To all Society
Members,
I hope this newsletter finds all members in good spirits –
particularly following our highly successful 12th Burn’s
Supper last Sunday, at the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club. This
event was chaired and orchestrated by our Treasurer Carol Stuart.
At the Supper, members of the Society had the opportunity of meeting
our 2010 Scholarship award recipient, Miss Kristine Cosgrove and her
parents , and to witness a small award ceremony to wish Kristine “
bon voyage “ on her trip to Scotland. We shall all enjoy her
reports of progress during her stay in Scotland and look forward to
seeing her again at our 2010 St. Andrews Ball in November.
The first Kirkins of the year take place at the Naples United Church
of Christ on February 14th. with two Services, one at
09.00am and one at 11.00am. If you have not already confirmed your
attendance at either or both Services please
contact Ken Bruce
as possible.
Kirkins will also take place at the Moorings Presbyterian Church on
February 28th again with two Services at 09.00am and
11.00 am. Please
contact George Metcalf if you
have not already confirmed your attendance at either or both
Services.
On March 19th, the Society will be attending a Display by
the band of the Irish Guards, and the Royal Regiment of Scotland at
the Naples Philharmonic. Please contact Ian Wright at 436-1992
should you wish to reserve tickets for this occasion ( $ 44.00 per
person ) and if additionally you would like to attend the
pre-performance Dutch Dinner at the Palms Restaurant, Neapolitan
Way, please contact Don McGee at 659-5312.
In due course, I would also like to propose to the Board a number of
possible Summer Event which we might try to organize for mid/late
Summer and hopefully we can do this in good time for members to note
in their diaries as early as reasonably possible.
As promised in the December 2009 newsletter, I undertook to comment
on the possibility of holding a Tartan Day celebration this year.
Working in conjunction with Ian Wright we were homing in on a early
evening dinner at the UCC Church, with a talk on the Scottish
influence in Florida.
However the Church calendar appears to be very busy at this time of
Year ( early April ) and so we are now considering proposing to the
Board a “ Scottish Dinner “ at either The Pub in Mercato, Naples, or
at The English Pub, in Naples. We hope to finalize a final choice
next month.
Just prior to Tartan Day itself ( April 6th. ) your
President and Vice President of the Day have on each of the last
three years, been presented with the Naples City Council Tartan Day
Proclamation by the City Mayor during a regular Council meeting.
This presentation is televised and shown on television sometime
afterwards.
It has been suggested that this year in addition to the President
and Vice President that we have a small Color Guard – say six
kilted Banner Bearers also in attendance and anyone wishing to
attend as part of this Color Guard should contact Ed Parsons at
591-0049.
Lastly, I would like to bring to the attention of all members of the
Society that your Board are always mindful and watchful of both the
actual numbers of members of the Society and the numbers of members
and guests attending our various functions. I have no doubt that
these topics and the respective merits of how many members we could
or should have will be discussed at several of our 2010 Board
Meetings and I would encourage all members to not only give this
matter some thought but to also raise possible suggestions and ideas
with any of your current Board members as you see fit!
“Lang may yer lum reek
Wi ither folks coal”
Your President
David J. Webster
