Scottish-American Military Society Post 2 "Post of the Potomac"

Happy Independence Day!

Post #2 members, please mark your calendars and join us for the VASG Labor Day Saturday and Sunday!

Registration is now open for Scottish Clans & Societies! We hope you can join us.

And Happy Flag Day!

Memorial Day 2024 on the National Mall, Washingto DC

SAMS Post 2 "Post of the Potomac" performed wreath layings at several of the major monuments on the National Mall in Washington, DC on Memorial Day.

A good Memorial Day for Post No. 2 to continue our annual remembrance of lost brethren through wreath layings on the National Mall in DC.

WHAT: Memorial Day wreath laying at the DC war memorials
WHEN: May 27, 0900 WWII Memorial rain or shine
PARKING: We’ve had luck in the past with parking at the Jefferson Memorial. Download ParkMobile to aid in billing. Or use the Smithsonian Metro exit.
UNIFORM: Kilt of choice, black hose & red flashes encouraged but not mandatory. Khaki shirt with ribbons and military insignia. No rank. Comfortable black shoes, black belt, sporran and glengarry. Squian Dubh’s and dirks are discouraged. White gloves, (let me know if you’ll need a pair)
EVENT: We have a simple marching route for each memorial. Maintaining US flag on its own right. Depending on available personnel, we’ll carry all flags with a floral display es**rt.
In the past, the wreath laying is well received by tourists. Often asking questions about our group and requesting pictures.
We start at the John Paul Jones, then WWII, photo op at WWI, Korean then (2) at the Vietnam Memorial, (three soldiers and women’s memorial). Fellow SAMS members from upstate NY/ Mass participate in the wreath laying at the Wall.

https://www.facebook.com/share/axQWhKJWB3ndJr8f/?mibextid=oFDknk

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Conservationist “T3” Leadership!
John Muir b. in Scotland OTD 1838. Immigrated to America as a teenager. Founder of the Sierra Club and President T. Roosevelt’s camping host for three days in Yosemite in 1903 which inspired Roosevelt to set aside hundreds of millions of acres to double our system of national parks. Leaders influence others … Muir sure did that. His inspirational style:

- TEAMWORK: After an industrial accident blinded him for six weeks, Muir left his job in Wisconsin and began a pilgrimage to explore the US on foot. He established the Sierra Club in 1892, and lobbied to have the Yosemite area preserved as a national park, earning him the nickname, “Father of the National Parks”
- TONE: The spiritual quality and enthusiasm toward nature expressed in Muir’s writings inspired policy makers and ordinary citizens to take action to help preserve large nature areas. For Muir, “the clearest way into the universe [was] through a forest wilderness.”
- TENACITY: Muir dedicated his life to help show Americans that irreplaceable wilderness areas, which, if not protected, would be unavailable for future generations to enjoy and appreciate. The depth of his understanding of nature fueled his devotion to conserving the environment. Muir showed the extent of his dedication by his many actions, such as living in the wilderness away from modern civilization despite his many opportunities to become rich. His writings encouraged people to visit the wilderness so they could appreciate the beauty for themselves. He claimed that wandering through the wilderness was beneficial to health, calming to the nerves, and that the desire to protect these lands would come naturally to anyone who saw them. Muir wrote 12 books and more than 300 articles about nature and his travels which took him to every continent (except Antarctica).

For more motivational “T3” leadership stories, visit: https://TheBeckerT3Group.com/blog

Happy Tartan Day, America!

Happy St. Paddy's Day all the same!

Thanks to Alexandra and MidAtlantic Scottish Athletics - MASA for putting together this 2024 Celtic Festival Schedule for the region!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/KB9A3Qocc2eCetQc/?mibextid=qi2Omg

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Mark your calendars for our Tartan Day event! We are partnering with the Harpers Ferry Celtic Culture Society! Get your tickets now!🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

For those in the DC area interested in the Washington Tattoo:

The Washington Tattoo | Music The Washington Tattoo. A performing arts event consisting of music, marching, dance, and various other displays performed by military and civilian personnel.

To liven your day...

