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Letters to the 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.
Dear Editor, Memories of Miss Milligan’s trip to Hawaii
I understand that there is to be an article in the magazine on how Scottish country dancing came to be popular in Japan, and I would like to share my memories of Miss Milligan’s trip to Hawaii in 1977, for I was there with two Japanese men as the candidates. Mr. Hiroyuki Ikema, Mr. Yutaka Harada and I were the very first candidates from Japan. After the Examination, Miss Milligan told us: “The test was for the preliminary certificate, but I’ll give the Teacher’s Full Certificate to Mr. Ikema and Mr. Harada because they have worked hard enough to teach Scottish country dance in Japan.” Then she hugged me very closely and told me, “My dear daughter! You are young enough, so come to St. Andrews to do and pass the Full Certificate Exam. I don’t fear for the future of Scottish country dancing activity in Japan now because of you. Please work for me, Marchan!” It was just one year before she passed away. Marchan Okada Naitoh, Tokai Branch
Dear Editor, The Heart of Midlothian
I would like to encourage everyone in the Society to explore its new book: A Celebration of Sir Walter Scott through Scottish Music and Dance. It is a fascinating collection of music, history and dance instruction, the likes of which we have not seen before in our 99year existence. When you add an accompanying CD with some beautifully played music on fiddle, piano, and cello, the excitement is complete! Many congratulations to everyone involved: the Membership Services Committee, office staff and musicians. I hope we will have more in this style in the future! Earlier dance books may have brought in an income but…. It was interesting to read some of the comments and interpretations about dancing, for example, that 200 years ago nearer hands were taken. I still believe it feels and looks better to take nearer hands today! John Carswell, Linlithgow
Dear Editor, The Poor Second Couple
I have recently been to dances where the sets have collapsed, and always in the same place, and this is because the MC has not understood the situation enough to give appropriate instructions. If we consider a ‘normal’ dance of three couples in a 4-couple set, where first couple go through supported by their corners and then repeat from second place, three couples are involved every time. Everyone has two turns as dancing couple, and four turns as supporting couples, so everyone is involved in six repeats. Sometimes, however, there is a 5th couple to be fitted in as there aren’t enough to make up another set. That’s OK if the music is played 10 times, but if the music is only to be played 8 times the balance of the set is changed, and the people who lose out are the original second couple! You don’t need a degree in hard sums from Oxbridge to realise why. If 4s go to the bottom after their one turn, the second couple are in action four times while everyone else is in action five times – poor second couple. Unfortunately, some MCs have not thought through the situation. They tell the 4th couple to go into second place after their turn! This is an advantage to 4s who then have six turns. 1s, 3s & 5s each have five turns, but the poor second couple only have three turns. 4th couple dance twice as much as 2nd couple! It is obviously fairer to all if 4s have their one turn as dancing couple and then go to the bottom of the set. So next time the MC suggests that 4th couple have their turn and then go into second place, we should all object - with a loud voice. John Marshall, Cheltenham Branch
Dear Editor, RSCDS appointments
At the 2020 AGM I was pleased to see that you had been elected to the Management Board (MB). I myself was both a member of the MB and Editor of Scottish Country Dancer at the same time, and I know from experience that it makes communication between the Executive and the Editorial Team much more efficient. Along with all the branches who voted for you in 2020, I was surprised this January to read on the Society website that you had been removed from the MB shortly after the 2021 AGM, invoking Clause 16.1 (a) of the RSCDS Rules and Procedures (RP), which states that ‘An RSCDS member may not hold more than one elected or appointed post in the Society.’ Many will remember that when the Rules were written the intention behind Clause 16.1 (a) was twofold: firstly, to involve as many Society members as possible in its running; and secondly, and relevant to this current issue, to ensure that there were no conflicts of interest. In practice, this has meant that a member of the MB could not also be Music Director or Schools Director. A few years ago, a member of the MB was appointed Schools Director and he immediately stepped down from the Board. Perhaps the Society’s solicitor was not aware of the intention behind what, with hindsight, is a badly-worded rule. There is no conflict of interest in being both Editor and on the MB, quite the reverse. Clause 10.2 (e) of our Rules states that it is for the Management Board ‘to interpret this document in a manner consistent with its general intent’. The ‘general intent’ has been clear for the past 20 years. It is now obvious that the section on Eligibility for Election in the RP requires prompt re-drafting. If the rule as it stands is taken literally, are examiners and adjudicators, school deputes, Winter School Coordinators, and appointees to our over 20 Working Groups and Panels all barred from standing for the MB? If they are, then who is left with the relevant experience to serve on the Board? This is a serious and urgent matter for the whole Society. Potential nominees and Branches require clarification about who may or may not stand for election to the Management Board this autumn. This clarification is needed before nominations are called for. I encourage the Management Board to formalise the original intention behind the relevant clause. Jimmie Hill, Dunfermline Branch
Dear Editor, Popular Dances
I write to you as the author of the ‘Most Frequent Dances Found in SCD’ lists stored on the Resources for Dancers section of the Learn part of the RSCDS website. I have been keeping these lists up to date since 2008 but my work took a hard knock over Covid time, as my sources of programmes dried up with the lack of dancing taking place worldwide. As dancing begins again, at various paces and places around the world, some still not up and running, I need to establish a new base of sources for programmes, particularly from Japan, New Zealand, Australia and parts of Europe. Some faithful contributors have started up again and I am sure others will do so as they begin to dance again, but I would ask anyone reading this letter who creates programmes for their club or branch, or who receives programmes as a club or branch member, to add me to your distribution list and send the programme to me. My email address is campbell@tyler.co.za. I have not produced lists for either 2020 or 2021 as there were just too few programmes received. For those of you using the List feature on Anselm Lingnau’s database, you can just send me the link to it, mentioning your club name and the date of the event and I can pick up the rest from there. I look forward to receiving your support. Campbell Tyler, Cape Town Branch
