Kentucky Gathering of the Clans, Scots
This is a note I received from a friend about her trip to Kentucky for the games, Scots.
Thanks Donna, I missed you all.
Well, it was hot, hot hot! Loved getting together with our friends and cousins, we had a ball as we always do. We put up our big 10 X 18 tent between two of our campsites and had supper and our AGM meeting after the Games Saturday. We had so much food we ate on it all weekend. Sun. morning one of our camping friends cooked breakfast in a dutch oven over coals and it was delicious, sausage, eggs, potatoes with biscuits on top. First time I've eaten or watched dutch oven cooking over coals with hot coals on the lid. Seen it on TV but not in person.
Those who stayed in motels met the rest of us at the campground for the food, meeting and fun. After the meeting we have a silly thing of voting on the next Grand PooBah and the present Grand PooBah has to make a silly speech and has added something to the silly hat that goes with the office and we have to salute the new Grand PooBah with our thumbs on our noses, waving our fingers and giving a raspberry. Like I said, silly, but fun.
The economy played a big part in the Games. There was only about half the people, Clans and vendors as last year. The crowd was estimated at 10,000 but I don't think we had that many people. Our tent won the Best Clan Tent Award for the second year, and we had more people at our tent throughout the two days than any other Clan. I think laughter draws a crowd, others want to get in on the fun and we signed up more potential members. The Honored Chief of Clan Urquhart came to our tent and some of our members had their pictures taken with him. Everyone but me marched in the Parade of Tartans, I stayed with the tent and took pictures as my Clan walked by for our web site. My knees won't let me walk the long walk around the field and I miss marching with my Clan, but glad to stay at our tent so we don't end up with expensive books and some of our historical materials stolen...it happens. :-/
The Caber Toss is my favorite game to watch. It's amazing to me to see these brawny men pick up what amounts to a telephone pole and run and toss it end over end. I was amazed at the distance the hammer was tossed this year, I didn't hear how many feet as we were too far away from the announcer to hear good but I think there was a record set. There was entertainment by excellent bands and singers at the entertainment pavilions. Genealogy Seminars by Beth Gay, a sweet lady whom I admire very much. A tug of war between Clan Wallace and the MacDonald Clan. Clan Wallace won as they do most years. There was much more but I can't remember it all.
It was wonderful to see our friends and cousins and it's always good to get back home.
Barb