so is something that has been the brainchild of St. Andrew's for many years -- our own film festival "Scottish-style" And as the film season has kicked off in Hollywood and the rest of the world, so has the TARTAN Film Festival! The incredible talent that comes out of the movie industry each year is awe-inspiring - particularly from Scotland! If you get a chance to watch all of these films that we're presenting, or just one, you will have broadened your film knowledge and will also be inspired! All of these films chosen by our committee are the best of the best Scottish films in the last couple of years.

So please be well and safe

and I will see you at...

The Movies !

~Slainte Mhath~

Letter from the Editor

Dear members and friends of the Society. Tartan Day 6th April will be marked this year with a festival of Scottish films streamed directly to you. Screenings will be followed by an exclusive Q&A with the stars and crew giving a unique insight into each film. An invitation has been sent so please don't forget to RSVP.

As always I would like to add my welcome to all of you who have recently subscribed to our distribution list. Many of you are new to the Society and may not have already applied for membership. If you are not already a member I urge you to join us. Joining is easy and can be completed online. Our annual membership dues are a major source of revenue for the Society and by becoming a member you will be part of an organization dedicated not only to the promotion and preservation of Scottish culture and history but to supporting and through our grants program aiding those who are pursuing Scottish disciplines such as piping, dancing, and the Gaelic language. In addition and in the tradition of original St. Andrew's Societies everywhere the Society donates to worthy charitable organizations helping those in need.

MEMBERSHIP DUES

NEW MEMBERS may complete their application HERE

MEMBERSHIP DUES may be paid online with credit or debit card or with PayPal.

If you prefer to pay with a check please make it payable to St. Andrew's Society of Los Angeles and mail to:

St. Andrew's Society of Los Angeles

256 S. Robertson Blvd. #122, Beverly Hills, CA 90211

Welcome to The Thistle – Official Newsletter of the

St. Andrew's Society of Los Angeles

Enjoy this issue of The Thistle. It's full of articles and information I hope you will find interesting and useful. Please email any comments or suggestions to the Editor rees1@mac.com.

We are now at the start of a new year and The Thistle with its new look is reaching more members and followers than ever before. The Thistle is now published each month and delivered directly to your in-box. Archived issues going back to 2008 are available on the website.

Please submit articles and newsworthy information to The Editor at: rees1@mac.com

The publisher accepts no responsibility for the opinions expressed, accuracy of information, or similarity of names submitted by authors.

Archived editions of The Thistle starting 2008 may be viewed here.

PUBLISHER & EDITOR Ian J. Skone-Rees, FSA Scot email

The Policies & Procedures of the Society have been updated. Current members of the Society may view these in the member restricted area of the website.

Social Media: Kim Attebery, Hana Baig, Heather Griffith

Contributors: Steve Adams, Shawn Ledingham

About National Tartan Day: April 6

Americans of Scottish descent have played a vibrant and influential role in the development of this country. However not until 1997 was this influence recognized by a single-year U.S. Senate Resolution that appeared in the Congressional Record of April 7, 1997. In 1998, National Tartan Day of April 6 was officially recognized on a permanent basis when the U.S. Senate passed Senate Resolution 155 recognizing April 6th as National Tartan Day. This was followed by companion bill House Resolution 41 which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on March 9, 2005. The passage of this bill was due to the work of the National Capital Tartan Committee, Inc. and president James Morrison.

The date of April 6 commemorates the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320, which asserted Scotland's sovereignty over English territorial claims, and which was an influence on the American Declaration of Independence.

Canada has been celebrating "National Tartan Day" since 1993. The idea and motivation for creating a similar American holiday was provided by the Scottish Coalition, a group of national Scottish-American cultural organizations.

DISCOVER

SCOTLAND'S STORIES

Dig It! is a hub for Scottish archaeology. Thanks to our Scotland-wide network of heritage organisations, museums and archaeological groups, we’re able to source the best events and stories from across the country for everyone to enjoy.

