Wha’s like us? Gey few, and they’re a’ fu’.
The translation of the above line (an old Scots toast) from the Scottish dialect into more understandable English reads “Who is like us? Very few, and they are all drunk.”
So who is like us? We are the Sons of Scotland and welcome anyone with an interest in anything Scottish who enjoys meeting with other people who have the same interests, enjoy good company, enjoy good food and much more! I don’t think that you can or should be excluded from any of those enjoyments, so come and see for yourself at our open house on Monday.
You don’t have to be Scottish, wear a kilt (unless you want to), play the bagpipes or do any of the many things usually associated with Scotland. The writer has two kilts (one for summer and the other for the rest of the year), played the bass drum in a pipe band and has always felt very welcome in the Sons of Scotland in spite of being a Geordie! And don’t be fooled by our title because a lady was our chief last year.
The Sons of Scotland is a national association with 19 branches (we call them “camps”) and has been established in Vernon since 1949. It was started in the late 1800s to assist immigrants from Scotland to meet the challenges in Canada, their new country.
Since then Scots, both Highlanders and Lowlanders, have played an important role in developing Canada. This is expressed very well in our slogan that says we are “Happily Scottish, Proudly Canadian!” But in our multinational country we have always given a warm welcome with traditional Scottish hospitality to anyone who shares our interests and our aims. The word “Clan” is Scottish Gaelic for “family,” and we like to think of ourselves as a Canadian clan, but with no family feuds! And did you know that Craigellachie in B.C., where the last spike of the cross-Canada railway was struck home, is an old Scottish Gaelic word meaning “the rock of the cry of distress” and is so called as it was the rallying point in times of trouble for Clan Grant.
We have an unobtrusive but constant presence in our community. Examples of this are our support of the Kidney Foundation, the giving of bursaries to students pursuing Celtic studies, and participation in the Sunshine Festival.
Our regular monthly meetings are in the Halina Centre on the fourth Monday of most months. These may include our Christmas dinner, Burns Night, Saint Andrew’s Night and other events.
Whatever reason you have for joining us, we would like to welcome you to our association. And to answer the second part of the line, our activities are done in a sober and serious manner but with enjoyment! See for yourself, come join us at the Halina Centre on Monday at 7:30 p.m. and have a good time!
Peter Kendal is a freelance writer for The Morning Star.
