1987 Scottish Gathering and Games, with John Burton and Elsie Stuehmeyer

in Omagh County, chosen spot of all the earth as far as nature is concerned, according to the famed plant wizard Luther Burbank Diverse County, with 1,010,000 acres of land on 1574 miles of scenic roadways, Cinema County is rightfully famed for its agriculture. Did a culture, industry

and recreation, as well as for the amazingly successful ethnic and economic mixture of its more than 340,000 residents on for the forward looking philosophy of its local governing bodies. Now we invite you to take a closer look at Sonoma County in the eighties with your host,

Rich McGlinchy. How you doing, everybody? And welcome to another edition of Sonoma County in the eighties, and this is indeed a very special edition because we're gonna talk about a an event, I guess you'd say that takes place every year. Here in San Rose has for

many years called the Scottish Games. We're talking about the upcoming 122nd Scotus games gas Scott is gathering in games. It's a critic. I know I'm not to. Guests are on the right of your screen. John Burton, the He's a member of the San Francisco A rather

Caledonian Club Savages, remember? And he's the games chief. And on the Left, your screen is at six tomorrow, and she's a kilt maker on debt coordinator for this, and it's really nice to have you both here. I think this is going to be really a big,

big affair again, I presume. Oh, absolutely, windbreaker. Every year it is. Well, we hope so anyway. Yeah. Okay, let's go right into the question. Right of things I want to ask both of you. First of all, John, what is the Caledonian trouble? San Francisco, Um, how

long have you been in it? And maybe as 1/3 question, what is? Caledonian Caledonian is another word for Scotland. I've been a member of the Caledonian Club of San Francisco for some 10 years. I attended the the Games regularly for about four years and finally decided

that I wanted to become a member and get involved in my heritage. When my son gave up boy scouting, then I took up the Caledonian Club. It's been an active life sense. There was another question there to Well, I wanted to know run. It meant how

long you been a member. But thing I'm thinking of two is your games chief this year. Now for the club as well as the games told. Okay, Chief of the club as well as game chief. Now, did you grow up through the ladder of succession since

you've been really interested in it? Well, yes. I started out my activities in the Games Committee on the reception committee and eventually became chairman of other committees. I was the first chairman of the clan area when we first started that some nine years ago. We started

out with nine clans that year. And this year I think there's going to be over 100 tents in the client area. Uh, through succeeding Chairman, they have worked equally as hard as I did to get it started and have made it quite quite an interesting part

of the games. Um, fascinating celebration for days up here. Willing. Yes, uh, fairground way I attended every year, and I'm utterly fascinated. Let's go back to a Caledonian Club. That head of this charge of this whole thing. What are the membership requirements of the Caledonian Club

in San Francisco? They must to be a full member. They must show direct ascent to Scotland within three generations. To be an associate member, they have to be known by a full member for at least a year. Uh, and be a man of good standing. And

it's only open to gentlemen. And there's one other requirement. If you were married to a lady of Scottish birth, uh, you can be a full member of the club. Yes. Is that right? Yeah. Alright. Hence we have Ah, Mr Stoudemire in the way. Well, we know

what we'll go back to win in a moment. But how are you involved specifically in the 120 seconds Scottish gathering in games out here? I'm the boss. Simply put, I oversee all of the committees and all of my officers, and I am directly responsible to the

club and its membership for the operation of the Games and its budget. It's really a major project to put this on, isn't it? Yes, I cut the budget this year exceeds 1/4 of a $1,000,000. I want to say what it is, but it does exceed that.

And we feel that incident a county or in Santa Rosa proper. Over that weekend, we generate some $5 million in the ripple effect that goes, goes out through, well, lodging and transportation, food and so on. Yeah, entertainment. It's an amazing celebration, and it starts on Friday

with some certain activities. And in Saturday and Sunday just just packed that figure out of Branson. Hope so. We go in the past. I know it's certainly been extremely popular event in the dancing that would talk to you about that a minute. That dancing is beautiful.

