Letter to the Editor: Taste of Scotland Society, Inc.

Taste of Scotland Society, Inc.

The Taste of Scotland Society, Inc. is a group of people who love our Scottish heritage, and we endeavor to promote events that enlighten townspeople and visitors alike with the many facets of our Scottish heritage. Our two annual events are the Robert Burns Dinner and the Taste of Scotland and Celtic Festival.

The dinner is held on or near the 25 th of January, the anniversary of Robert Burn’s birth. This event is held in Tartan Hall. The Calling of the Clans along with the color Guard add to the flair of the festivities. The clans march in with their tartan banners waving following our piper.

The clan roll call rolls off the Gaelic tongue. A traditional Scottish sinner is celebrated with the “Toast to the Haggis” and Celtic music fills the air and adds to our festive salute to Robert Burns. We have many toasts, including the Toast to the Lads and Lassies. This often humorous one is usually done by a married couple, and is an annual highlight of the evening. We give homage to the Bard by celebrating one of his poems during the evening. The close of the evening is special with all singing “Auld Lang Syne” in a Celtic circle.

The second annual event is the Taste of Scotland and Celtic Festival which is traditionally on Father’s Day weekend. This year we will celebrate with a Ceilidh at the Rathskeller on June 19 from 5 until ?

A Ceilidh is a social gathering which will feature Scottish and Irish music and singing. Street fare will be provided by Rockin Rollie Pollie and Scottish beverages will be available from the Rathskeller. Our Ceilidh this year will have added attraction. Clan Crawford, our clan of the year, will parade in to the piper. Daisy Haley, our new Little Miss Tartan, will be crowned by Kendall Holland, our retiring Little Miss Tartan.

Celtic music styling of “Norma Jean & I ” who will sing the beautiful ballad, “Caledonia” will bring a tear to your eye. This husband-wife duo is a true musical treat. “The Jacobites By Name”, one of our favorites groups, will entertain us with a medley of Scottish songs from pub tunes to traditional ballads.

Our special guest for the evening is George McClellan, a member of FSA, member and director of the Burns Club of Atlanta since 1987, as well as a member and director of the Robert Burns Association of North America. George McClellan has led an interesting life. He acquired an associate college degree in geology, was in the army for three years wuth TS clearance, a California Highway Patrolmen for five years, and also a retired Special Agents of the Naval Investigative Services, now the NCIS. He has also been a bagpiper since 1975 and a world traveler.

We have two meeting each month: one is a business meeting; one is a Gathering at Frog Quarters. The Gathering is an open meet and greet for all people who would like to join. The entertainment will vary from Celtic music to tartan search which enables you to trace your Scottish roots by name and clan.

Upcoming events are the following: Frog Fair is Saturday, May 8 outside Frog Quarters from 9 am to 3 pm. TOSS will sell special etched bottles with or without fairy lights. This is a craft fair to benefit the Greenway.

The regular meetings are on the first Wednesdays of each month at Frog Quarters at 4:30 p.m. We will have another Meet and Greet, but the date is uncertain as of this time. New people who would like to join are welcome.

We are already planning the Taste of Scotland and Celtic Festival for 2022. It will be held on Father’s Day in June. The first day will be a lively downtown parade filled with the unique sounds of bagpipes, people in their colorful clan kilts, Little Miss Tartan, and much more. Either a Ceilidh or a Clan dinner Friday night will be offered that night. The venue for Saturday had to be changed because of the anticipated increase in vendors, pipe bands, clans, and children’s activities, and the space requirements for all Registered Heavy Athletics.

Registered Heavy Athletic Games will be under the direction of Scott Medlin. One group of women and two groups of men will be competing in these exciting contests: the caber toss, stone put, weight throw for distance, weight throw for height, Scottish hammer throw, and sheaf toss. We are also in negotiations with some interesting thrilling additions to the festival. As more information becomes available, the group will announce the new additions to the weekend. We have three or four pipe bands interested in the Saturday event. Sunday we hope to have a “Kirkin’ of the Tartans and a Sunday afternoon concert.

Sometimes people are confused by the Scottish tartans Museum and the Taste of Scotland society. It is true that our group once was the support for the Scottish Tartans Museum, the only one of its kind in the United States. But when the museum changed its name to the Scottish Tartans Museum, Inc., our group could not use any part of the name.

Therefore, the members decided to keep the aim of sponsoring Scottish heritage and chose the “Taste of Scotland Society, Inc”. We are now both incorporated, separate groups that both try to share Scottish heritage in unique ways.

Submitted by Merrilee Bordeaux for Taste of Scotland Society, Inc.

Short Biography of George G.McClellan (FSA Scot), 

 Californian by Birth, a Georgian by choice, since 1987. 

 Associate College Degree in Geology Three Years US Regular Army w/TS Clearance Five years as a California Highway Patrolman A Retired Special Agent, of the Naval Investigative Service now, NCIS! 

 Member and director of the Burns Club of Atlanta since 1997; Member and Director of the Robert Burns Association of North America (RBANA), bagpiper since 1975, world traveller, author, and resident of Ellijay, Ga since 1998.



Published at 12:08pm on Wednesday, May 5, 2021
Edited at 12:36pm to add photo and bio of George G.McClellan