The Saltire

The Saint Andrew Society of Sarasota, Inc. PO Box 2592, Sarasota, FL
The Saltire
Coming Events
Monday, Nov. 5th 6413 The
Club House in Silver Oaks,
Sarasota 5:30 - 8:00 PM.
Members are Welcome .
November 17th, 2012
Tartan Ball at Heritage Oaks
Count Club.
Saturday, December 8th,
Christmas Party Palm Aire
Country Club
Tartan Ball
THE TARTAN BALL IS
JUST A FEW DAYS
AWAY!
Hope you all saw the Press
release announcing who was
playing Mary, Queen of Scots.
She is our own Diane Gilbert
Madsen, who is an expert on
Mary’s life. Diane will be in
full costume and YOU will be
able to get your picture taken
with her for FREE as she sits
on her throne (hello, Scots!).
But…only if you buy a ticket
and are there for what promises to be the best ball ever!
There is lots of magic in this
event…. FOUR historic characters resurrected from the
grave just for starters! We
aren’t going to tell you all that
we know.
Diane—or should I say
Mary—will speak about “The
Casket letters” that helped her
Volume 33 Issue 3
November 2012
enemies send her to prison where sion at future meetings and it was
she eventually lost her head.
decided that some review of other
aspects of Burnse life would perIf that isn’t enough fun, the fa- haps expand the pool of people
mous Tinkers will be with us pre- who would attend who maybe
senting a Scottish musical pro- aren’t that keen on just reading
gram and they will play for danc- poetry. We did have a toast to
ing. There are lots of other sur- Charlie Craig and then read his
prises, too, so if you haven’t al- favorite poem “To a Mouse” and
ready done so, now is the time to finished off reviewing “To a
order up your reservations from Louse” and “Scotch Drink.”
Lola at 941-697-2215. The deadline is November 12. Don’t for- We finished the afternoon singing
get to add your donation for our verses 1 and 5 of “Auld Lang
scholarship fund, which is what Syne” and noticed that a table of
this gala is really all about.
ladies meeting next to us left
quickly with tears in their eyes
See you all there, Lads and Las- from the sheer beauty of it.
sies…at Heritage Oaks, on Saturday, November 17…..We will The November meeting will be at
raise our glasses beginning at 5 the British Pub in Venice on
pm and promise to have you on Tuesday the 20th.
your way home by 9!
All members and friends of Burns
Directions to the Club:
are welcome to attend—both lads
Take Bee Ridge 3 miles east of I- and lassies. If you have any
75 to Bee Ridge Extension.
questions about the meeting or
Turn right and drive 0.9 miles to need a ride please contact me by e
Heritage Oaks Blvd.
-mail at the above address or call
Turn right and gain entrance at
966-04125
the gate house. The Club House
will be straight ahead
Hope to see you there. If you
should get lost, my cell phone is
941-223-2877.
Burns Club
We had a great Burns Club Meeting at the British Open Pub in
Venice. We were pleased to welcome new members Rev. Mike
McBride and Tom Mumford to
the group. Diane Madsen lead a
discussion on topics for discus-
David MacMillan,
Secretary.
Burns Club of St. Andrew
Page 2
Saltire - November, 2012
Message from the President
As I write this on Oct. 24th I recommend that if you are still
up north somewhere you start packing so you are here in
plenty of time for our Tartan Ball on Nov. 17. This will be a
Tartan Ball you do not want to miss. Both modern and classical Scottish Music by the Tinkers, recreations of Scottish People from several hundred years ago wandering among you and
great friends and wonderful fellowship will be just the start.
The food will I am sure not disappoint you either. If your Tartan Ball invitation did not catch up with you yet please call me
at work (days) at (941-697-1111) or nights/ weekends at home
(941-697-2215) and I'll get another invitation off to you. If
you would like some extra invitations for friends or neighbors either give me the names and
addresses and I'll be happy to mail them for you or I will be glad to send you extra invitations.
Remember the Tartan Ball is not only our largest social event of the year it is the means by
which we raise money to fund our college scholarships . Our Tartan Ball Committee has done
a great job in putting together this year’s Tartan Ball. It's now all of our jobs to help fill the
hall. Why not consider asking a friend, neighbor or relative to attend. Taking someone would
make a nice holiday gift.
