1. An t-Albannach
The Newsletter of the New York Caledonian Club
June 2014
Summer Preview
Article continued on page 6
THE HIGHLAND GAMES 2014
An t-Albannach spoke to organizers
of the three local Highland Games in
the New York City area, of which
one is the third oldest Game in the
United States. The Highland Games presented by the
Saint Andrew’s Society of Detroit, Michigan, is the
oldest in the U.S., at 165 years old, followed by the sec-
ond oldest, the Scottish Highland Gathering and Games
held by The Caledonian Club of San Francisco for the
last 145 years.
First up, An t-Albannach spoke to Bill Reid, who or-
ganizes the annual Bonnie Brae Highland Games,
which recently took place Saturday, June 7, 2014 in
Liberty Corner, NJ. This was the 28th
year for the fes-
tival, a fundraiser and outreach to the community, for
the Bonnie Brae School, a
residential school and ther-
apeutic community for boys
in crisis from 8-18. The
school, founded by Judge
Harry Osborne, began in
1916 on the grounds of a
farm called Bonnie Brae
(Beautiful Hillside),
formerly owned by a
Scot, and it has retained
the name.
Bill and his wife,
Karen, began running
the Games nineteen
years ago at the request
of the school. Their
goal is for everyone “to
have a good time,” and calls Bonnie Brae, “the Nice
Games”. Bonnie Brae is the only Scottish Highland
Games and Scottish Festival in New Jersey, and is fam-
ily-friendly with no shortage of activities, offering one
of the largest bagpipe competitions on the East Coast
with over twenty bands, close to one hundred participants
in the Highland Dance Competition, amateur athletics, a
sheep dog demonstration and dog exhibitions, re-enac-
tors from the 42nd Regiment of Foote (Black Watch), a
British car exhibition, musical entertainment by Charlie
Zahm and Tad Marks, and juggling among other fun-
filled events.
Margo Mattice, the
President of the
Round Hill Games, a non-
profit organization, spoke
briefly to An t-Albannach.
Round Hill Games began
life as a 4th of July picnic
for Scottish immigrants
and their friends, who
worked on the large es-
tates of Connecticut dur-
ing the Gilded Age. The picnic became much larger and
evolved into the Round Hill Games, which will celebrate
its 91st year on Saturday, July 5, 2014, making the
Games the third oldest in the United States. Originally
L
et the Games begin!
PhotocourtesyofRoundHillGames
Opening Ceremony of the 2014 Bonnie Brae Highland Games
Dean the Border Collie minding
the sheep.
BonnieBraePhotos:B.L.Rice
Tad Marks (l.) and Charlie Zahm (r.) per-
forming at Bonnie Brae.
Tug-of-war at 2013 Round Hill Games.
PhotocourtesyofRoundHillGames
2. We are actively making plans for the fall and winter.
Look for announcements regarding Scottish Studies, Kilted
Bowling, the Scottish Ball, the Burns Supper, and much
more.
The activities of the Club are all performed by volun-
teers. We are looking for people who would like to get ac-
tive and assist in the many functions of the Club. YOU
can volunteer by going to our website at http://www.ny-
caledonian.org/volunteer.php, or be leaving a message at
212-662-1083.
Have a wonderful summer.
Thank you;
Yours Aye;
Chief John
June 2014 www.nycaledonian.org Page 2 of 7
- Chief’s Letter -
HAIL FROM THE CHIEF
Chief John MacDonald
PhotoCourtesyofJohnMacDonald
UPCOMING NYCC EVENTS
For more information or to pay for tickets via PayPal for any of the upcoming NYCC events listed below, visit the
website www.nycaledonian.org, or call (212) 662-1083 or email Christy MacPhedran at events@nycaledonian.org.
To inquire or send checks or money orders by regular mail for tickets, made to the order of NYCC (note which
event!), write to: The New York Caledonian Club Inc., P.O. Box 4542, Grand Central Station. New York, NY
10163-4542.
Wednesday, June 25, 2014 – “So Do You ThinkYou Know Where You Come From?”