Smailholm Tower (pictured) is adjacent to Sandyknowe Farm where Scott lived as a boy, and his early experiences here were a great source of inspiration his whole life and fed into his novels, histories and folkloric works. From his boyhood at Smailholm to his maturity in Abbotsford, the entire story of Scott’s life and death is written on the Borders landscape, so Smailholm’s intimate link with Scott gives it a particular potency and magic as we begin the celebrations of his 250^th year.

How St. Andrew's Society of Los Angeles made a difference in 2020

During the last year your generosity has helped the Society make meaningful donations to these charities and others.

Donate!

Thank you

Saturday 15th May

Wine & Whisky Virtual Tasting

Information

A virtual gathering of members and friends. This event is free for all, so sit comfortably and have your favourite tipple at hand.

RSVP

Details will be published in the May issue of this newsletter. You must RSVP to receive the ZOOM link.

In The Dog House

by Ian Skone-Rees

His first name wasn’t Charles and he was unable to write, but we named him Dickens. This heady moniker was, however, frequently shortened to Dickie. He didn’t seem to mind and came willingly when we would call him by either name. His long life started in Rancho Cucamonga. One of a Champion’s litter we had aspirations of developing for him a life in the show-ring. A setter’s silky coat is meant to lay flat from the top of the head, along the back to the tail. Dicken’s refused to do so. No matter what we attempted — wrapping him in a towel secured with safety pins under his neck and belly or painstakingly blow-drying his long and silky coat—it always relapsed to a coat more reminiscent of a poodle’s! I exaggerate, but the natural curl of his coat did him in as far as a show career was concerned. However we persisted and entered him in a show at the Rose Bowl. With Dickens washed, clipped and safely crated in the back of our van we set off for Pasadena.

On arrival I opened the back of the van expecting to see our neat blue-belton (black and white) setter, instead I was presented with a black and yellow setter.

Dickens – Blue Belton English Setter

Naturally, Dickens had quietly voided himself of, what looked like, gallons of puppy urine, effectively dyeing the glossy white parts of his coat a deep yellow.

We considered entering him in the yellow Labrador class, but on advice from the more experienced entrants rapidly shelved the idea. Thus closed Dicken’s short career as a show dog. No regrets. He did continue to benefit from our constant attention to his appearance, frequent brushing, clipping and tail trimming. Prejudiced we probably are, but setters are one of the most strikingly handsome breeds. Their aristocratic heads and soulful eyes give them the eternal languid look of the blue-blooded elite. Dickens was not huge, but at eighty pounds he had an unmistakable presence. His muzzle would rest comfortably on a dining-room chair, while his tail would casually attempt to flick off a crystal glass from the coffee table causing one or other of us to quickly dive as if monitoring a batsman in the slips (a sporting analogy for all you cricket enthusiasts).

He passed away while staying with our vet when Eileen and I were in Scotland. Forever missed.

Scotland's Influence in the United States

John Witherspoon

The Declaration of Independence, which has many similarities to the Declaration of Arbroath the document proclaiming Scottish independence, bears the signatures of 56 pioneering men: amazingly 21 had some Scottish ancestry.

One notable signatory was John Witherspoon, the representative from New Jersey, but also the only clergyman in attendance at the signing.

Born in Gifford, East Lothian on February 5^th 1723, Witherspoon studied at the University of Edinburgh achieving a Doctor of Theology and then embarked on a truly unique journey to the new world. Following the Battle of Falkirk in 1746, Witherspoon was imprisoned for his opposition to the Jacobite rebellion. He then embarked on three well known published works on Theology before marrying Elizabeth Montgomery and fathering nine children, five of which survived to adulthood.

Forming a friendship with a young American called Benjamin Rush changed the whole course of Witherspoon’s life. Rush recommended Witherspoon for a teaching post in New Jersey and within months Rush provided a letter from Benjamin Franklin inviting the 45 year old and his family to leave Scotland and join the College of New Jersey. Witherspoon accepted the offer and he would be instrumental in rebuilding the college after the war and creating Princeton University, acting as its President from 1768 until 1794.