Next on the agenda is our Christmas Luncheon on December 8th. Invitations for this joint
event led by the Caledonians this year will be in the mail very soon. Please make sure you
have December 8th reserved on your calendar. This year all attending are asked to bring some
non perishable food items (canned haggis?, hmmmm, probably not) to the event for distribution to our local food banks. Plenty of people can use a hand in providing some decent meals
for their family. Again think about taking a friend to the Christmas Luncheon. It is a chance to
hear some nice Christmas Music and renew old friendships. Not that many opportunities to
celebrate Christmas here compared to other locales so let’s take advantage of ours and share it
with others.
.
On the sad side I recently attended a memorial service for Diane Skene a St Andrew of Sarasota Member, Clan Representative for Clan Skene and a Northport resident. Her family called
me and advised that they were having a Scottish Celebration of Life Memorial for her with a
bagpiper and other Scottish Touches. I attended all kilted up as did our newest member Rev.
Mike McBride who also was dressed in his Kilt and other Scottish Finery. The family was
very appreciative of having two representatives from St Andrew of Sarasota. A few days later
Mike McBride’s wife who had been ill for some time passed away. As you meet Mike at the
Tartan Ball and other events you might want to make sure you introduce yourself .
The only regret I have from my time with St. Andrew of Sarasota is missing the friendship of
so many members who have become friends and have been called away to the final Ceilidh
way to soon. Remember keep in touch with each other and don't be afraid to call someone and
offer a ride to the Tartan Ball or other events. Many of us either can't or don't like to drive at
night. This summer I could not drive for a while after major eye surgery and I guess that
Saltire - November, 2012
taught me about how dependent we are on our driving. Offering a ride to another member
would be appreciated. As my wife Lola is taking reservations for the ball please call me if you
would like a ride to the ball and I will try to match you up with someone who has already
made a reservation and lives in your area.
Page 3
See you soon I hope. Remember our board meetings are open to all members and attending is
the only way you have a say in whether you are selected to chairperson our next major event. I
have a few people in mind that I would like to volunteer as chairpersons of our 2013 Tartan
Ball, Christmas Luncheon and 2014 Burns Dinner . Call me if you are interested. Well I am
gone, I'm heading for a wee dram right now which I'll hoist in your honor
Dennis Craig. President
Saint Andrew Society of Sarasota
Fotheringhay
(A poem written by Mary
Queen of Scots as she awaited her execution.)
Alas what am I? What use has my life?
I am but a body whose heart's torn away,
A vain shadow, an object of misery
Who has nothing left but death-in-life.
O my enemies, set your envy all aside;
I've no more eagerness for high domain;
I've borne too long the burden of my pain
To see your anger swiftly satisfied.
And you, my friends who have loved me so true,
Remember, lacking health and heart and peace,
There is nothing worthwhile that I can do; Ask only that my misery should cease
And that, being punished in a world like this,
I have my portion in eternal bliss.
Page 4
Saltire - November, 2012
Jack’s Jottings November 2012
Summer has gone and Autumn has arrived. That is a
statement of fact about the seasons of the year right now
but it can also be used to describe, perhaps, where we
are in our life?
I know that Autumn is a beautiful season with trees taking on magnificent golden colours and some spectacular
sunsets. You can guess I like the Autumn time.
Well, I would like to share a very true story about what happened to me on a Sunday a week or
so ago. Let me set the scene.
My wife and I had been in Glasgow from mid morning and we were travelling home in the
early afternoon. It was a very sunny, beautiful Autumn day. The hills to the north, the Campsies, were bathed in golden sunlight. Scotland was in its best picture. Caught up with the
beauty, I asked my wife if she would mind if we took a side trip to the North Lanarkshire village that my father was born in and where we spent many very happy family holidays with my
grandfather and grandmother before they passed away.
Catherine agreed, so we took the Airdrie junction and made our way to Longriggend, the place
where, when folks asked my father, ‘Longriggend? Where is that’, he would proudly reply, ‘It
is one bus stop from Heaven’.