6:30-8:30PM. St. Andrews Restaurant & Bar, 140 West 46th Street, Manhattan. MacDonald & Rees present an
entertaining demonstration about genealogical research, DNA, your name, and family heritage. Refreshments.
Free, but reservations are required, as space is limited. RSVP New York Caledonian Club either by calling 212-
662-1083 or email events@nycaledonian.org.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014 - The New York British-American Societies Annual Summer Garden Party
6PM, Union Theological Society, 3041 Broadway at West 121st Street, Manhattan. $45 admission includes
open bar, hors d’oeuvres, and music. Rain or shine. Reservations required by July 12, 2014. Reserve online at
http://shop.stgeorgessociety.org or visit www.nycaledonian.org for instructions how to mail check.
For more events, see page 6 - The New York Caledonian Club is going to the Highland Games!
As we end the 2013-2014 year, I
would like to thank the members
of the Board of Directors, for all that
they have done over the past year, on
behalf of the New York Caledonian
Club.
The newsletter that you are reading
is a good example of the efforts put out
by Board members. After several years of “irregular”
publication, Barbara Lynn Rice took over as Editor of
An t-Albannach, and has published three (four count-
ing this edition) issues in the last year. Back on track.
Thanks Barbara!
The summer is shaping up as a good one. The Club
will be running busses to the Round Hill Highland
Games (July 5th
) and to the Long Island Scottish Fes-
tival and Games (August 23rd.
).
We will be one of the co-sponsors of the British
Societies Garden Party, on Wednesday, July 16th
, at the
Union Theological Seminary, at Broadway and 121st
Street.
3. June 2014 www.nycaledonian.org Page 3 of 7
Travelogue
Abbotsford
PhotoscourtesyofSuzannePresent
THE ISLANDERS WANT YOU! Seinn comhla rinn!
Join the only Scottish Gaelic singing group, The Islanders, in Manhattan! We are a relaxed group of singers who gather together for
the pure enjoyment of singing in Gaelic and English. We occasionally perform in public, but for the most part, we sing together on
Saturdays for the fun of it. You do not need to speak Gaelic fluently. A good basic knowledge of Gaelic is helpful, but not necessary.
Just be able to carry a tune, in an easy-going environment. For further information, email John Grimaldi at iainmartainn@aol.com
After a two-year closure for renovations, Abbotsford, Sir Wal-
ter Scott’s beloved Scottish Baronial styled home, is once
again open to visitors. Located on the banks of the River Tweed,
Scott built the house himself on farmland purchased in 1811 and
lived there with his family until his death in 1832. It lies on the
spot where the monks of Melrose Abbey had crossed or “forded”
the river; thus Scott called his home Abbotsford.
The prolific writer was a great bibliophile and amazingly his
vast collection of books not only is still extant but remains exactly
as he arranged it. Spanning a multitude of subjects and genres,
two thousand books can be seen in his study and seven thousand
are in the library.
The prominent feature of the study is Scott’s writing desk,
where he penned so many of his works. His check book, glasses
quill pen, pocket knife and scissors lie casually on top of the desk;
giving the appearance that he just stepped out to fetch a cup of
tea and will be returning at any moment.
Sir Walter Scott was also a collector of curiosities. Visitors to
the library will see a curio table displaying among other things a
gown fragment and crucifix belonging to Mary Queen of Scots,
an oatcake and musket ball picked up from the battlefield at Cul-
loden in 1746, a tumbler belonging to Robert Burns and Rob
Roy’s “sgian dubh.” There’s a lock of Bonnie Prince Charlie’s
hair, a lock of Lord Nelson’s hair and a lock of the beard of Scott’s
great grandfather, Walter “Beardie” Scott.
In the center of the library there’s an urn stand holding a silver
urn which was sent to Scott in 1815 by his good friend Lord
Byron. According to Scott, when he received the urn it had been
filled with human bones, found in an ancient Athenian sepulcher.