And I've always gotten a big kick out of the the weight events. And we're gonna look a couple of slides a bit later on. John, How is the chief erected and then a. So you haven't already covered one of the other responsibilities off the chief? Well,

first of all, how are you? Uh, to qualify to be chief, you must have been a member of the club for at least three years. And one of those years you must have held in elective office, uh, by their secretary or treasure or recording secretary. One

of those four officers or the I'm sorry. There's what we call our first chieftain, which is my assistant more or less, and he's generally in charge of social affairs within the club. One of those four must hold one of those four positions for at least a

period of one year. Now one of the responsibilities of the chief. Well, again, you name it you again. I tend to view it from the standpoint that these are my people in that that I must administer to their needs as well as social, the social responsibilities

and being directly responsible again for not only the budget of the games but also the budget of the club and to see that and everything functions and the and the proper donations go to the proper, uh, whatever the club Alexe to do with its money's see

the receipts from the games over and above putting on our cultural heritage, which is what the club that's really all about. The receipts over and above the actual expenses of the games were donated to charity each year. For example, last year we did, uh, the hospice

here in Santa Rosa was one of the places we donated. The Cinema Boys Home was another. The fishing program that ABC Channel seven I believe puts on free youth in San Francisco was another, and we helped made a donation to channel for two. It's feed the

needy program last Christmas and, uh, are considering those some of those again this year. We try to find charities that are not quite as prominent. That doesn't have the the major support. Yes, probably where, where the money would 90 cents out of every dollar that we

give was actually gonna go to the function that it's intended for rather than something less than that. Okay, the terminology, always on all of the literature, thinks that Scottish gathering and games Now, from your standpoint, you could give us a better explanation. What are the Scottish

gathering in games and then how many years have they been taking place? Trend of X self explanatory. But then I'm sure there's more to it. Well, the gathering is just a zit is the word implies? We all gather together to celebrate our Scottish heritage. The game's

portion of it comes in with the heavy events and the soccer and the competitions that take place. Um, Elsie's young daughter, Lorna, competes in the Highland dancing. And there, gentlemen, that travel from this far away Scotland to compete in in the what they call a heavy

events, which is tossing the £56 weight or tossing the cable, which everybody calls a telephone pole, which is a pretty good description of it. And, uh, there's also soccer matches and there's Highland dancing and country dancing and Celtic carping and Celtic in the Scottish Fiddling. Have

I missed anything else? So I'm sure you have, because it's just so much because you will never see what we're talking about. Those later all the magnificent displays and things of that nature. Okay, all the major, the pipe and competitions and individual piping and drumming competitions,

drum majors, Black white from the drum majors competition and all of that that all takes place there, too. Uh, that's he renders to take place right here. We might as well give these dates right now. Well, it's actually kicks off at noon and, uh, downtown square

in front of Eureka Federal savings at noon on on Friday the fourth and that evening we will have for the first time in Sonoma County and first time ever in our games. A tattoo which is a musical pageant put on by pipe pipe bands and brass

bands and in the actual game, start following morning at 7 30 in the morning and and continue all day until 5 30 or six a night, depending on how late we run and again on Sunday. The gates opened at 7 30 that will be 4th 5th

and sixth on. The competitions will be continuing both days, all day and you can go as a spectator from one area to another, see a pipe and compete what, 50 75 yards and see an individual piper or drummer competing and another 75 or 100 yards and

see a Scottish fiddler compete. We've got about four slides and we won't show them now. And what are we seeing here in the slides? The slide number one is the Vancouver Ladies Pipe Band in the mass band. At the end of each day, we we mask

the pipe bands and they come on one of the time mass and then come back and play a salute to the Chief, which I will be happy to take this time. Uh, second slide is a slide of Grant Anderson. Yeah. Ah gentleman from Scotland who may

or may not be with us this year. I believe he just hurt himself last week, throwing the weight for distance. The last put me the third slide is just a slide of a wee laddie, all dressed up in this his family. Killed in the last slide

is a picture of Grand Anderson throwing the £56 weight over the bar. And I believe he broke the record of 16 foot six last year on That's 56 pounds, one handed over a bar that 16 feet six inches high. And ladies and gentlemen, if you haven't

seen the things that he was just describing, it's unbelievable because they take one hand and the ball back and forth and the nature of this thing. I can't even pick it up, throw it with one hand over a 16 foot six, our bar, and that is

unbelievable. Now, how did the games that you're gonna put on here different from the games and quarter Madeira and other places where they put under the same people? Some of the same people are involved in most of the Northern California games, Whether it's Modesto or Sacramento

are Stockton or Corta, Madera, Campbell or Monterey. Uh, because people become experts in what they do, and I love it so much that they do go from one to another. However, we are the oldest continuous Highland Games in the United States. We're the oldest on the