During his Princeton reign, Witherspoon found the university in debt and the courses well below standard. He raised money from Scotland, purchasing books and critical equipment and even taught several lectures introducing syllabus and course materials from his own personal Scottish university experiences.

In 1776, at the first drafting of the Declaration of Independence, Witherspoon demanded the deletion of a phrase that the British monarchy had sent to America “not only soldiers of our common blood, but Scotch and foreign mercenaries.” Later, he was also instrumental in drafting the peace declaration with Britain.

In 1789, Witherspoon was instrumental in forming a newly independent American National Presbyterian Church. He opened the first General Assembly with a sermon and presided until the election of the first general moderator.

John Witherspoon suffered eye injuries and was blind by 1792, dying two years later at the age of 71. Scottish sculptor Alexander Stoddart was commissioned to create two replica sculptures of the inspirational figurehead: one bronze statue at Princeton University and the other in the Scottish town of Paisley. There are other statues of John Witherspoon in Scotland and the USA, as well as several streets in New Jersey and Washington DC bearing his name and commemorating a truly special Scottish legacy.

Poets' Corner

Favourite Scottish Poets

Scotland is a country with a rich poetic tradition, from Robert Burns, known as the National Bard, to Carol Ann Duffy, who served as Britain's Poet Laureate from 2009 to 2019.

Jackie Kay CBE, FRSE, FRSL

Jackie Kay (b. 1961) is an award-winning writer of fiction, poetry and plays, whose subtle investigation into the complexities of identity have been informed by her own life. Born in Edinburgh to a Scottish mother and Nigerian father, she was adopted as a baby by a white couple. Kay’s awareness of her different heritages inspired her first book of poetry, The Adoption Papers, which dramatises her experience through the creation of three contrasting narrators: an adoptive mother, a birth mother and a daughter. The book was a great success, winning the Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year and a commendation from the Forward Poetry Prize judges. Subsequent collections and her celebrated first novel, Trumpet, have continued to explore issues of cultural and sexual identity as well as the intimacies and upheavals of love. Kay has also written poetry for children and her first children’s novel, Strawgirl, was published in 2002. She currently lives in Manchester.

Out of the Clyde by Jackie Kay

Since all your steps were taken,

and you’d set off for death,

with your hobnails on Ben Narnain

walking the kyleside shingle;

since you knew since you were little that

you’d return to this young life in death –

to the ship’s cradles, the Greenock hills,

the high tenement, your mother’s voice,

your father singing, Alastair’s homing memory –

you came calmly, puffing light on the page,

to speak for the other side (like an Airlie or a Reid)

fine-tuning your small self, the one you grieved

all your life. Clydeside clad, you stepped with ease,

not minding yourself on the way, a steady pace, then

stopped – out of the flood – to speak to us, first

from the tall tenement of poetry, then off on a ship

down the upper Clyde, and onto a steamer on

the Firth of Forth, you carried us, Makar W.S.

– your light lit, your heart light –

all the way down to the love-signed sea,

still William Sydney who married Agnes Nessie,

then you stood stock still to listen

to your father singing the Bonny Earl o’ Moray;

a boy once more who learnt the lessons early –

that those who hurt you most, you love most dearly.

About this poem

This poem was written as part of ‘The Blue Crevasse’ project, which marks the centenary of W.S. Graham in 2018. The image of a blue crevasse famously appears in W.S. Graham’s poem ‘Malcolm Mooney’s Land’, and the author’s estate welcomed the idea of creating a similar metaphorical space where admirers of the poet might, in a sense, be lowered for a month’s solitary ‘residency’.

Show Us Your Tartan!

Fine dress accessories in the official Society Tartan registered with the

Scottish Register of Tartans

Gentleman's Ties • Ladies Sash • Men's Polo Shirts • Rosette • Kilt • Lapel Pin • Cap Badge – New

Blazer Badge – New Face Masks – New

Visit our online shop to order and express your SASLA membership in our 90th year

Embroidered Blazer Badge.