The drawing room, which is papered with striking green Chinese
wallpaper was the domain of Lady Scott and the Scotts’ daughters,
Sophia and Anne. Sophia was an accomplished musician and her
harp still stands in the room.
The writer was keen on technology and fitted out his home with
the latest state-of-the-art devices. One such device which can be
seen in the drawing room is a pneumatic bell to summon servants.
The bell was rung by pushing down a plunger which caused the dis-
placed air to move the bell’s clapper.
Another one of the author’s passions was weaponry. He fashioned
one of his rooms into an armory where almost every inch of wall
space is taken up by his colossal international collection of artifacts.
Amongst this collection is Rob Roy’s gun, sword and sporan and the
keys to Loch Leven Castle which were allegedly retrieved from the
water after Mary Queen of Scots escaped her captors.
Over one hundred acres of woods and gardens surround Abbots-
ford making for some very scenic walks, weather permitting. The
walled gardens adjoining the house are a standout. And directly op-
posite the building, on the main path leading up to the new visitors’
center there is a Roman commemorative slab from the Antonine
Wall. Acquiring this piece must have given special pleasure to Scott
who was a great lover of history and antiquity as well as being the
father of the modern historical novel.
--Suzanne Present
Attention An t-Albannach Readers
If you are receiving An t-Albannach already by email, but would also like to be on the mailing list for the hard copy of
the newsletter, please send your request with your name and address via email to the editor, Barbara L. Rice, at
barbaralynnrice@gmail.com.
Abbotsford
Another view of Abbotsford
5. June 2014 www.nycaledonian.org Page 5 of 7
NYC Tartan Week 2014
New York Tartan Day Parade
Photos courtesy of the National Tartan Day New York Committee/B.L. Rice
6. June 2014 www.nycaledonian.org Page 6 of 7
held on the estate of Charles A. Moore in Greenwich,
CT, the Games moved to
the Calhoun estate in
Stamford, CT, and fi-
nally to the Gallagher es-
tate in Cranbury Park in
Norwalk, CT, where it
has resided for the last
twenty-five years.
The Games are more for-
mal than they were back
in the Gilded Age, with a piping band competition
sanctioned by the Eastern United States Pipe Band
Association (EUSPBA), and heavyweight athletics
sanctioned by the American Scottish Games and Fes-
tivals (ASGF). This year boasts amateur athletes
only, but next year it will include professionals. Ath-
letic children can enjoy the caber toss, stone toss, and
tug-of-war. Highland dancing and such entertainers
as Haley Hewitt, harpist; the MacTalla Mòr band; and
Gaelic singer, Maggie Carchrie will also be on hand.
Vendors and food will be a-plenty with picnic tables
available, and new, this year a whisky tasting and a
raffle.
The Games always end
with a massed band, so im-
pressive in its gathering,
that as announcer James
Ferguson, once com-
mented, “If that didn’t stir
ye, ye must dead”.
Next up: The Long Island
Scottish Festival and
Highland Games returns in its
54th year on August 23, 2014.
These Games originally
began in Mineola, NY and
were organized by the Long
Island Scottish Clans Associ-
ation which had thirty clans as
members at the time. Now
pulled together by the Long
Island Scottish Clan MacDuff
81, Ltd (website:
www.liscots.org), the event has been presented for the past
thirty years at Old Westbury Gardens, NY.
David Cairns, who spoke to An t-Alban-
nach about the festival and games,
started out as a piper for the Clan Gordon
Highlands Pipe Band, where he met and
was encouraged by Andy McDicken to
join the Clan MacDuff. He has been
past Chief, and has been a past Festival
Chairman. Clan MacDuff Chief Andrew
McInnes is the current Festival Chairper-
son. The festival began originally as the
host to a Scottish soccer team contest
and then evolved to include traditional athletics, pipe bands,
vendors, games, and dancing. The Festival is planning to
bring back its pipe band competition, and also to eventually
organize as a nonprofit organization.