The drunk Scotsman (lyrics) Well a Scotsman clad in kilt left a bar one evening fairAnd one could tell by how he walked that he'd drunk more than his shareHe fumbled round until he coul...

For those in the NYC area, this link provides info on Tartan Week events.

NYC Tartan Week |

Calum Pìobaire (Malcolm MacPherson) and Ceòl Mòr (Pibroch)

In an interview conducted by Calum Maclean and Robin Lorimer in 1952, Angus MacPherson reveals a wonderful story about his father’s playing of the great music of the Highland Pipes. Many of the great names of the piping past are name-checked in the following account and the personal touch of his son speaking about Malcolm MacPherson (Calum Pìobaire as pictured around the 1870s) gives the narrative a poignancy and personal touch as well as a living connection to nineteenth century piping:

C[alum] M[aclean]: Yes, well and then…then…I think you better say about...tell about you grandfather then…and then…then tell how they were all linked up – Iain Dubh MacCrimmon, you see, on the one side.
A[ngus] M[acPherson]: Yes, well, my grandfather, of course, was born on Raasa, belong to the island of Raasa and he lived within a stone’s throw away of the great John MacKay whose was taught in the MacCrimmon School in Dunvegan. And then he himself, my grandfather, he had lessons from the last one of the MacCrimmons, John Dubh MacCrimmon and also friends of his, by the name of Bruces who were taught in the MacCrimmon School in Dunvegan. Then he taught his own son, my father Malcolm MacPherson. Then Malcolm MacPherson, my father, was taught by Angus MacKay, son of John MacKay of Raasa and by Munro, Alexander Munro – yes, I think Alexander was his name – of Oban who was piper to MacDonald of Glengarry, and he also was taught in the MacCrimmon School. Therefore we are the direct line to the MacCrimmon teaching which came from John MacKay, my grandfather, my father and this Munro of Oban, and Angus MacKay. Now my father in turn taught five of my brothers including myself and we were taught, of course, in the oral system not by any book. The book was there for reference if we were forgetting a tune. But the system by which he taught us was entirely oral or canntaireachd as they…as they call it. And personally I maintain that once the oral system was done away with and books substituted, I think that is really when the rot came into the teaching of pibroch…
CM: You have a…recollections of your grandfather?
AM: Well, I remember my grandfather but I was then too young to pass any opinion of his playing that I can remember hearing him play the pipes. But I know…I’ve got some of his ornaments in my possession which he won at the Northern Meetings in 1852.
CM: In 1852.
AM: The first prize…the first prizeman then and that was at the time when Angus MacKay, son of John MacKay, was at his best and also the great Donald Cameron that we hear so much about. And John Bain MacKenzie. He, of course, was a great man in his day, he was piper to Lord Breadalbane at Taymouth Castle, this John MacKenzie was. And that’s the class of men that were…that were competing in my grandfather’s time. The men really from whom this pibroch has been given to us who were…this John MacKenzie he also was of the MacCrimmon School.
CM: Quite, yes.
AM: And my grandfather when he was at Cluny Castle as piper with the chief of the Macphersons, John MacKay of Raasa was piper at Drummond Castle with the Earl of Lancaster and this John MacKenzie was piper at Taymouth Castle with Lord Breadalbane and the three of them used to meet periodically and exchange their pibroch which was handed down from the MacCrimmon School.
CM: Yes, and they were all taught…they all were in touch...in direct contact with the MacCrimmon School…
AM: Exactly, yes.
CM: …linked with the MacCrimmon School.
AM: …linked with the MacCrimmon School, there’s no doubt about that. Then when John…when John MacKay became an old man, retired from Drummond Castle and went back to Skye to live, he retired to Kyleakin. And my grandfather retired from Cluny and used to crossed to Corrieyairack Mountain and stayed for weeks with John MacKay at Kyleakin and exchange their music which was handed down from the MacCrimmon School.
CM: Yes, quite, yes, and he walked across Corrieyairack.
AM: He walked across Corrieyairack.
CM: And probably back to Catlodge.
AM: And back...and back to Cluny.
CM: Catlodge, yes.
AM: Yes.
CM: Yes.
AM: Of course my father often did that when he went to the Skye Gathering to the…to compete at…at Portree. He would set off fully dressed with his bagpipe in a green baize bag, not in a box in those days, they carried their bagpipe in a green baize bag.
