Local Georgia minister speaks at Baptist World Alliance in Brazil
It is winter down in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, but Statesboro, Georgia's Dr. Quinn Pugh, retired Baptist minister, was received warmly in two churches and two important commission meetings of the Council of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA). Dr. Pugh is also President of the Scottish Heritage Society of Southeast Georgia.
Originally scheduled for Seoul, Korea, the BWA Council meeting was changed to Rio due to unsettled conditions in South Korea. The BWA Council meets annually and the Baptist World Alliance General Assembly of about 50,000 delegates meets every five years.
Known locally for his striking impersonations of Biblical figures and prominent Christian leaders, Dr. Pugh is best known here for his portrayal of Saint Patrick each March. Twice in Rio, Dr. Pugh re-enacted a sermon by world-famous Dr. George W. Truett, first delivered more than 60 years ago.
Dr. Pugh serves on the BWA Council Commission on Heritage and Identity and also on the Mission and Evangelism Work Group for Research and Study. It was at meetings of these two groups that Dr. Pugh gave his impersonation and reenactment of Dr. George W. Truett's famous sermon.
Thank you to the Statesboro Herald in Georgia

Mackay wins first place in piping
Society member Lyric Todkill was the overall winner at the 2002 George Sheriff Amateur Invitational Piping Competition in Hamilton, Ontario this past fall.
The event pitted twelve of North America's most competitively successful amateur pipers of 2002 across three events: Piobaireachd; March, Strathspey & Reel; and 6/8 March. For his aggregate win Lyric received the George Sherriff Memorial Invitational Trophy and Banner. An additional award of seven hundred dollars from the Pipers and Pipe Band Society of Ontario will be applied toward tuition or overseas competition expenses.
There are only two Invitationals of this caliber in North America, George Sherriff in Canada, and Nicol Brown in Connecticut.
As a result of this honor, Lyric was invited to sit in a audition for the 78th Frasers of Toronto, Canada, and was accepted as a member in March of 2003. The 78th is rated as one of the top Grade I Pipe Bands in the world and was the FIRST non-Scottish band to win the World's Pipe Band Championship in 1987.
Thanks to The Mackay Banner, The Clan Mackay Society of the USA, 4991 Karl's Gate Drive, Marietta, GA 30068.

2002 Balquain Award announced
It gives us a great deal of pleasure to announce the winner of the 2002 Balquain Award, Donald Leslie. The award is presented annually in acknowledgment of a member's outstanding efforts to introduce new people to the Clan Leslie Society International.
Donald will receive the award formally at the Gathering in 2004.
Thank you to Grip Fast, the publication of The Clan Leslie Society, International, PO Box 845, Jackson, NJ 08527.

Pygg Banks started this way...
In medieval England, clay was known as "pygg." People would usually put their coins in their pygg dishes or jars when they came home. These were commonly referred to as "pygg banks."
An English potter, around the year 1600, was asked to make several of the pygg banks. Unfamiliar with the term, he made several banks shaped like pigs, with a slot in the backs for the coins.
The customer was not disappointed and, in fact, ordered more for friends. The charming idea caught on and quickly spread through Europe.
Interestingly, pigs - the animals - took their name from that same root word. Instead of clay made from mud, they were the animals who lived in mud.
Thanks to Susan Abernathy, San Diego, California of Grip Fast, the publication of The Clan Leslie Society, International, PO Box 845, Jackson, NJ 08527.

Caddie fact from Mary, Queen of Scots
When Mary, later Queen of Scots, went to France as a young girl (for education and survival), Louis, King of France, learned that she loved the Scot game "golf." So he had the first golf course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets from a military school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when she returned to Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she took the practice with her. In French the word cadet is pronounced "ca-day" and the Scots changed it into "caddie."
("Cadet" in French refers to the younger sons of a family, who would not inherit the family estate, so were packed off to military school. The term became synonymous with military students.)
Thanks to Doris Derrington, Topeka, Kansas of Grip Fast, the publication of The Clan Leslie Society, International, PO Box 845, Jackson, NJ 08527.

The Cornish language is still spoken by a few folks!
This Celtic language is spoken fluently by only 100 people. The last Cornish monoglot, Dolly Pentreath, of Mousehole, Cornwall, died in 1777. The British Government has added Cornish to the UK's 5 other protected minority languages. It joins Scots, Ulster Scots, Welsh, and Scottish and Irish Gaelic. What this means is that if a Cornish speaker writes to a government department, they should receive a reply in their own language. Besides the 100 who speak it fluently, there are about 500 who have a reasonable conversational ability. Cornish is used as a mother tongue in only 10 households.
Thanks to Fred Leslie of Grip Fast, the publication of The Clan Leslie Society, International, PO Box 845, Jackson, NJ 08527.

SAMS info if you'd like to join!
The Scottish-American Military Society (SAMS) was founded and chartered in North Carolina, April 12, 1981, as a nonprofit organization with the following purpose: To preserve and promote Scottish and American Armed forces customs, traditions and heritage, by:
* Providing a forum for the exchange of military history and genealogical information
* Conducting public education programs
* Presenting military student honor awards
* Supporting Scottish activities at Highland Games
* Making contributions to qualified scholarship funds or institutions
* Making appropriate charitable contributions
* Providing a fraternal atmosphere for members
Membership is open to honorably discharged veterans, or active duty or reserve military persons who have served with any branch of the US Armed Forces and are of Scottish ancestry. There are two posts in Georgia. Post 13 serves the Atlanta area and Post 7 serves the Savannah area. More information is available at www.s-a-m-s.org or from Chuck Rogers, National Quartermaster, (912) 369-2309 or email: crmfrogers@clds.net.
Thanks to The Urlar, The Journal of the Clan Macpherson Association, United States Branch, 4300 Streetsboro, Rd., Richfield, OH 44286.