Newsletter

Labor Day Friday & Saturday
Celtic Festival
Gathering of the Clans

PLAN TO ATTEND

this fun-filled family event!

This event is FREE this year and in a new PREMIUM location: Memorial Park, Rapid City. That’s just outside of the Civic Center.

Major Events, Gathering of the Clans:

Friday, September 1:

Noon Vendor and Clan Tents Open Afternoon Children's Activities,

Highland Games Demonstration, Irish Step dancing and Celtic musical performances.

6:00 pm Kid's Celtic Music Competition

Evening Ceili* on Stage at Memorial Park. Single Malt Scotch Whisky Tasting and music by the Indulgers at Dublin Square Pub

Saturday, September 2:

9:00 am Gathering of the Clans Opens to the public at Memorial Park

9:30 am Highland Games Begin and run All Day

Morning Music and Dance Workshops, Children’s Activities

Noon Clan Parade and Welcoming Ceremonies

Afternoon Contests - Pet Parade, Best Dressed, Best Knees, Haggis Throw

Afternoon Entertainment – Ceili with Music and Dance, Arts and Crafts Workshops

4:00 p m INDULGERS on Stage at Memorial Park

Early Evening - Athletics Awards, Wallace Sword Contest, Pipers and Irish Dancing on Stage

7:00 pm The INDULGERS will play again until the park closes.

Sunday, September 3:

9:30 pm Kirkin’ O’ the Tartan at First United Methodist Church

For a Detailed schedule follow the links at;

www.BlackHillsCelticEvents.org

We’ll be calling members to volunteer for a 2-hours stint at one of our booths. Hope you can spare a couple of hours for the Society and enjoy 1 ½ days of the festival activities.

Highland Festival

Planning Committees:

Planning Board chairs & committees:

Chairperson – Gary Hamilton, Mike Lemay, Matt Murraine

Sponsorships/Donations – Carole Conrad

Venue/Grounds/Facilities – Bill Knight, John Burke

Publicity - Open

Athletics – Kirk Spell

Vendors – Sandra Lassle

Entertainment/Events – Holly and Mike Lemay

Clans – James Marrs

Pipes – Mark Rowland

Hospitality – Carole Conrad

Children’s Activities – Matt Murraine, Janice Murraine

Workshops - Open

Aug 17	7:00 p.m.	General membership Meeting, TREA Building, Rapid City PROGRAM: Labor Day Festival
Sept 1-3	Noon Friday – Sunday Kirkin’	Dakota Gathering of the Clans; Memorial Park, Rapid City FREE ADMISSION … will be needing volunteers for this fun even
Sept 7	7:00 p.m.	Board Meeting
Sept 16	4:00 p.m.?	General Membership Meeting and ‘PITCH IN’ (Potluck) at the home of Kerry & Pat Smith (details later) PROGRAM: Jim Byrne’s trip to Ireland
Oct 5	7:00 p.m.	Board Meeting
Oct 19	7:00 p.m.	General membership Meeting, TREA Building, Rapid City PROGRAM: History & Lore of Halloween (Sally Knight); Celtic Catalog Review (All)
Nov 2	7:00 p.m.	Board Meeting
Nov 16	7:00 p.m.	General membership Meeting, TREA Building, Rapid City PROGRAM: TBA

*TREA = The Retired Enlisted Association building, 1981 East Centre Street, Rapid City

President’s Message

FESTIVAL DEBT – NO!

Back in April this year I promised that we would put on the Gathering of the Clans with NO FESTIVAL DEBT. Well, we have done it! At least as long as we stay on budget we will have done it come September 3, 2006.

I am happy to announce that we have enough sponsorships, donations and paid vendor tents to conduct the entire festival with no debt.

Oh, SIS has some “risk” money in this event as a fund raiser. We could lose a few hundred dollars if it rains. If the festival goes well we will make a nice profit on which to continue our winter activities.

Please, read over the sponsor list at the end of the newsletter. The response has been overwhelming when you think about it. Patronize and thank the businesses and charitable organizations that have made this possible

Thank the members of the festival board who have volunteered their time and expertise to make this happen. They are also listed in this newsletter. Several of them are not SIS members but have given of their time to make this a success. The festival board has been meeting every two weeks since March and doing preparation work between meetings. The group has accumulated many hundreds of hours of work for the good of our Celtic community. Let them know that you have noticed and that you appreciate their work.

My final word; Come to the Gathering of the Clans on September 1-3 in Memorial Park.

Gary Hamilton

With the fire was moving at 40 feet per minute at one point, Karen Snook and her family found themselves in one of the scariest situations of their lives. Luckily, their ranch did not suffer any damage.

Our concern goes out to any other of our members whose homes or loved ones may have been involved in the wildfires this past month. We’ll all hope for rain WITHOUT those nasty lightening strikes!

Karen and Graham Stone graciously donated many books to the Society at our July meeting. Our librarian is busy processing them and adding them to our list. We’ll bring the newest additions to the August meeting for folks to take a gander.

Alma and Graham Chesnut generously donated back their last year’s festival loan making it possible to purchase some genealogy books for our Library. The new books will be featured at our S.I.S. hospitality booth at the Labor Day festival.

We’ll try to highlight some titles in future newsletters.

Your Input Is Needed & WELCOME!

This newsletter would be far more interesting with your input: news, events, culture, history, photos, new Celtic businesses, anything. Submit your articles in MS Word doc and photos in jpg format. E-mail to info@BlackHillsCelticEvents.org .

