Clan donald late fall 2013

Clan Donald Mid-east
A’ Bhratach—The Banner
A n nu a l G e n e r a l M e e t i n g ( AG M ) N ew s

Late Fall 2013

As the Mid-East Regional Commissioner, news letter editor and chief bottle washer, I’d like to
thank all those who attended this years successful AGM held at Williamsburg last September. I’ve
heard that most all of you had a good, maybe even great time, and the region is very honored to
have hosted greater Clan Donald and shown all of you some hospitality. This year we had planned

Southeast: 23
Mid-West Great Plains: 11
Rocky Mountain: 10
Mid-South: 9
New England:7

AGM News

1

Alexandria

on about the same turn out as recent AGMs in San Francisco and Milwaukee but were pleasantly
surprised when our numbers ended up far higher
Bessie and Chris Rapp dressed to the 9s for
than we anticipated. The final tally for the event
Saturday’s banquet
was about 150 folks with the following breakdown:

2-3

XMAS Walk

South Pacific: 7
Northeast Atlantic: 6
Central South: 6
Great Lakes: 4
Central Pacific: 1
North Paciific:1
Mid-East (host): 64.

Story Corner

This year we were lucky in the head count
thanks to a big turn out by the Southeast
region and plenty of members from Mid-East
who decided to attend an AGM for the first
time. Next year’s 2014 Clan Donald AGM is in
Arizona so start making your plans. Again, I
would like to thank all attendees for coming
and hope you had a good time. Also, If you
happened to have lost a cameral please
contact me because I have one here in
Virginia.
Stan Darroch
Mrs. Dana Niday at the start of the Hagis ceremony

In this issue:

Mid-East Commissioner

Upcoming
Events

4-7

7

A l ex a n d r i a C h r i s t m a s Wa l k I n fo
We’ve one Scottish event left for the year: The
Alexandria Christmas Walk which is slated for
Saturday, 7 December in Old Town Alexandria.

Page 2 — Late Fall 2013

Pat Troy’s: breakfast site and
our first event of the day

Our weekend plans start with breakfast at Pat Troy’s
at 900AM with an American or an Irish breakfast.
Last years prices were (American=$10.99 or
Irish=$14.99) and we are told that the prices have
not changed. The Irish breakfast includes rasher
sausage, black and white pudding, home fries and
scrambled eggs). Pat Troy’s is located at 111 North
Pitt Street and is very convenient for walking to our
parade starting spot. Dress is casual.

Pa r a d e
On the 7th of December 2013 (Saturday), Alexandria will host the 43rd Annual Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend and Parade,
in partnership with The Scottish Government, The Saint Andrew's Society of Washington, D.C. and the City of Alexandria. The
event is consistently ranked by the Southeast Tourism Society as one of the top 20 events in the South and regularly draws
nearly 30,000 attendees. We will line up for the parade between 10:30 and 11:00 depending on where we are numerically in the
lineup. If you join us for breakfast then you can walk with us from the restaurant to our start point. If you just want to join us
for the parade, the best way to find us is to check in at the information desk near Lyle Crouch Elementary School on South
Asaph Street to find out our line-up spot. The Campagna Center site is http://www.campagnacenter.org/events/scottishchristmas-walk-weekend if you want more info on the event. We will have and advance party at our starting spot for the
parade if you choose to skip breakfast. PLEASE BRING YOUR LEFT OVER Halloween candy….since we will be handing it
out while we march.

Mid-East Annual Dinner
After the parade everybody can shop or rest up for the annual Mid-East Clan Donald Dinner which will be held at T. J. Stones
restaurant. http://tjstones.com/ located on 608 Montgomery St., Alexandria, VA 22314, near the Alexandria Sheraton.
Dress for the dinner ranges from casual to day jackets and a few Bonnie Prince Charlie jackets. This year, you need to
reserve a spot by sending a check for $25.00 per person when you RSVP to Stan Darroch, 6907 Hard Rock Court,
Alexandria VA 22306. The restaurant will charge the Clan $25 per head for no-shows this year. Upon your arrival at the dinner,
we will gladly give your $25.00 deposit back. Unfortunately, T.J. Stones will hit Mid-East with a big bill if we have no-shows and
don’t take the deposits in advance. Please RSVP with your deposit check by the 28 November deadline. We have been
promised space in the large dining area with a rustic fireplace and plenty of seating if we can get at least 35 folks committed by
this deadline. We will start arriving around 3:15 to 4:00 and pipe in the haggis promptly at 4:00 PM. Dinner is ordered off the
full T.J. Stones menu and each group of folks will settle their bills table by table. I hope to see you all for dinner and don’t
hesitate to contact me (H) 703-768-1526 or stan.darroch@cox.net if you have any questions. (continued)