To be honest, there is not much there today, a few houses, some built recently, a disused
church but no shops of any kind. History dealt harshly with the village, but that is for another
story. I love visiting the village, even today as it holds so many very happy memories of my
‘Springtime of childhood’. I pulled up on the main street (there is only one street!) outside
where my grandparent’s house used to stand. I got out and stood gazing at the overgrown
weeds and also gazing at the magnificent view northwards into the hills on the horizon.
Suddenly, a voice came from behind me. I turned round and saw one of the residents standing
at his fence. ‘Are you wanting to buy the land and build a house?’ he asked me. I said that if I
could, I would and explained my history with the site. He then told me that nobody can buy
the land as no Bank will give a loan on the property as it has a very dangerous weed growing
which can literally eat its way through foundations, bricks, etc.
We started to talk about the ‘old days’, but he could only go back to 1961. I could go way
back into the 1950s.
He looked along the street and told me that if I wanted to talk about those days, I should speak
to the guy that had just come out of his house to walk his dog. He said his name was Hilbert. I
looked shocked and replied, ‘ Hilbert Gerts who used to live just adjacent to the old church’?
Saltire - November, 2012
Page 5
He replied, ‘Yes’.
As Hilbert approached, he looked at me for a moment. I told him who I was and then we
shook hands firmly. The last time I saw Hilbert was around 54 years ago when I was in the
village on summer holiday! We were great pals. I introduced him to Catherine and then took a
virtual walk through the village that we both knew all those decades ago. We recalled the
places that we played games in, the shops that we went to when sent for ‘the messages’.
It was a great time, short, but a beautiful trip from Autumn back to Spring.
Hilbert said that the next time I was coming through, give him a call and we can share more of
our memories. I certainly will give him a call!
I have not stopped talking about this autumn Sunday afternoon since!
Why am I telling you this story? Well, I think sometime as we get into the Autumn of our lives
we get a bit short on great experiences, but meeting up with someone like my boyhood chum
just puts a wee spring into your step and reminds us to say a big ‘Thank You’ to the Good
Lord for the gift of memories and the gift of friends.
I hope you agree?
By the way, is there anyone reading this ‘Jotting’ that knows where I have been writing about?
If there is, I would love to hear from you.
All the best until the next time,
Jack
ROBBIE BURNS’ & TWITTER
A quarter eon laid in state
Has felt a moment fleetin’.
This rantin’ bardie could nae wait
Tae hae a shot at Tweetin’.
With thanks to RobertBurns@The RabbieBurns
Submitted by Diane Madsen
Saltire - November, 2012
Page 6
Flowers of the Forest
JOHN ALEXANDER CONNOR passed away on 6 September 2012. He had been a active member of St. Andrew
Society for many years, serving as our President in 1993.
John was born in Luss, Scotland in 1923 and lived in both
Canada and Great Britain before coming here. Our
prayers go out to Marjorie and their family. John was a
wonderful man and will be missed by all who knew him.
GLADYS WIEDORN left this world on August 29,2012. at her home in Nokomis. A longtime active member of Saint Andrew Society, Gladys and her husband Fred were enthusiastic
members of the Sarasota Country Dancers. Please keep this very special lady and her family
in your prayers as they attempt to heal. She will be missed by so many.
DIANE SKENE a long time member of St. Andrew and Commissioner of Clan Skene passed
away on 8 October 2012 after a long battle with cancer. Our prayers go out to her family in
this time of grief. She will be missed by her many friends.
Our thoughts and prayers are also extended to our new member, REV. MICHAEL J.
MCBRIDE. Rev. McBride recently lost his wife after a long illness. Keep him in your
prayers
Christmas Party
Party Party Party++++++CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON++++++ Party Party Party
The elves are once again up to their old tricks and are busy planning the ever popular Annual
Christmas Party hosted by the Caledonians and St. Andrew's. It will be held at the Palm-Aire
Country Club, December 8, starting with wee drinkies at 11:30. Lunch will be served at 12:15
with a choice of Chicken Picatta with Wild Rice, or (the one that makes my mouth water),
Grilled Salmon with a Lemon Sauce and Cranberry Rice. Yum! Fudge Brownie A/La Mode is
for dessert. After this repast, our ears will be caressed by the soothing sounds of the Meadows
Choir singing Christmas Carols. Beautiful decorations are being planned to create a wonderful
Christmas ambiance - the smell of pine, tinkling bells, a beautiful tree, fake snow - I can
hardly wait. The cost for this memorable event is a measly $27.50 per person, a bargain at this
price. An invitation should arrive in your mail box in a couple of weeks. Be on the lookout for
it! If you have questions, contact our bag man, Walda Taylor at Tel: 941-925-1587. Oh! I forgot to mention - mistletoe will be strategically placed to entrap reluctant lovers.
