St. Andrew's Society

[Phogfan86]

Our local St. Andrew Society is more about fellowship and potlucks and a presentation on some aspect of Scots culture than rules and regulations. We have a Burns tea on a Sunday afternoon instead of a $100-a-head dinner. We don't have a reading circle or a Burns study group or a color guard or a social committee. We do have officers, but that's about it. I'm our group's secretary.

Part of that is also because the average age of our group is, well, pretty old. I'm trying to change that a wee bit with some ideas that might draw younger folks in -- like beer and pub/kilt nights.

There are 50 lines on our membership roster, and a lot of those are married couples and families, but at any given meeting, we probably get 20-30 folks.

Each SAS makes their own rules, and that's cool. Each group knows what they want to get out of it.

[macwilkin]

Our local St. Andrew Society is more about fellowship and potlucks and a presentation on some aspect of Scots culture than rules and regulations. We have a Burns tea on a Sunday afternoon instead of a $100-a-head dinner. We don't have a reading circle or a Burns study group or a color guard or a social committee. We do have officers, but that's about it. I'm our group's secretary.

Part of that is also because the average age of our group is, well, pretty old. I'm trying to change that a wee bit with some ideas that might draw younger folks in -- like beer and pub/kilt nights.

There are 50 lines on our membership roster, and a lot of those are married couples and families, but at any given meeting, we probably get 20-30 folks.

Each SAS makes their own rules, and that's cool. Each group knows what they want to get out of it.

Whilst we do not hold a "$100-a-head" dinner, you're always welcome to come to our Burns Supper in Springfield. I think we're a pretty friendly bunch, regardless of how much we charge for our Burns Supper. We have a colour party that marches in local parades, btw, and we always receive a friendly welcome.

We had to raise our prices this year, and we still had the second biggest turn-out in society history. I think our folks realise you have to pay for quality sometimes, and they do not seem to mind to do so.

As you said, each society has its own customs. We are by no means exclusive in terms of membership and "rules", but we do try to be traditional in terms of the St. Andrew's Society model.

Regards,

Todd