St. Andrew's Society of Washington, D.C.
The Whin & Thistle - Fall 2011
Volume 4, Issue 4 of The Whin & Thistle newsletter is now available.
2012 Burns Nicht Supper - Saturday, January 28, 2012You may now purchase your tickets online for the 2012 Burns Nicht Dinner, commemorating the two hundred and fifty-third anniversary of the Scottish Bard’s birth and featuring internationally-acclaimed Scottish Fiddler Bonnie Rideout. By popular demand, Peregrine Russell-Hunter will return to provide the stirring "Address to a Haggis" and over twenty door prizes will be awarded to lucky guests! The event will be at the Belle Haven Country Club 6023 Fort Hunt Road Alexandria, VA 22307. Cocktails begin at 7:00 PM and dinner will be served at 8:00 PM. The dress is Highland Evening Dress, Military Evening Dress, or Black Tie. R.S.V.P. Special hotel rate of $99 for the night is availabe at the nearby Hampton Inn and Suites. See print version of the invitation.
2012 Annual Members Meeting and Dinner - Thursday, January 12, 2012
Please join the Society on Thursday, January 12, for the Society's annual meeting and dinner. The evening’s speaker will be Chief Inspector Andrew Brown of the Scottish Police College, who will be discussing his experiences as a police officer and hostage negotiator in Scotland. He was the Area Commander (Chief Inspector) of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross of Northern Constabulary and served in a variety of policing roles in urban and rural environments within Northern Constabulary. The meeting will be at the National Press Club, 529 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC. We will begin at 6:30 PM with cocktails followed by dinner at 7:15 p.m. Please note that both protocol and tradition require gentlemen to wear jacket and necktie at evening dinner meetings. Members are encouraged to bring guests to join us for dinner and to hear the presentation. However, only members may attend the business meeting. Please complete your reservation and payment no later than January 6, 2012. You may also RSVP electronically to Vice President R. Juge Gregg at juge@stanfordalumni.org or leave a message at 202-250-9931. Print version of the RSVP.
Help Provide a Temporary Home for Aberdeen University Interns This Spring
Once again, scholars will be arriving from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. These are seniors in History at the University, who work a 3-week internship at the Naval Historical Center here in Washington. Since the internships carry no salaries or stipends, these young folks must watch every penny; they must raise all the funds to get themselves here and to exist while here working. To help, and to further international friendships and understanding, many Society members have provided a home-away-from-home over the Spring holiday, which this year runs approximately 26th March, and returning on the 16th April. The major criteria for selecting host homes are "nice folks, walking distance to Metro and or Bus Routes, safe and comfortable home." If you are interested, please contact Carol at aisla5@aol.com or brother David Close at davidclose10@hotmail.com, as early as possible, and thanks to all who have or will consider hosting. For more information, see the Society Web site.
Sign Up as a Society Associate!
Membership in the Society is open to men of Scottish birth or ancestry. However, anyone can become a Society Associate! You will receive a monthly electronic newsletter of all public Society events and other local Scottish-American activities. Please see the online form on the Society Web site under "About." Also, please notify the Secretary of any upcoming local events and activities to be included in the newsletter.
Board of Managers Meeting
The Board of Managers (BOM) of the St. Andrew’s Society of Washington, D.C., usually meets on the first Tuesday of every month, except for July and August.The next formal Board of Managers meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 3, 2012. All members are invited to attend. Contact the Secretary for more information.
Consider a Bequest to the Charity and Education Fund
If you have been involved with the Society in any way, then you value the vital impact the Society has made in the Scottish-American community of the Washington, D.C. area. The Washington Scots Charity & Education Fund extends that impact by making a positive difference in the world far into the future. Consider a bequest to the Charity and Education Fund.