Beautifully detailed with gold and silver metal threads. Comes with three clutch pins or may be permanently sewn to your favourite jacket.

Shop these and other items in St. Andrew's Society of Los Angeles' official tartan here.

SHOP

Official registration certificate recorded with The Scottish Register of Tartans.

The St. Andrew's Society of Los Angeles tartan colours mirror those found in its shield registered with The Lord Lyon.

WHITE - signifies truth & sincerity

GOLD - signifies generosity & glory

BLACK - signifies constancy & prudence

BLUE - signifies loyalty & strength

Tartan Face Masks

Now For Sale

Face masks in dupioni silk double lined

in our Society tartan.

Flat, (as shown) mask style.

Limited quantity available.

Please specify Adult or Child.

All proceeds support SASLA donations to the LA Regional Food Bank.

Place your order NOW to avoid disappointment.

ORDER HERE

A fund has been established in Jack Dawson's name to help support all those individuals who are striving toward excellence in traditional Scottish pursuits. Jack was a long-time member of the Society and a former president.

PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION TO

THE JACK DAWSON MEMORIAL FUND

Donate!

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

Membership Application

Apply online or download a membership application.

Existing members may also renew their membership here.

Click below to see what fun we have!

Meet A New Member

Julia Wackenheim

Julia Wackenheim is a first generation American, her mother having grown up in Ayrshire, Scotland. Julia grew up on the New Jersey shore, and has lived in Los Angeles for many years. She holds a BFA from Emerson College in Boston, and is a comedian, actor, writer, and producer.

Julia also spends half her time advocating for social and economic justice in the interfaith space. She is a member of the WRJ Board of Directors Executive Committee, and the chair of her temple's sisterhood social justice committee.

Her favorite childhood memories are visiting her extended Scottish family and playing in castles, walking in heather, being cold at the beach, listening to an impromptu piper, and drinking entirely too much Irn Bru. She lives in Studio City with her husband, Scott Gimple, her son Gus, three dogs and a cat. Each day she dreams of the Scottish seaside and eating a whipped ice cream cone with a flake.

Stay tuned for our series of St. Andrew’s PodCasts

Fascinating interviews with entertainment personalities,

government leaders and community advocates.

St. Andrew's Society of Los Angeles

where Scotland meets the City of Angels …

Len Pennie

Poet Laureate

St. Andrew's Society of Los Angeles 2020/2021

Len Pennie with the award presented to her by the Society on her installation as Society Poet Laureate 2020/2021.

The first of our new series of Tartan Talk features our Poet Laureate Len Pennie.

Len is an acclaimed Scottish poet and campaigner for the preservation and perpetuation of the Scots language.

Tartan Talk will feature short intimate conversations with individuals from a wide range of fields who have made significant contributions to their own chosen art.

Click the YouTube icon below for all the latest podcasts. Enjoy!

Sure as The Sunrise

At the beginning of the 20th century, Scottish carmakers were among Britain's leading manufacturers. There were nearly fifty car manufacturers in Scotland before 1914.

Albion was one of the most important and enduring, and their company slogan, Sure as The Sunrise, reflected the quality and reliability they were famous for. Originally known as Albion Motor Car Company Ltd, the company was founded in 1899 by Thomas Blackwood Murray and Norman Osborne Fulton. They were joined a couple of years later by John F Henderson who provided additional capital. The factory was originally on the first floor of a building in Finnieston Street, Glasgow and had only seven employees. In 1903 the company moved to new premises in Scotstoun. The Albion Motor Car Company Ltd was renamed Albion Motors in 1930.

In 1900 they built their first motor car, a dogcart made of varnished wood and powered by a flat-twin 8hp engine with solid tyres.

In 1903 Albion introduced a 3115 cc 16hp vertical-twin, followed in 1906 by a 24hp four. One of the specialities the company offered was solid-tyred shooting-brakes (station wagons). The last private Albions were powered by a 15hp monobloc four of 2492 cc. Passenger car production ceased in 1915.

