Clan Donald USA

Saturday, November 2, 2013

North Pacific Region is growing!

Left to right: Ron MacDonald, Bob & Tricia Bourdeau, Mary MacDonald, Rachel & Charlie Turner, Pat & Tom Morgan, Joe McDonald, Chieftain of the Games.

Montana joins the NPR!

Yes, this is the big news I promised to post about...front page news in the Signal! And the main reason for getting the Signal out later than usual...had to wait for the new membership lists and pictures and such. But since I got it out the door at the first of this week, I can finally share it here!

So, a great big welcome to the State of Montana!

Clan Donald was the Honored Clan at the Bitterroot Scottish Festival this year, the second time we made Honored Clan in 2013!

I will get the Montana Games listed in the Calendar and links added this month.

Kate

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Address to a Haggis - by Robert Burns

Address to a Haggis

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin'-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye worthy o' a grace
As lang's my arm.

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o need,
While thro your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An cut you up wi ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!

Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive:
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethankit' hums.

Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi perfect scunner,
Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view
On sic a dinner?

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll make it whissle;
An legs an arms, an heads will sned,
Like taps o thrissle.

Ye Pow'rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies:
But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer,
Gie her a Haggis

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

All Clans Fall Banquet - Photos by Bob Boudreau

A view of the Silent Auction tables

Blue Cloud Celtic - Awesome band!

Armadale Cake

The singing of the Anthems and Toasts

Bonny Knee Judges

C Fred MacDonald having his knees judged

The lovely table set up

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

All Clans Fall Banquet - Blurb

I just uploaded photos from this year's All Clans Fall Banquet, hope you enjoy them! I will be posting some photos that were sent to me by Bob Bourdeau, the Regional Membership Chair...I heard that he even got video of Larry Hollums doing Robert Burn's Address to the Haggis. Maybe I can cage a copy for posting here...Larry does an awesome job! I did get one rather dark photo of him during the address, I will post it along with the poem in a day or so.

Kate