Sally Knight found this curious piece of trivia from Archaeology magazine. There was a picture of two ancient looking Kells sitting in front of each other yanking their beards! Here is what the clip said:

“Found in the ancient illuminated Book of Kells, the squatted ‘beard pullers’ are a prominent feature in Celtic art. Balanced precariously, Celts would test their strength and endurance by tugging on each other’s beards. While representing a popular game, the beard pulling figures may also be a metaphor for humor, since ‘beard pulling’ was the Celtic equivalent of ‘leg pulling’”.

Left from Embroidery Library: http://www.emblibrary.com .

Right photo from Arcane Lore Design: http://www.arcanelore.com

We welcome any Scottish or Irish trivia from any member. Please submit your thoughts to Info@BlackHillsCelticEvents.org

or contact Pat Hamilton, newsletter editor.

Aliyah Sanders has volunteered to update our story boards for display at events. If you have photos, graphics or suggestions please email to the SIS mail box: Info@BlackHillsCelticEvents.org

Welcome:

Failte (fawl'-cha)

May those who love us love us;

And those that don’t love us,

May God turn their hearts;

And if He doesn’t turn their hearts,

May He turn their ankles,

So we’ll know them by their limping.

Geneaology

The genealogy association meets every 3^rd Friday of each month at the Canyon Lake Senior Citizen’s Club. Contact Nila Boone if you have any questions.

DAVE LOVE in FACES Magazine

Many of you will recognize Dave Love if you do not know him by name. He frequently plays bagpipes at our events. The Summer ’06 edition of FACES Magazine carried an article about Dave. He was photographed piping on top of Mount Rushmore! He was quoted as saying that wants to pipe on Harney Peak. Sounds like great outing for SIS.

FACES Magazine is free at many tourist spots and restaurants. I picked mine up at Qdoba’s.

Celitic &
Norwegian
Dancing

The Sons of Norway dance group is on hiatus during August. They host dancing lessons at the Canyon Lake Senior Citizens’ Center each Monday evening at 6:30. We’re learning some Norwegian dances and are preparing to learn some Celtic dances. Call John or Nancy Burke if you’re interested in attending this fall.

Text Box: PROGRAM:

Jim Marrs gave a very informative presentation on the Rosslyn Chapel, including photos and books. We’re lucky to have such a knowledgeable person in our club!

MEETING CALLED TO ORDER

TREASURER’S REPORT: $4068 in Checking, Approximately $2000 in SIS account, the reminder in Gathering account

OLD BUSINESS: Reviewed Gathering of the Clans planning. Budget could use more donors and sponsors but progress looks good. Still need a Workshops chair person and Master of Ceremonies.

Discussed selling Celtic foods at Gathering.

Gary reported on SIS clan tent at Wyoming Celtic Festival. Several clan and food vendor contacts were made for the Gathering. It was a worthwhile expense.

NEW BUSINESS:

Discussed progress on purchase of genealogy books for SIS Hospitality tent. Several used books have been ordered at discount.

Hospitality tent story boards will be updated and repaired for Gathering by Pat Hamilton. Aliyah has offered to rebuild the boards. This can be a fall-winter project.

It was agreed that the September meeting can be a social at Kerry and Pat Smiths house. Date and details to be determined by SIS board.

Pat Hamilton has volunteered to start catalog sessions at membership meetings. Mail order and web based sources of Celtic products will be researched and rated. This will start this fall.

Gary acknowledged that Dave Love, who frequently honors us with his bag piping at our events, has been covered in the Summer ’06 edition of FACES magazine.

Jim Byrne will present his trip to Ireland at our next meeting.

From Gary Hamilton’s notes, President

Meeting called to order at 7:10 pm.

Treasurer’s report: $4753 in SIS account. Approximately $3000 will be devoted to

the festival; Money pledges are also coming in.

Old Business:

Celtic Festival is showing 8 clans and 28 vendors. John Burke will act as “head chef” in charge of Shepherd pies.

1. Advertising for the festival will start soon.

2. September road trip to Kerry’s house for the general meeting will be September 16. He plans to have a picnic starting around 4:30 or 5:00 pm.

3. Pat is trying to enhance the library for SIS and is asking for donations of used Celtic books, CD’s, videos etc. Gary also presented a list of resource books needed for the festival’s hospitality tent.

New Business:

1. Catalog sessions—Pat would like to search a few celtic internet sites that could be linked from our site and vice-versa.

2. Midge Schmidt is at the Good Samaratin Nursing Home in New Underwood due to an injury. Visitors are welcome.

Standing Business Items:

1. Newsletter deadline August 8.

2. September Board Meeting will be at Carole’s.

Meeting Programs:

1. August will focus on festival plans.

2. September will be an Ireland trip from Jim Byrne.

3. October will history and lore of Halloween by Sally Knight and & Celtic Catalog review by Pat Hamilton and others.

Meeting adjourned at 9:45 pm. Sally Knight, secretary

President Gary Hamilton, info@BlackHillsCelticEvents.org

Vice President Bill Knight

Secretary Sally Knight

Treasurer Carole Conrad

Board Members Aliyah Sanders, Kerry Smith, Jim Byrne, James Marrs, John Burke

Membership Open

Web Site Robert Millican with apprentices: Gary & Pat Hamilton, and Aliyah Sanders

Newsletter Pat Hamilton, info@BlackHillsCelticEvents.org

If you would like to contribute an article or story, list an event, submit a photo, etc. to the newsletter, please email the item to me by the 5th of each month.

PLEASE PATRONIZE OUR Labor Day FESTIVAL VENDORS

Give them a big

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