Saltire - November, 2012
Page 7
Directory Corrections
Missed from Directory:
Allan & Phyllis McIllraith
4517 Chimney Creek Drive
Sarasota, FL 34235
941-371-6890
allanmackil@gmail.com
phyllmack@gmail.com
Nathalie McCulloch
700 John Ringling Blvd. #2114
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-953-5519
nmcculloch@webtv.net
New Members:
Rev. Michael McBride
3054 Spencer Lane
Sarasota, FL 34239
revmichaelm@yahoo.com
Tom & Joyce Mumford
911 Maritine Ct.
Bradenton , Fl 34212
jmumford@recrovita.com
281-394-3309
Correction:
Sharon Sweeney
500 S. Palm—Unit #22
Sarasota, FL 34236
941-706-2007
Just a Wee Bit of Humour
The irony of life is that, by the time you’re old enough to know your way around,
you’re not going anywhere
Frustration is trying to find your glasses without your glasses.
I was always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps getting harder to find one.
Every morning is the dawn of a new error.
Submitted by Diane Masden
Saltire - November, 2012
Page 8
OF INTEREST TO MEMBERS
Add to your Scottish Activities
Have fun and join the Sarasota Country (Scottish) Dancers every Thursday from 7:00 PM to
10:00 PM at the Bay Front Community Center (behind the Municipal Auditorium) at 803 Tamiami Trail in Sarasota. It is only $5.00 per person and it is great exercise. For information
call Ellen McRanor at 941-953-6707 and visit their beautiful web page at sarasotascd.org
__________________________________
Thought for the Day: Yes, I gained some weight over the summer…..I did it to prove that I
am not anorexic.
__________________________________
We want to be sure that our new members know that we do have a Scottish Store on 17th St.
in Sarasota. It is Scots Corner. Sheila will help you find Scottish or UK food , Scottish dress,
gifts from all over the UK, books, music and much more. If you have a question, please give
her a call at 941-953-6707.
THE JACOBITES HAVE AN EXCITING SEASON LINE UP
November 10th they will be at the Lakewood Ranch Scottish Festival sponsored by
MacAlister's between 6 PM and 9:30 PM.
November 18th at 3 p.m. they will be performing at First Presbyterian Church in downtown
Sarasota. The concert, Bagpipes, Brass and Beyond ,will begin at 3 PM.
April 6th, 2 p.m. Tartan Day, the Jacobites have planned a spectacular concert at Van Wezel
honoring Sarasota’s own Sheila Jackson! We plan to work with The Saint Andrew Society of
Sarasota to offer discounted tickets for early purchases. More information will be upcoming.
We hope to see each and every SAS Member at this Concert!
May 26, 2013 is our Memorial Day Weekend concert.
As always, we teach pipes, drumming and dancing for free. Pipe lessons are at 1 p.m. on most
Sundays at First Presbyterian Church in Sarasota and will resume September 16th. For those
of you who are not familiar with us our pipe band includes wind instruments, brass, string instruments and more so if you are a musician and want to have fun, check us out. Band practice is on Sundays from 2-4 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church in Sarasota and will resume
October 7th.
For more information contact Gary at 941-350-0271 or Larry at 941-928-9312.
Get out there and help to support them. If you haven’t heard them, you will be in for a treat.
Saltire - November, 2012
Page 9
ROBBIE BURNS & TWITTER
A quarter eon laid in state
Has felt a moment fleetin’.
This rantin’ bardie could nae wait
Tae hae a shot at Tweetin’.
