Forbidden to wear a kilt for Nostalgia Day

[The Supreme Canuck]

If he wanted to limit it to only the '50-70's they could still wear the kilt... Punk music rose to popularity through the 1970's and in certain punk circles the kilt was very popular... Mmmmm... counter-culture, the reason people have worn kilts for hundreds of years... (Okay, it's not the only reason, but it's been a big one over the years...)

Heck, I would have dressed like Diefenbaker. He was kilted quit frequently during his tenure as PM. Plus, if the VP said anything, I'd say that a head of government wasn't ashamed to be seen in a kilt, so why should it be a problem?

[Alan H]

The kilt isn't "formal"....OK, the VP is on drugs: end of story. No...no, no. OK, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt. He's just blisteringly ignorant.

D'Argo, http://www.whitethistle.net/ has a large number of good-quality pictures on the web site that could be put into a powerpoint presentation. I would surf their site, and then write them an e-mail, asking to use their pictures in your cause for the prom.

Here's an example, which I'd re-size, of course (and where'd he get those bluidy AWFUL shoes?):



I would also include some pictures from Prester John, since he's put up some excellent ones of himself and his family (including you) from a recent wedding and you all looked absolutely great.

I'd design a ten-minute Powerpoint Presentation with an outline something like this:

1. Tartan:

a) What is it, how is it made?
b) What does it represent?
c) Pics of Tartans that you (and your mates) choose to wear and why.

1. Formal Wear: Kilts

a) picture of model wearing Prince Charlie
b) picture of model wearing black argyll
c) Pic of Sean Connory dressed up formally, because everybody knows who he is.
d) pic of Prince Charles, because everybody knows who he is, too.

2. The parts of the formal Kilt outfit

a) the kilt...(you might mention how much a nice one costs, right in here!)
b) the jacket (and vest if you choose to wear one)
c) socks and shoes
d) shirt and tie
e) kilt belt and sporran
f) sgian dubh (but tell them you won't wear one to school or to the prom)

3. The casual daywear kilt outfit

a) the kilt
b) socks and shoes/boots
c) shirt
d) kilt belt and sporran

4.) Conclusion
a)The kilt is a male garment...it has historical value... it's not indecent... it can be worn as formal wear or casual wear.

DON'T tell them (IMHO) that you are mature enough to handle it. Instead of telling them that, prove it to them by being calm, articulate, prepared and totally "together" at the Board meeting.

I would approach two sensitive issues: the sgian dubh and "regimental" either of two ways. Either 1.) say nothing at all, or 2.) tackle them head on, without spending undue time or cracking any jokes, and reassure the Board that you won't be carrying a knife to school and you're not going to flash anybody.


....and then, dude, for heaven's sake, wear underwear, and not tighty-whitey's either, to school!

Here are some guidelines for doing a successful Powerpoint Presentation when you only have a few minutes in a busy meeting.

1.) Prepare about 10-20 Powerpoint slides....no more than that unless you move through some of them really fast.
2.) Don't put more than one title, two pictures and three sentences on any one slide.
3.) Bullet-point everything you can.
4.) Move on to a new slide about every 30-60 seconds. Slides that are just "title" slides to sections of your talk can be up for just 15 seconds, then move on.
5.) Don't repeat *exactly* what's on each slide, when you talk. Cover the same ground, but elaborate a little bit
6.) If you want to use one of the Powerpoint "themes" for backgrounds to your slides, use a simple one.
7.) Use the "fade in" and "slide in" features (features that bring pictures zooming in from outside the screen, or fading in from black) *VERY* sparingly. They get obnoxious, fast, especially the "zoom in" ones..

Look at it this way. When you're done with this you'll have a killer presentation that you can probably use for credit at school AND you'll be a Powerpoint whiz...and dude, knowing Powerpoint is a very *real* job skill.
You'll need to take a laptop computer to the Board Meeting and that laptop will have to have Powerpoint installed on it.

Before you do this MAKE SURE that you have access to an LCD projector, or they have one in the Board Room. If you can't get one, or if you can't get a laptop,then this is all a waste of time. You'll likely need a VGA cable to connect your laptop to the projector, so CHECK THE PROJECTOR a week *before* you go in there. You don't know how many working professionals have been flummoxed by showing up with a presentation ready to go, only to find that the cable they have doesn't work. Pay attention to the male/female-ness of the ends of the cable and get the right one.

and D'Argo..practice, practice, practice before you go in there!

If you do this, there are ways to put your Powerpoint presentation up on the web, and I bet any money that everybody here at X-Marks would LOVE to see it.

Alan H

[souzaphone711]

Kizmet and D'Argo I would like to share something very real with you. this happend just this weekend and over the past few months.

I am 16 years old and in my junior year of highschool. I own and wear a black Original model Utilikilt. I go to school in a very conservative suburb of Atlanta and I wear my kilt to school. Last weekend, our school had its homecoming. There was also the homecoming dance associated with it. I wore my Utilikilt to it. I wore a suit coat and tie, a sporran, and black kilt hose with it. I did not however consult the administration first. I simply carried with me a copy of our school's formal event dress code and knew clearly that there were no grounds on which they could deny me entry. I planned ahead and thought this out. I realize it may have been better to go to the administration first, however leading up to this I've worn my kilt about 7 times to school already and never heard a word from the administration. All of my teachers found it interesting and you would be surprised how many have Scottish heritage and actually know of it(one of my teachers is actually a part of the MacKenzie Clan!).

At the event itself none of the chaperone teachers said anything save compliments and what they thought of it. I recieved no negative remarks from the student body present at the time. My parents were reluctant at first and nearly did not allow me to attend attired as such. I did convince them and got to go. I did however go un-regimental as I deemed it a necessity if there was trouble at all. I've done it so you should be able to. If necessary take this to them and show, If it can be done in the conservative south then why not here?

All in all, I say go fight for it for your prom. It's a worthy battle that should be fought in a respectful and peaceable manner. Like those before me have said, don't go off half cocked. Know all the angles and be sure you are ready before you start your war.

- Nate
A kilted student.

[Blu (Ontario)]

... I'd design a ten-minute Powerpoint Presentation with an outline something like this... etc.

Alan has laid out an excellent foundation for a PP presentation. The only comments I might add....

I would keep the total presentation time down to roughly 10 minutes. Your goal is to make a solid but concise case for the legitimacy of your wearing the kilt... not to commandeer the entire meeting and not to discuss unnecessary details of history.

Pictures are easier to remember and have more impact than text.

And be prepared to answer a few questions.

.

[Livingston]

To add to what Alan and Blu have said, you might also have a few, 3-5, extra slides just on the off chance that they ask questions on something you haven't covered or have taken out due to time issues. That way you will still have it available, just not part of the presentation.

[davedove]

Where does this guy get his ideas? The kilt can't be worn as formal wear???

That goes against a very common notion that the kilt should ONLY be worn as formal wear. Talk about an educator that needs to be educated.:rolleyes:

[Robin]

That's a great presentation Alan posted!

Since the VP thinks kilts should only be worn in Scotland...add some slides of people wearing a kilt in different countries...USA, Canada, Norway, Germany, Spain, France, Netherlands etc...and show some international tartans.
This way you'll nuke his "Scotland only syndrome".

[bubba]

A pic of Graham at work should kill off his Scotland only notions.

[Kilted KT]

Don't forget to add a few pics of Hamish...as well as the Derek Cardboard Cutout V.2!

I'm behind you guys all the way. I'll dig more more links about kids having kilt problems at schools, and how they dealt with it.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Heck, use the graphic from here to disprove the Scotland-only thing.