Mid-East Annual Dinner
For those interested in hotel information we are recommending the Hampton Inn in Alexandria which is Forrest Lee Piver’s
favorite hotel in Alexandria located at 5821 Richmond Highway, Alexandria, VA, 22303. If you want to stay at the Hampton Inn,
please contact the hotel desk at (703) 329-1400 or toll free (800) 426-7866 or check out their site at:

www.hamptoninnalexandria.com
After dinner, folks traveling from greater distances can get home before road conditions become hazardous or join us for after
dinner libations at an establishment of our choice (we are just going to pick a place and head there after dinner). Dinner is likely
to last from 4:00 to 5:30 PM.

O u r AG M L o g o
About our AGM pin…….The artwork was executed by
Mr. Robert Sparks of West Virginia whose family has
been Clan Donald Mid-East members for several years. I’d
like to thank Robert for getting this just right. This AGM
pin depict a Scotsman dragging the galley from San Francisco, where last years AGM was held, to Williamsburg,
Virginia. This was to symbolize that Clan Donald was
claiming all of the United States as its territory.
The symbolism behind this pin goes back to very early
history in the western islands of Scotland. In early NorseScottish history during the 10th and 11th centuries Vikings were in control of vast swaths of Scotland’s western
seaboard, the Isle of Man and even some lands in both
Ireland and England. In a time just prior to Somerled’s
ascendency, a new strong and vigorous King of Norway
by the name of Magnus Barefoot gathered together an imposing fleet in 1093. With this fleet he descended upon the western isles to reassert his control over the lapsed territory. At the time, Scotland’s King Malcom II (Malcom Canmore) struck a deal with the Viking King
promising him control of all islands that could be circumnavigated. As the story goes, King Olaf sailed up the Firth of Clyde and around the
Isles of Arran and Bute to claim them as his territory then had his men drag him across the Kintyre Peninsula, probably somewhere near the
present day Crinan Canal. The Scottish King was good to his word and the Kintyre Peninsula was classed by the Scottish government as one
of the South Isles until the beginning of the seventeenth century. Much of this land first claimed by the Vikings and circumnavigated by Olaf
Barefoot was later ceded over to Somerled in 1156 after his fleet of eighty galleys fought the King of Man to a draw. At the time, Somerled
gained what was referred to as the South Isles which were Bute, Arran, Isla, Jura, Mull, several smaller islands and the district of Kintyre .
The Viking chronicler also dated the decline and eventual ruin of the Vikings control of the isles from this date.

T h o s e w h o h e l p e d t o m a ke t h e AG M a s u c c e s s
Among those who made this AGM a success by helping with the AGM committee or donating to the event were:
Marsha and John Gillis, Carla Jackson, Louise and Mike McDonald, Dave Rankin, Bob Scripp, Tim Batten McLeod, Covert Beach, Julie Canfield, Cindy Coppock, Sande Darroch, Sara Bridge, Rick Keller, Susan Makris, Alastair Macdonald, Llyod Craighill, Dave McConnel, Maureen
McConnel, Charlie Chalkey, Dave Chalkey, James and Char McDaniel, Barry McDaniel, Bryan McEachern, Duncan McIver, Jim and Hilda
Muller, Dana and Ian Niday, James and Mary Patterson, Kyle Portopage, Christopher and Bessie Rapp,, William Schwarz, Brian Turner, Gary
Wagner, Charles Wipperfurth, Bill and Lorry Yoder, Mary and Robert Sparks, Michele Bagby, Marilyn Weary, and Tracy Darroch.


