Dear Editor

Any opinions expressed in the letters below are personal to the writers and do not reflect the views of the RSCDS or the Management Board.

Scottish Country Dancing Worldwide

Rhona Bean, Aberdeen Branch

As travel has been greatly restricted since the start of the pandemic, I have spent a considerable amount of time during lockdown typing up diaries of former travels, which has been very absorbing and brought back many happy memories of past events.

I first attended the St Andrews Summer School in 1975 and two years later, I set off for a working holiday in Australia. In May 1978 I reached Sydney, where I stayed with a cousin in Baulkham Hills and as I had few contacts there, I contacted the RSCDS local secretary to find out about Scottish country dances in the area. I met Audrey and David Joyce in Pennant Hills who took me to a class in Wahroonga where I first learnt the dance Australian Ladies. Audrey and David took me to a dance in Gosford the following Saturday and we were joined by Anne Kennedy from Inverness and Isa from Edinburgh. Anne, it turned out, was from Baulkham Hills and gave me her address and phone number. Imagine my surprise on reaching the dance at Gosford when I discovered that the MC and several people at this dance had been at St. Andrews at the same time as me! One couple called Jim and Pat Peters had actually been in my class. Another couple, John Morrison and his wife, lived in Newcastle and invited me to visit them anytime. I was immediately reminded of Miss Milligan telling us that Scottish country dancers were a worldwide family, and watching all the messages sent in every week to the online dance classes proves how true this is.

Having come across so many amazing coincidences in my life in various parts of the world, I thought there might just be an outside chance that someone reading this might remember! I received a great welcome and enjoyed dancing again after a long gap. I think the RSCDS has been doing an amazing job during lockdown bringing so many teachers and musicians to our homes. Thank you for all the hard work.

High Finance

Michael Darby, International Branch

Unfortunately, the Society, as an organisation, is not alone in having its finances impacted by COVID-19 and the deficit as outlined by the Treasurer in the October edition is concerning. I am pleased that a recommendation has been made not to sell off investments or 12 Coates Crescent. Such moves would provide a temporary respite but not offer any long-term solutions. The future viability of the Society’s financial stability does require the retention of important assets.

This may also be an opportune time to have some serious and frank conversations around the issue of corporate sponsorship and endorsement opportunities to take advantage of the Society’s worldwide reach and its impact as a global organisation.

Keeping Dance and Music Alive Today

I write following a highly imaginative, remote, Burns Night for members and friends in the Preston area of North Lancashire organised by Ribble Valley Branch. We were treated to live music from Sandy Nixon and Ewan Galloway and performances of dance, song, poetry and quizzes from members as well as the Address to the Haggis. In fact, you could say we had everything but dancing.

It was my privilege to propose the Toast to the Lassies. I widened the scope of my address to the contribution made by so many distinguished ladies over the last century and obviously referred to our founders which led me to thinking about the prevailing circumstances nearly one hundred years apart.

In 1918 the flower of the nation’s youth was left lying in the fields of France leading Miss Milligan and Mrs Stewart to realise that single girls and war widows wanted an activity that ‘did not need men’. One could say that the picture is similar today although not, thankfully, due to a world war. The men simply stay away.

A generation later, Miss Milligan wrote in 1940 ‘at the time when there is so much destruction and horror in the world it is surely our duty to keep alive dance and music which bring gaiety and happiness to so many.’ With the Covid backdrop she could have been speaking today.