Scottish Festival Peeves?

[Semiomniscient]

Yeah, I already tried it, Ted. I couldn't ignore myself, either.



The issue, as I saw this weekend at the games in Billings, Mt, is that Scottish dancing seems to be less common, and that Scottish dance groups are harder to come by. Had there been no Irish dancers this weekend, there would have been no dancers at all! So there is that to consider- a simple lack of resources. We don't have more than a small handfull of Scottish dance groups in Colorado, and without the Irish dancers, we'd have little to no dancers here, as well!

Really? I've never found Scottish dancers to be in that short supply. Highland dancers--yes... but not all forms of Scottish Dancing, like Scottish Country Dancing. It's pretty prevalent worldwide.

[Andy Proffitt]

Really? I've never found Scottish dancers to be in that short supply. Highland dancers--yes... but not all forms of Scottish Dancing, like Scottish Country Dancing. It's pretty prevalent worldwide.

He was at a games in Bilings Montana. When it comes to people, every subtype is in short supply, there's less than 1 mil in the whole state. We are lucky they even have enough kilted people there to have a games.

[Mark E.]

Biggest pet peeve...Junk swords. When did weaponry become as tawdry as costume jewlery? Saw a vendor actually gluing swords back together-evdiently the heat in his trailer was hard on the Chinese "super" glue...

Good stuff...Other trades and skills than just warriors-I mean, sure, we had our share of **** kickers, but also weavers, hunters, cooks, leatherworkers, distillers, politicians...

Mark

[SteveB]

A Highland Games that are Highland Games.... New Hampshire 17, 18, & 19 September. Loon Mountain, Lincoln, NH. The organising committe vets the vendors to sell Scottish themed items.
Bagpiping. There is never enough pipers. EUSBA sanctioned competition at all grade levels. Pipe and Drum bands competing.
Heavy athletics. A time set aside for the public to see a demonstration of how to do it right, and if kilted properly, try it out.
Running the kilted mile. Sheep dogs, SCD, Highland dance, Clan tents in the village, a beer tent with bands playing, a concert tent, the parade ground, Drum Major competition (world event at Loon this year).
Albannach, red hot Chilli Pipers, Preydein, for the modern, and several for the traditional. Utilikilt vendor, next to a Gold Bros kilt vendor on one end. A kiltmaker from Scotland on the other end of the vendor area with nearby stalls of genuine Scottish goods.
Childrens games in one of the lodges. More to do than the three days will allow. NO Boredom.

Only one or two Braveheart types. Very rarely have the tablecloths been worn. Most of the time the gents interested in kilts come to the games in trousers, and get an off the peg, a Utilikilt, or get measured at Geoffrey Tailor for the real deal. The New Hampshire Highland Games committee works to keep it Scottish - not Celtic.

The reenactors do their thing on Friday, off to one side. The weapons vendors are few and not frequented that much. Many of the spectators are in trousers, and are having a great time.

As I display my member's badge at the games, I dress appropriately. People see me in daywear jacket, tie, tank, hose, garter ties and brogues. Many ask about the outfit, and I am happy to tell them, and give them a card with this web address for more information. Before the opening, I have scouted out the vendors, and can direct visitors to the tent that has what they are looking for.

Since the games are sponsored by many of the local businesses, their ads appear in the program and at a sponsors tent in the vendor area. These are about the only non-Scottish items that appear on the Games side of the bridge. Keeping the event Scottish is what brings 35,000 to 40,000 visitors into the event.

As far as the behaviour of some kilted gents. The members ask the gent to tuck his aprons. Should the individual not wish to comply, there are on hand several gents on site kilted in the New Hampshire state tartan, that will gladly convince the individual to comply. (The town of Lincoln Police Department are the KILTed POLICE.)

[wildrover]

Steve, that sounds awesome...It'd be great to see more "Scottish" festivals and fewer "Celtic Renaissance Faires".

[Kilted in Maine]

Yes, I guess Steve and I are spoiled with the NH Games at Loon. I have only been to the games at Loon and the Maine HG (which is very similar but on a smaller scale)

[kiltedsawyer]

Not to point fingers or argue but I'll throw in my two cents on this.



My opinion is that there's a difference between a local biker club which might have a negative image based on uninformed public perception and a group which openly displays and/or advocates racist or bigoted behavior. In my book no tolerance should be afforded the intolerant, especially at an event which is privately sponsored and charges admission. If they want to have a White Supremest Celtic Pride Festival, they can have at it, but as far as I'm concerned: Not At My Games.



My stab at this would be that most people, at least in the States, don't treat Scottish culture (or culture from most any Western European area) with the same egg-shell walking as other cultures because other cultures are relatively new introductions to our social awareness. It's only been recently that we have come to accept and embrace other cultural traditions and as such there is, or ought to be, an amount of reticence to make light of those traditions, intentionally or otherwise. Scottish/British/Western European culture however has been the standard in North America for the last 400 years and as such is more prone to disregardful familiarity. Again, just my opinion; I'm no sociologist.

I find that sort of thinking intolerable.

[Nighthawk]

Really? I've never found Scottish dancers to be in that short supply. Highland dancers--yes... but not all forms of Scottish Dancing, like Scottish Country Dancing. It's pretty prevalent worldwide.

Oh, I didn't say we don't have them! I said that it's good to have a mix of the two because there aren't as many without the Irish dancers! As a matter of fact, 7 Nations were here a few weeks ago, and a troop of Scottish dancers got up at one point and started dancing. It was pretty amazing to watch them- they were so good at it and were obviously friends having a great time!

As to the festival with a complete lack of dancers... that was in Montana. There are more people in my subdivision of Denver than there are in all of Billings! And I'm not exagerating.

[Scotland Forever]

As a matter of fact, 7 Nations were here a few weeks ago, and a troop of Scottish dancers got up at one point and started dancing. It was pretty amazing to watch them- they were so good at it and were obviously friends having a great time!

7N FTW!! They usually get the ladies dancing

[Nighthawk]

7N FTW!! They usually get the ladies dancing

What is "FTW"? And yes. They do seem to!