Submitted by Diane Gilbert Masden
With thanks to RobertBurns@TheRabbieBurns
_______________________________________
AWARD WINNING AUTHOR DIANE GILBERT MADSEN SIGNS MULTI-PLATFORM DEAL WITH
MAX SOUND CONTINUING HER SUCCESSFUL CHARACTER DRIVEN DD MCGIL LITERATI MYSTERY SERIES
Award winning author Diane Gilbert Madsen signs a multi-platform book deal with Max
Sound (OTC: MAXD) continuing her successful mystery series with lead character, DD
McGil. Madsen’s upcoming title, “Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Notes: The Secret of Jack the Ripper” is planned for a February release in hard cover, audio and e-book. The story features Sir
Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, and his longstanding relationship
with Scotland Yard. Doyle frequently collaborated with the police on real life cases, yet he
was strangely silent about Jack the Ripper, the most famous case of his time. Why? In the
story, DD McGil, an insurance investigator, comes upon information in the diary of a collector
of Doyle manuscripts that she believes confirms the identity of Jack the Ripper. Unfortunately
for DD, she is not the only one looking for this priceless information.
The DD McGil Literati Mystery series is the innovation of author Diane Gilbert Madsen. A
lover of the mystery classics since her youth, each book in the Literati Mystery series is inspired by the lives and works of some of literature’s greatest writers. The series is set in Chicago, Illinois with heroine DD McGil, an English Professor turned Insurance Investigator.
The series gives readers an intriguing and fun blend of mystery and history. In the first book,
“A Cadger’s Curse” DD McGil must authenticate a rare Robert Burns treasure that her eccentric Aunt Elizabeth has come upon. Her second book, “Hunting for Hemingway” finds DD
embroiled in a search for the original Hemingway manuscripts that went missing on the train
when Hemingway’s wife was traveling with them. These first works by Hemingway have
never surfaced, until now.
Diane Gilbert Madsen grew up enjoying Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers,
and John Dickson Carr. Born and raised in Chicago, Diane attended the University of Chicago
and did post-graduate work at Roosevelt University. A political who’s who, Diane has worked
in Illinois government positions from deputy village clerk to the prestigious position of Director of Economic Development for the State of Illinois, running the Department of Tourism and
the Illinois Film Office among others. She has been cited in both the World Who’s Who of
Women and the Who’s Who in Finance and Industry. She and her husband Tom currently
share their home with their two Japanese Chin dogs in Cape Haze, Florida.
Saltire - November, 2012
Page 10
SAS Name Badges: can be ordered by
any member. If you are interested in getting
a Saint Andrew Society name badge email,
snail mail or fax your order to:
Sarasota Trophy and Awards, Inc. ,
6601 Superior Ave.,
Sarasota, FL 34231.
You must pay for the badge when you pick it
up. The cost will be $10.50 plus tax for the
magnetic back. $8.00 plus tax for the pin
back. If you would like to pay by check or
credit card and have the badge mailed to you,
the shipping charge can be arranged for an
additional $3.75. If you encounter a problem, please call David MacMillan at 941-966
-0425.
Articles/Stories Needed
The deadline for submitting articles or reports is the 15th of each month. If you are
unable to work with that for any reason,
please call me at 941-722-9840 or by email
at : szogar@aol.com
We are always looking for articles from
SAS members so if you have something
that you think others might enjoy, please let
me know. Thank you,
Shirley Szoboscan
Saltire Editor
The St. Andrew Web Address
http://www.standrewsocietysarasota.com
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Past President
Membership
Trustees
SALTIRE
St. Andrew Society
of Sarasota, Inc.
P.O. Box 2592
Sarasota, FL 34230
Piper
Sergeant-at-Arms
Historian
Chaplain
Saltire Editor
Photographer
Sunshine Lady
Scholarship Chairman
Publicity
Burns Club President
Web Manager
Mary Queen of Scots
Dennis Craig
Shirley Szoboscan
Terry Neuss
Diane Kemp
Dr. David MacMillan
Sandra Hahn
Dr. Bert Mitchell
Joe Pierce
Joel Davies
Mike Wilcox
Larry Jacob
Joe Ambrose
Jean Catsakis
Rev. Donald Kerr
Shirley Szoboscan
Nick Catsakis
Carrie Martin
Dr. Bert Mitchell &
Linda Prowten
Dane Hahn
Dr. David MacMillan
Wayne MacLellan