S t o r y C o r n e r : T h e B row n B e a r o f t h e G r e e n G l e n
This story was originally told by John MacDonald who was a travelling tinker or “Caird”. The word comes
from Gaelic ceard and was first used to refer to a craftsman, an artist mechanic, and later a traveling tinker
or vagrant. This story was captured from the tinker John MacDonald in a quarry near Inverary at Easter in
1859.
There was a king in Erin once, who had a leash of sons. John was the name of the youngest one, and
it was said that he was not wise enough; and this good worldly king lost the sight of his eyes, and the
strength of his feet. The two eldest brothers said that they would go seek three bottles of the water of the
green Isle that was about the heaps of the deep. And so it was that these two brothers went away. Now
the fool said that he would not believe but that he himself would go also. And the first big town he reached
in his father’s kingdom, there he sees his two brothers there, the blackguards! “Oh! my boys,” says the
young one, “is it thus you are?” “With swiftness of foot,” said they, “take thyself home, or we will have thy
life.” “Don’t be afraid lads. It is nothing to me to stay with you.”
Now John went away on his journey till he came to a great desert of a wood. “Hoo, hoo!” says
John to himself, “It is not canny for me to walk this woods alone.” The night was coming now, and growing
pretty dark. John ties the cripple white horse that was under him to the root of a tree, and he went up in
the top himself. He was but a very short time in the top, when he saw a bear coming with a fiery cinder in
his mouth. “Come down, son of the king of Erin,” says he. “Indeed, I won’t come. I am thinking I am safer
where I am.” But if thou wilt not come down, I will go up,” said the bear. “Art thou, too, taking me for a
fool?” says John. “A shaggy, shambling creature like thee, climbing a tree!” “But if thou wilt not come down
I will go up,” says the bear, as he fell out of hand to climbing the tree. “Lord! Thou canst do that same?”
said John; “keep back from the root of the tree, then, and I will go down to talk to thee.” And when the son
of Erin’s king drew down, they came chatting. The bear asked him if he was hungry. “Weel! By your leave,”
said John, “I am a little at this very same time.” The bear took that wonderful watchful turn and he catches a
roebuck. “Now, son of Erin’s king,” says the bear, “whether wouldst thou like thy share of the buck boiled
or raw?” “The sort of meat I used to get would be kind of plotted boiled,” says John; and thus it fell out.
John got his share roasted. “Now,” said the bear, “lie down between my paws, and thou hast no cause to
fear cold or hunger till morning.”
Early in the morning the Maon (bear) asked, “Art thou asleep, son of Erin’s king”” “I am not very
heavily,” said he. “It is time for thee to be on thy soles then. Thy journey is long --- two hundred miles; but
art thou a good horseman, John? “There are worse than me at times,” said he. “Thou hadst best get on top
of me, then.” He did this, and at the first leap John was to earth. “Foil! Foil!” says John. “What! thou art not
bad at the trade thyself. Thou hadst best come back till we try thee again.” And with his nails and teeth he
fastened on to the bear, till they reached the end of the two hundred miles and a giant’s house. “Now,
John,” said the bear, “thou shalt go to pass the night in this giant’s house; “thou wilt find him pretty grumpy,
but say thou that it was the brown bear of the green glen that set thee here for a night’s share, and don’t be
afraid that thou will not get share and comfort.” And he left the bear to go to the giant’s house. “Son of
Ireland’s King,” says the giant, “thy coming was in the prophecy; but if I did not get thy father, I have got his
son. I don’t know whether I will put thee in the earth with my feet, or in the sky with my breath.” “Thou
wilt do neither of either,” said John, “for it is the brown bear of the green glen that set me here.” Come in,
son of Erin’s king,” said he, “and thou shalt be well taken to this night.” And as he said, it was true. John got
meat and drink without stint. But to make a long tale short, the bear took John day after day to the second
and third giant. “Now,” says the bear, “I have not much acquaintance with this giant, but thou wilt not be
long in his house when thou must wrestle with him. And if he is too hard on thy back, say thou, ‘If I had the
brown bear of the green glen here, that was thy master.’” (Continued page 5)