CM: And all over the country a lot of stories are told about your father going to piping competitions like that.
AM: Oh, yes, oh, yes. And he used to walk, for instance, to Tomintoul from Catlodge and Nethybridge. He thought nothing of walking to these places from Catlodge to the competition.
CM: Yes, yes. He actually also walked across the Corrieyairack to Skye.
AM: Often did, often did, often did. On one occasion there was an hotel-keeper there – I forget his name – but it was my father’s custom when he came in sight of his native Skye he always blew up the pipes. And this old hotel-keeper heard the pipes in the distance in the early morning and remarked that if old Calum MacPherson was alive it was he that was tuning…playing the pipes. And in half an hour’s time Malcolm MacPherson walked in at his front door.
CM: Yes, yes, yes. Yes, I had…I had stories like that are told about him all over the country in different places about his prowess as a piper. Yes, and you were telling me some time would you…I…I remembered about his winning of the award at the exhibition.
AM: Oh, yes, yes. That was in…that was in the year 1886. He was then getting up on years and my mother didn’t want him to go at all but he did want to have another try. And he came to Dunning [in Perthsire] where his sister had a hotel there and stayed for a night and then went on…on to the competition in Edinburgh on the following day. And he won the Gold Medal and a sum of money. He came back to Dunning that night and went back the following day – there were two days competition – and he got the other Gold Medal and a sum of money. And these prizes were looked upon as the championship of the world. I saw the programme myself of the competitors. I remember seeing the programme and I think I’m right when I say there were forty-six competitors on that occasion.
CM: Yes, yes. And…and then of course your father, pipers…young pipers came periodically to you father to be taught there?
AM: Oh, they came from all quarters, from all quarters, to be taught by my father. He’s got pupils all over the world, I think I may say. And I can remember as a boy when there were four who walked two or three times a week. They would at least walk for ten miles in the winter time with snow to their waist and sat until the small hours of the morning when they’d all have a cup of tea before walking home again, quite happy as to their lesson. A thing I would never dream of doing today. One of these young men became piper to the Earl of Airlie and another…another of them emigrated to America where I myself met him years after. He was a Sandy Grant and he was a very fine player. He went in for market gardening in America.
CM: Yes, yes.
AM: But they came from all quarters. There’s Pipe-Major Meldrum I can remember. He was…I was quite a boy when he came. And then, of course, there is Pipe-Major John MacDonald who is now happily with…still happily with us in Inverness. I believe he’s 87 or perhaps in his 88th year. I remember when he came to my father. And on that occasion John MacDonald was employed at Glen Tromie Lodge, opposite Kingussie. And in the early morning my father set off to meet him, walking of course. And after a ten miles walk, he met John MacDonald coming from Glen Tromie and John wondered, of course, what brought him there at that early hour in the morning. He told him that he come on his feet from Catlodge. “Well,” John says, “we’ll go back by the fourhand...by the coach from Kingussie.” In those days there was a fourhand coach went from Kingussie to Fort William. “Oh, no,” my father says, “we’ll have no coach, we’ll just go back as I came.” And MacDonald had to walk to Catlodge, a distance of ten or twelve miles. And, of course, by the way the bagpipes were taken out and they had a tune on the way.
I can remember John MacDonald as a young man playing in the house. And my mother asked in a casual way what he thought of Sandy MacDonald’s son, that was John MacDonald’s father who was a great friend of my father’s. And he too was a very fine piper, John MacDonald’s father was.
CM: And in your mother’s own words?