West Coast and most of the games. Smaller games, as we call them that are on somewhat of a circuit throughout the summer, are patterned after ours. And because many of the same people who worked on on those games over the years they taking what they've learned

from Santa Rosa or the Santa Rosa quote unquote game and take them to others, competitions are based on that and so forth. Okay, um, where can you get tickets? What? First of all, one of the ticket prices, Jr remember offhand. $11 for one day, $16 for

two days, grandstand seating, a separate that is, $1 in the dollar and 1/2 for the general grandstand, and $2.3 dollars for the box seats. They could be purchased it all pass outlets or get together with fairgrounds here. They can also purchase them at the fairgrounds the

day day before the Games and the day of the Games. Right? Okay, However, I would like to mention that if they expected by grandstand seating tickets, that should come early on the Saturday morning because they go very rapidly and we take what is left from the

masses, has not sold and put those on sale immediately. It's are making a statement to the the public in our audience right now that the Scottish gathering and games is probably one of the most enjoyable things that you'll be able to attend Santa Rosa at any

time. And it is fascinating, and the athletic games a great and the bands of masked bands and the drum major are fantastic. They're really touching dancing. I think it's an absolute delight, you know, wondering to pause right about here now and let our station bring the

audience a public service announcement. When we come back, we will talk to us is to Meyer, who is a kilt maker and the dance coordinator, and both of those sound very fascinating. So go away. John Burton houses to mine, and I will return more about the

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They need us to help and, most of all, to care. Hey, welcome back to a real exciting addition of Rome account in the eighties were talking about the 122nd upcoming Scottish Games Scottish gathering in games. Got to get that title right? I've been there many, many

times and still miss misstating title of the games. We talked to John Burton, who is the Caledonian Club member from San Francisco and the games chief, also the chief of the club. And now we're gonna talk to Elsie's Doumar, who is a kilt maker and also

the dance coordinator as really nice that you could come along and be with us to be here. First of all, you were born and Scotland. Is that right? Yes, I waas They were in Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, which is on the west coast of Scotland in 1965.

Yes, Yes. I came to the United States in 1973. Onder, in fact, arrived in California on Friday the 13th of July on duh attended the games that year on. Have no miss them since, Right? Did you tend? Do you remember the games and Scarlett o? Very,

very, bro. Did you attend them there? Yes. I was a dancer on her being attending high own game since I was nine years old. So, you know, I usually see if I never went to games again of being too enough. I'm not going to tell you

how long I've been gone. Well, I said 21. Yeah. Yeah, it can be to look, uh, how long have you been involved with the Caledonian Club? Well, is John stay t deadlier Women? I know alot to be members of the Caledonian Club, but I have been

involved with him since 1974. So, like I just said, the games and 73 I attain deed and by 74 I was involved. Is your husband you married? Oh yes. Is your husband's kash no German American that he's a member of this Scottish Caledonian club? Because John

said earlier that if the lady is of Scottish heritage that can belong to That's very good Get you been there one way or another Killed making his faster. John's wearing the family colors in the kilt on We want them. Teoh, We hope that audience conceded beautiful

colors involved here. But you are a kilt maker now. How did you first get into killed making? Well, it really was a no grew with of my dancing. Um I was having a new killed meat for competition. Andi, I had always gone to the same kilt

maker and Glasgow on t mention to me, You know, you'll believe in school fairly soon. Andi, I said Jay Cyber Ill and he said, What are you going to do? And I said, Gee, I don't know. Why don't you come in and be a killed me?

Can I'll give you an apprenticeship And my mother accepted for me. So I really wanted to be a tailor for no pretty. But I ended up. I can't make it, you know, on. Actually, I don't have any regrets. On it is it's a wonderful job on

come times like the gathering and games. I have a North Fela price because I can see pipe bands and individuals whether they be dancer athletes, you lean on. There's a lot of my work out there on the field. Then it does make me very poor. Think

it would like seeing your Children out? Absolutely, absolutely also made the one I'm wearing, but it takes Elsie 14 hours average to so a kilt in it's all sewn by hand. Uh, and my kilt is, what, 8.5 yards? Also your eight years? Yes, it's just a

little bit of the need Yards is all hand done, and actually it's getting to the point where killed Macon I would see a craft rather than just a treed anymore because even in skull on, the girls know have so much moral to them as they do

anywhere in the Western world that they're not going in for that kind of thing anymore. You know, they all want to be. Computers are forever, you know. I know it's too bad, that is, that's a fantastic yes, it's really a dying craft. And, you know, I

say of my plane to ship with Thomas Gordon's in Glasgow in and the world renowned Onda. When I go back, I still go and visit them and they tell me the same thing. They just have a hard time getting ghettos to gain and apprenticed to it.