Although the manufacture of motor cars was the main industry in the first ten years of Albion’s existence, it was decided in 1909 to concentrate on the production of commercial vehicles. During World War 1, they built for the War Office large quantities of 3 ton trucks powered by a 32hp engine using chain drive to the rear wheels. After the war, many of these were converted for use as charabancs.

Trucks and buses were manufactured in the Scotstoun works until 1980. The buses were exported worldwide. Almost all Albion buses were given names beginning with "V", these models being the Victor, Valiant, Viking, Valkyrie, and Venturer.

1947 Albion Valkyrie

1950 Albion Victor

After several changes in ownership, Albion continues today as a subsidiary of American Axle & Manufacturing Company of Detroit, Michigan producing axles, chassis systems, crankshafts, and chassis components.

Mark Knopfler's song Border Reiver, the first cut on his 2009 release, Get Lucky, contains direct references: My Scotstoun lassie, She's an Albion and Sure as the Sunrise.

Oor Wullie outside The McManus: Dundee's Art Gallery & Museum

Created by Thomson editor R. D. Low and drawn by cartoonist Dudley D. Watkins,

OOR WULLIE first appeared on 8 March 1936.

Scotland's Inventions

How Scots invented the Modern World

How Scots invented the modern world and everything in it. By Arthur Herman

Available on Amazon

SKYSCANNER

When you talk about innovation in Scotland, there aren’t many bigger stories to tell than the meteoric rise of Skyscanner. Founded in 2004, this global travel search site has grown to become one of the leading names in the industry – not bad for a company founded because of a frustration over trying to book a ski holiday! The winner of countless international awards, today Skyscanner is available in more than 30 different languages and is used by a staggering 80 million people every month.

ATTIS FITNESS

Attis Fitness is the next step in activity tracking technology. Developed at Stirling University’s Innovation Park, they specialise in producing wearable motion capture clothing. Where regular activity trackers can monitor heart rate and GPS, Attis take it to a whole other level. They monitor everything from stride length, cadence, bounce, pelvic rotation/drop, meaning anyone can achieve optimal performance. With an easy set-up that’s designed to work in all conditions Attis bridge the gap between elite athletes and everyone else.

EDINBURGH MOLECULAR IMAGING

Founded in 2014, Edinburgh Molecular Imaging is helping doctors and clinicians see the invisible with their incredible molecular imaging technology. Based on Fluorescent Imaging, the technology has the potential to detect disease in real-time during interventional procedures including surgery, providing more accurate treatment while sparing healthy tissue. This is done by literally illuminating diseased tissue with fluorescent dye, providing doctors with a clear view of the extent of the disease.

Book Corner

Scottish Miscellany:

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Scotland the Brave

With Scottish Miscellany, author Jonathan Green lets you revel in the fun and fascinating explanations behind Scottish traditions and folklore, giving you the answers to questions you’ve always had—or never knew you had—and more as he covers all aspects of Scotland. From Scottish culture to the ancient history of the country to modern pastimes, this book has all that and more. Learn why the thistle is the floral emblem of Scotland, how Scotch whisky is made, why the Scots celebrate Hogmanay, how to play the bagpipes, and much more. This delightful book is the perfect gift for anyone planning a visit to Scotland, with an interest in Scottish history, or a drop of Scottish blood.

Available on Amazon.

Award-winning travel writer Scott Crawford resides in the British Virgin Islands. A professional educator, he has a keen interest in travel and history, which infuse his writings. Where's Me Plaid is his first book.

Available on Amazon

Where's Me Plaid?:

A Scottish Roots Odyssey

by Scott Crawford

"For a guy from Ohio, whose parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents were also from Ohio, the question of family roots just hadn't progressed beyond: 'What part of Ohio are we from?'"