AM: Well, my mother asked what he thought of John MacDonald as a piper. And without any hesitation he turned round and he said in the Gaelic, of course, that he would be yet an amiable piper. And, of course, his prophecy has certainly came true because he’s one of the finest pibroch players that this generation has had. But there are many that I…if I could only recollect their names that came…pipe-Majors of different regiments. And there is Angus MacRae, for instance, a Skyeman also. And William MacLean whose parents belonged to Raasa. He too has won the highest honours that could be won. And most of my father’s scholars have done so. They’re now spread all over the world, many in Canada and Australia, and many other quarters.
CM: And these pipers came to your father’s house at Catlodge and they stayed for some time with him there, did they?
AM: Oh, yes, oh, yes, yes, they stayed there. And, of course, they had to be at in the early morning. There was no getting away from the lesson. You might get off for half an hour but he was very strict on it. And, of course, as I said already there was no book. I remember on one occasion one of…one of his scholars asked him in the Gaelic, or saying rather in the Gaelic, he couldn’t understand how he could remember all his pibroch. And he said, “well, there was a day,” he said, “and I could play a lot of the big music, but,” he says, “I believe it yet I could play six twenties.” So, of course, meant a 120 tunes.
CM: Yes, quite, yes.
AM: Which was no mean number.
CM: Yes, and what were the actual…what were his own word on that occasion in Gaelic?
AM: Well, it was this piper Chisholm who asked him, and he said, “chan eil mi a’ tuigsinn, a Chaluim, ciamar a tha sibh a’ cumail cuimhne air na th’ agaibh a’ phìobaireachd.” [“I don’t understand, Calum, how you can remember all your pibroch.”]
“Well, a bhodaich,” thuirt e, “na mo latha-san bha mòran…mòran dhen cheòl mhòr agams’ ach tha mi a’ chreidsinn gun cluichinn sia fichead fhathast dhiubh.” [“Well, old boy,” he said, “in my own day I had much pibroch but I believe that I can still play 120 tunes.”]
CM: Seadh. Yes, and he then did…he concentrated always on…on…on…on pibroch on the ceòl mòr rather than light music?
AM: Oh, of course, the ceòl mòr was his main. He also…he also was also a very fine…a very fine jig player and, of course, could play the light music just…equally as well as they can today but he didn’t give it the same attention as he did to the…to the pibroch, but jigs especially, he was very fine on jigs. In the old…olden times the older pipers went in a lot for jig playing, but very different jigs to what they’re playing today. They were heavier and I think altogether better suited for the bagpipe than some of the light stuff that you hear today. I think the jigs of today are inclined to make the pipers light-fingered and getting light-fingered they lose the heavier touch for the ceòl mòr or the pibroch.
CM: Yes…so playing these…that…these…that type of jig was a good training for a player to able to pick up ceòl mòr later.
AM: Exactly, exactly, yes, exactly. These jigs were a good training for the heavier class of music because there were a lot of the taorluath notes in it and these heavier notes. Nowadays their jigs are more or less skimming the chanter. And they play them so fast too that’s there’s hardly time to bring out the notes so thoroughly and so soundly as they used to in the old…old times.
CM: Yes, yes. And then…when let us suppose a young piper now came…came to your father and wanted to be taught, how did your father then go about it?
AM: Well, of course, if he was starting at the beginning, he would begin the scale and then he would go on from the scale to the notes…the different notes and phrases in the pibroch. There were no tunes being played until they were kept for months doing nothing else but playing notes…the different notes in the pibroch. After they mastered the notes then they would start a tune. And, of course, it was taught by word of mouth, the music was phrased and the time given as it ought to be. It was…in…phrase…phrased. Personally I think that when the pibroch became tied up in quavers, crotchets, and quavers and all the rest of it and bars I think the soul of pibroch got imprisoned. And to my mind I think it has lost its expression or its soul to a very great extent. Because I maintain that you cannot put a man’s…the expression of a man’s soul on paper.
CM: Quite…

Recorded by Calum Maclean and Robin Lorimer on 3 October 1952 conversation with Angus MacPherson (1877–1976), a long-time resident of Inveran and a proprietor of the hotel located there. The original tape recording is catalogued as SA1952/119/A1 and which is available to listen to on Tobar an Dualchais: [http://tobarandualchais.co.uk/en/fullrecord/75804?l=en]; see further Angus MacPherson, A Highlander Looks Back (Oban: The Oban Times, 1965).