What about the tradition of the tartans or the kilts? Tell us a little about about that. Well, the turns where you know they were reclined times, the family colors. I think Andi, this is only my thoughts. And this I think originally there were more like district

terms, and we do still have district times. But it was a way of of identifying people from different parts of the country, the guys that were used in the towns where the local vegetation that could be be phoned around the area, you know, so they tend

to use the really for identification. Onda course. Are we back in history in the DEA's of Klein? More fair, it was. Also, we have no killing off your own people because you could identify them by the colors they were wearing. You know well, I heard something

called Clan Societies. And how do you explain those else? Well, clans were families, and they were family's. The only land originally they were. They were landowning families on no. In today's society, the climb societies have sprung up all over the world outside of school on a

very, very active. And it's usually people of, you know, Scottish heritage most Clinton's. If you go running the Santa Rosa, you'll find a man by Americans, the not man by scores on. These are people that have just eaten a great pride in the heritage and spent

a lot of time and doing research into where they came from. And, you know, 90% of the time, I think they can answer questions. It's go. It's can because we've always taken it for granted and other people have had to be searching. Yeah, that's true. I

want to ask you one thing about the program was clan tents is one of the attractions. Now, what are they? And are they for scraps only, or no, they're certainly not for Scots only. Like I just said that most of them will be manned by Americans

on what they are is. You know, if you think well, Gee, my name, I think, belongs to the Gordons or the McFarland's or the whatever. You can go around in the tents and talk to the various people, and they're extremely knowledgeable on people. You know, Check

your your name for you and see OK, yes. You belong to this Klein of that climb on. Do you have a right to join that clan on I myself, I'm a main but over clan on one of the things that I particularly enjoy about it is

the I travel high own games from Arizona to Canada on every time. I can be assured of going to my client. Ain't even although the people are basically strangers on. I am welcomed. I am fed if I want to be. It's a place to sit down

and raced and it's just a nice what? You're never a stranger. It's family. Yes, you're never a stranger. Oh, either of you. Why did the Scots were killed? I'll give you that one ride to this guy. Most Scots don't work hilt until they come to this

country. Most Americans are the ones that were kilts and l seeking somewhat back me up on that in that it's a form of dress that we can identify with and with our heritage. Would you like to add to that colorful? It's not something that people wear

on a daily basis. I know very, very few people. In fact, I can only bring to mind one man and skull on that I know wears a kill on a daily basis. Not strong garden who, incidentally, is one of the finest jacket makers for high own

Drees in the world. Um, and Frank raise his kill every d, but the average person in the street doesn't. And again the average person doesn't attained the Scottish Games over. There is much I that in my own case, her family has always been extremely involved because

my uncle was a point major. But there go in Southern Highlanders. My brother was a piper. I was a dancer, so I really didn't grew up knowing too much of anything else. But none of my friends were involved like this. The heritage is really taken for

granted. It's certainly something that will be continued. It's fantastic. I think it will be what I was gonna ask you. How long men been wearing kilts as far as you know you. And then secondarily who work comes first. Better women women are never supposed to wear

kills. Women don't know kill as a man's wear on my leather. We do have women were killed, you know, in our dancers, which no are predominantly female dancers again. That was never meant to be done by women. That was was men from Nam. But even the

dancers kills. And the ladies pipe man that you showed on the slide all the kills their meat to fasten up to the man side. Yet the old person over to the man site the killer as we know it today, which is we call it the small

kilt or the we killed. We know that that was being born right around 17 15 prior to that we had. Foot was called the filter bag. It was the great killed on. That was one continuous piece of material that was worn over the shoulder and then

kind of wrapped her own. And it was born like that to keep you warm. Sure on. Then, right around in the early 17 hundreds. Um, I don't know who come up with the idea, but the kind of cut this material and two. And they took the

lower half of it and pleated it. So that was the first form off this small killed we know today. And it's going on from there that can you buy kills at the Scottish gathering in games? Yes, you can buy ready made kills. However, most people buying

a kill Do you want to have a custom meat killed? Yeah, it's It's more advisable. Toe. Have it custom made. We have run out of time. It goes so rapidly. Thank you so much for being here and explaining kilt making and dancing. John, it's a real

pleasure to meet. You Look forward to seeing you out here September 4 50. I'll be there. Yes, you willingly did. The chief has to be That isn't general. We were talking to John, uh, Britain and see to my are you pronounce that? Do you? How do

you say studio Stoudemire? And she is a kilt maker and dance coordinator. The birth represent the Scottish scattering in games which will be here in 10 rose on the court. We certainly hope you take advantage of that time and see that they are really fascinating. My

name is Rich McGrady, Program of Sonoma Count in the eighties. I'll be back with you next week with another member of the county government, family or a related agency or a fast Anything such as the Scottish game. Until that. Tonight. Good luck. Good health to you.