This would all change in the weeks leading up to the author's first trip to Scotland, when he inadvertently discovers he is one of the 27 million Americans descended from Scottish stock - and not just any stock but a castle-storming, Viking battling line which gave rise to Scotland's most revered hero. Armed with a newfound swagger, the author transforms a much anticipated, romantic holiday with his wife into a decidedly unromantic, though highly romanticized roots tour with comic results. Crammed into their tiny rental car (a Fiat Crumb or some such model), the couple scour the countryside, from castles to trailer parks, looking for something more to commemorate Crawford history than a family crest refrigerator magnet - and ultimately discover something altogether richer: a thriving country with the most beautiful and haunting scenery imaginable, a romantic history full of blood, intrigue and heroism, and some of the friendliest and most fiercely loyal people in the world.

Scotch Corner

There are many ways in which malt whisky can be grouped, but a common method is to do so by the region of Scotland they come from:

Speyside – the region in the north of Scotland centered around the Spey valley, has the largest concentration of working distilleries, the most well known being Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, and Macallan.

Highland – is the largest geographical region extending north from a line stretching from Glasgow to Edinburgh (excluding Speyside). The Glenmorangie distillery being perhaps the most well known.

Lowland – extends south of the line between Glasgow and Edinburgh. Very few distilleries are still in operation. Those remaining include Glenkinchie near Edinburgh and Bladnoch on the border with England.

Cambletown – once rivaled Speyside but today has only three working distilleries. Its one time importance is the subject of a traditional folk song, “Cambletown Loch I wish you were whisky then I would drink you dry!”

Island – includes all the distilleries which are located on islands, apart from Islay which has its own category. Famous names include Highland Park from Orkney and Talisker from Skye.

Islay – is a tiny island off the west coast with a tiny population, yet it has seven working distilleries, including the famous Laphroig.

Click here for more information

For over 200 years, Ardbeg has been made on the small, remote Scottish Isle of Islay.

What Language?

There is no single language that has ever historically been spoken by all Scots.

How many did you get right last issue? See if you can do better…

In the southern areas, Lowland Scots traditionally was the norm.

Gaelic was spoken in central and northern areas.

The off-shore islands to the far north (Orkney Isles and Shetland Isles) spoke 'Norn' (a form of Old Norse).

Rogue words from this extinct language still pepper the speech of the people who live on the islands.

Although the traditional Gaelic is still spoken in some areas, and today Scotland is moving towards becoming a fully dual-language country (English and Scots Gaelic), 'Scottish English' is what is spoken by the majority of Scots.

Do you know what these words mean?

(answers at the end of this newsletter)

"Haud yer wheesht!."
"Hell slap it intae ye!"
"Do yer dinger"

by Steve Adams

Glasgow Rangers Win SPL Title

Glasgow Rangers completed a Lazarus-like comeback from Bankruptcy and banishment to the lowest tier of Scottish football to win their fist Scottish Premier League Title in 9 years-denying their Glaswegian Neighbors Glasgow Celtic from winning what would have been a record 10th title in a row.

Former Liverpool and England great Steven Gerrard has been the manager responsible for righting the ship at Ibrox and leading Rangers to their 55th domestic title at the pinnacle of Scottish clubs. This title was the earliest that a Scottish club has ever clinched the title, with Rangers 3-0 win over St Mirren and Celtic being held to a draw at Dundee United set off celebrations within the blue side of Glasgow.

Rangers have been undefeated in their SPL season and are in the round of 16 against the Czech side Slavia Prague in the Europa League. (The second-tier competition among European club sides) The Rangers have shown to be a complete side by scoring 77 goals, while only conceding 9 in the process in SPL play. Scottish National Team Goalkeeper Allan McGregor has been having a stellar season in goal for the Rangers, getting help from Croatian defenders Nikola Katic and Borna Barlsic. Colombian forward Alfredo Morelos active play up front has been a very part of the resurgent Ranger attack.

With the SPL title, this will allow Rangers a chance to play off for a spot in the 2021-22 Champions League group play-which has the chance for the club to have a potentially big payday, along with playing in the premier club tournament in world football.