This year, the Festival will have such entertainers as Shot
O’ Scotch; the New York Celtic Dancers; Kathleen Ryan
from River Dance along with stu-
dents from her dancing school;
Cameron Music Ensemble, who
plays Scottish fiddle music; blue-
grass band, Meadowgrass; Scottish
singer, Carl Peterson; Highland and
Country dancers; and singer/musi-
cian, Charlie Zahm. Also at the Fes-
tival, the Heritage Tent will have
demonstrations of kilt-making and
bagpipe playing, Scottish Gaelic
lessons, and a table with information on Scotland. There
are many more activities, both for young and old, as well
as a food court and soda tent.
An t-Albannach wishes to also thank Alan Bain and James
& Susan Ferguson for additional information for this arti-
cle.
--Barbara L. Rice
PhotocourtesyofRoundHillGamesPhotocourtesyofRoundHillGames
Stone tossing at Round Hill.
Pipe band on the march.
THE HIGHLAND GAMES 2014
Continued from page one
Clan MacDuff Chief &
LISF&HG Chairperson,
Andrew McInnnes
Past Clan MacDuff
Chief, David Cairns
Opening of 2013 L.I. Scottish Festival & Highland Games
Children enjoying the pony
rides.
PhotoscourtesyoftheL.I.S.F.&H.G..
7. June 2014 www.nycaledonian.org Page 7 of 7
An t-Albannach, the newsletter of the New York Caledonian Club,
is published several times a year. ISSN#1520-072.
Editor: Barbara Lynn Rice, with contributions from many.
The New York Caledonian Club, Inc. (Est. 1856), is a
501(c)3 nonprofit, charitable, educational and literary organi-
zation and is open to anyone interested in Scotland and
Scottish-Americans.
“Faobharich ur n-inntinn – ionnsaich a’Ghàidhlig.” – “Sharpen your mind – learn
Gaelic.”
Scottish Gaelic classes coming this fall at the New York Caledonian Club!
Class dates to be announced soon.
Visit our website for information at www. nycaledonian.org
Remember the Date!
New York Caledonian Club Annual General Meeting
Sunday, June 22, 2014, 3:00-6:00PM
Immanuel Lutheran
East 86th
Street and Lexington Avenue,
Manhattan
UPCOMING HIGHLAND GAMES
Saturday, July 5, 2014 – Round Hill Highland Games
8:30AM to last event, the Massing of the Bands at 4:30PM , Cranbury Park, Kensett Avenue & Grumman Avenue
(off Route 7), Norwalk, CT. Admission: $20, adults (13-64); $10, seniors (65-plus); $10, children (5-12); $50,
family (2 adults, 2 children); children under 5, free. For more information, visit website www.roundhillorg. NYCC
is going to Round Hill Games! Skip the parking and come on the bus. Visit www.nycaledonian.org to register
(you must register in advance). $50 covers both the entrance fee and the roundtrip.
Saturday, August 3, 2014 – Long Island Scottish Festival and Games
8AM-5PM, Old Westbury Gardens, Old Westbury, NY (where Westbury House, the Phipps mansion, is located).
Admission: $17, adults; $15, seniors; children and Old Westbury members, $8. For more information, visit
website http://www.liscots.org/festival_and_games.htm. NYCC will have a bus for this, as well - see our website for
updated information at www.nycaledonian.org. This is a very pleasant venue with an opportunity to visit the
Phipps mansion and grounds.
Sunday, September 28, 2014 - Fort Tryon Medieval Festival
11:30AM-6PM, in Fort Tryon Park, next to the Cloisters in northern Manhattan. This is a free event with all
things medieval and fantastic. For more information, visit website: http://www.whidc.org/festival/home.html.
8. The New York Caledonian Club, Inc.
P.O. Box 4542, Grand Central Station
New York, NY 10163-4542
www.nycaledonian.org
(212) 662-1083
“Faobharich ur n-inntinn – ionnsaich a’Ghàidhlig.” –
“Sharpen your mind – learn Gaelic.”
Scottish Gaelic classes coming this fall
at the New York Caledonian Club!
Class dates to be announced soon.
Visit our website for information at www. nycaledonian.org
