DONNACHAIDH SOCIETY
Secretary to the Clan Society - Mrs Virginia
Wilkie
Clan Donnachaidh Centre
Bruar, Pitlochry, Perthshire,
PHI8 5TW
Tel/Fax: 01796 483338
e-mail:
secretary@clandonna.wanadoo.co.uk
www.donnachaidh.com
November 2006
Dear Clans folk,
The year 2006 has been one of consolidation all round. We have got used
to the new arrangement of Clan Shop and Exhibition area, with the
Reading Room as a useful area for sorting out the museum artefacts,
books and papers. There are also the two offices, one for Jim which
is really just a passage way at the back of the shop and one for the
secretary, a small self-contained room next to the reading room.
Broadband email has been a great boon to us as it means we can use
the internet freely. However, our computers were dinosaurs! So we
now have three new ones and we are gradually learning how to get the
best out of them. Our neighbour is a large department store called
House of Bruar. They are expanding all the time (which makes us
feel very small) but it does bring in the travellers who use their
facilities and visit us as well.
As I write this, we have just commemorated Armistice Day – 11th
day of the 11th month. So it is fitting to tell you
about the Scottish memorial to those killed in World War II recently
built here. When the 51st Highland Division Veterans
Association wrote to House of Bruar to ask if they could put a
monument of a Highland Piper at the entrance to the shops, we were
pleased to see that it was to be on our land. After much
discussion, planning permission requested, letters and telephone
calls the arrangements were made and the Clan Council agreed to this
request. We now have a very attractive monument of a bronze kilted
highlander playing the pipes. The statue is 8 foot high and sited
on top of a 10 foot high granite stone and he faces towards the
South and Perth. On the stone is this inscription:
“A Tribute to the Achievements and Sacrifices of all units of the
51st Highland
Division and to the glorious past of our Highland Regiments”
The Regiments are: The Black Watch, Argyll & Sutherland, Cameron, Gordon
and Seaforth Highlanders. It also says “La a Bhlair’s Math na
cair dean” which is Gaelic for “On the day of Battle, friends
are good”.
Then it says: “Erected by WW2 Veterans in memory of Fallen
Comrades.”
There was a very moving ceremony when the Statue was unveiled and
dedicated on the Saturday of our Gathering. It was windy and
raining and the Veterans were all at least 80 years old and many
very frail. There were two bands playing, a brass band and a pipe
band and coffee was served, and our Chairman offered everyone a dram
of whisky to keep out the cold. This was appreciated very much.
The rest of the Gathering went well. There were fewer people than last
year, but that made it easier for me. The bus trips and theatre
trip were enjoyed, also the various meetings, including one on DNA.
At the Ceilidh the Chairman sang (!) and even the Hall caretaker got
up to recite a poem. We were worried about the Dinner, as it had
just been announced that the Hotel was part of a group and the
owners had gone into Receivership. All went well and, as the staff
had not been paid for a couple of weeks, they were pleased to get
our tips.
You are invited to attend the
Clan Donnachaidh Society Annual Gathering on
Wednesday, 3rd
October to Sunday, 7th October 2007
I hope that this will again suit many of you, and that the travel costs,
booking Bed and Breakfast, will be cheaper and easier at this time
of year. We may move it back to June, if the numbers are small
again. There will be the Annual General Meeting in Killiecrankie on
the Saturday afternoon, and Chief's Reception and Dinner in a Hotel
in the area. There will be more details coming with the Clan Annual
in May. However, for booking a room in town you might like the
email of Pitlochry Tourist Information Centre which is
pitlochrytic@perthshire.co.uk I am looking forward to seeing
you all and meeting new members.
Every blessing for Christmas and best wishes for 2007.
Yours sincerely,
Ginnie Wilkie and Jim Taylor,
Clan Donnachaidh Centre.
******************************
Subscription Notice
Enclosed is your subscription
reminder and renewal form. Please note that Annual Subscriptions
cover the Calendar year from January to December and should be paid
to the Secretary in Scotland by the end of January of each year.
There is a very good reason for this as the Society has expenses
which must be met at the start of each year followed quickly by the
preparation of the Clan Annual, therefore subscriptions must be in
on time to maintain a reasonable cash flow.
Members in arrears will not
receive any further mailings until their subscription is up to
date. This means that they will not receive the Clan Annual and
with it the Calling Notice for the AGM and Proxy voting form.
If you pay through your Branch
instead of direct to Scotland please make sure that your Membership
Secretary forwards your payment well before April each year so that
you will receive the benefits of membership to which you are
entitled.
Some of you have paid a
five-year membership and on the address label of this letter you
will be able to see when your next payment is due. On the top right
hand corner of the label is your membership number and the year for
which you are covered. i.e. “1234 2006” means your membership number
is #1234 and you are due to renew your subscription by the end of
January 2007. If there is no date after your membership number you
must be a Life Member.
ROBERTSON
DUNCAN REID MACROBERT ROY INCHES MACLAGAN MACINROY ROBERTS
COLLIER DONACHIE MACROBIE STARK Et cetera
____________________________________________
Clan Donnachaidh Society is a
Scottish Guarantee Company registered under Company Number SC267317
Registered Office: J & H Mitchell W.S. 51 Atholl Road, Pitlochry,
Perthshire, PH16 5BU.
Copyright © 2003 by Clan Donnachaidh. All rights reserved.
Revised:
04/11/08 10:26:26 -0700..