Page 5 — late Spring 2013

As soon as John went in --- Ai! Ai!! Or ee! Ee!!” says the giant, “If I did not get thy father, I have got his
son;” and to grips they go. They would make the boggy bog of the rocky rock. In the hardest place they
would sink to the knee; in the softest, up to the thighs; and they would bring wells of spring water from
the face of every rock. The giant gave John a sore wrench or two. “Foil! Foil!! says he. “If I had here the
brown bear of the green glen, thy leap would not be so hearty.” And no sooner spoke he the word
than the worthy bear was at his side. “Yes! Yes!” says the giant “son of Erin’s king now I know thy
matter better than thou dost thyself.” So it was that the giant ordered his shepherd to bring home the
best sheep he had in the hill, and to throw his carcass before the great door. “Now, John,” says the
giant, “an eagle will come and she will settle on the carcass of this sheep, and there is a wart on the ear
of this eagle which thou must cut off her with this sword, but a drop of blood thou must not draw.”
The eagle came, but she was not long eating when John drew close to her, and with one stroke he cut
the wart off her without drawing one drop of blood. (“Och! Is not that a fearful lie?) “Now,” said the
eagle, “come on the root of my two wings, for I know thy matter better than thou dost thyself.” He
did this; and they were now on sea, and now on land, and now on the wing, till they reached the Green
Isla. “Now, John,” says she, “be quick, and fill thy three bottles; remember that the black dogs are away
just now.” (“What dogs?” “Black dogs; dost thou not know that they always had black dogs chasing the
hero!”)
When he filled the bottles with the water out of the well, he sees a little house beside him. John said to
himself that he would go in, and that he would see what was in it. And the first chamber he opened, he
saw a full bottle. (“And what was in it!” “What should be in it but whiskey.”) He filled a glass out of it,
and he drank it; and when he was going, he gave a glance, and the bottle was as full as it was before. “I
will have this bottle along with the bottles of water,” says he. Then he went into another chamber, and
he saw a loaf; he took a slice out of it, but the loaf was as whole as it was before. “Ye gods! I won’t
leave thee, says John. He went on thus till he came to another chamber. He saw a great cheese; he
took a slice off the cheese, but it was as whole as ever. “ I will have this along with the rest,” says he.
Then he went to another chamber, and he saw laid there the very prettiest little jewel of a woman he
ever saw. “It were a great pity not to kiss thy lips, my love,” says John. Soon after, John jumped on top
of the eagle, and she took him on the self same steps till they reached the house of the big giant, and
they were paying rent to the giant, and there was the sight of tenants and giants and meat and drink.
“Well! John,” says the giant, “didst thou see such drink as this in thy father’s house in Erin?” .
(Continued page 6)

Page 6 — late Fall 2013

“Pooh,” says John, “Hoo! My hero; thou other man, I have a drink that is unlike it.” He gave
the giant, “I will give thee myself two hundred notes, a bridle and a saddle for the bottle.” “It is a
bargain, then”says the giant; but, to make the long story short, he left each loaf and cheese with the
other two giants, with the same covenant that the first sweetheart he ever should get them if she came
the way.
Now John reached his father’s big town in Erin, and he sees his two brothers as he left them—
the “blackguardian!” “You had best come with me, lads,” says he, “and you will get a dress of cloth, and
a horse and a saddle and bridle each.” And so they did; but when they were near to their father’s
house, the brothers thought that they had better kill him, and so it was that they set on him. And when
they thought he was dead, they threw him behind a dike; and they took from him the three bottles of
water, and they went home. John was not too long here, when his father’s smith came the way with a
cart load of rusty iron. John called out, “Whoever the Christian is that is there, oh! that he should help
him.” The smith caught sight of him, and he threw John amongst the iron; and because the iron was so
rusty, it went into each wound and sore that John had; and so it was, that John became rough skinned
and bald. Here we will leave John, and we will go back to the pretty little jewel that John left in the
Green Isle. She became pale and heavy; and at the end of three quarters, she had a fine lad son. “Oh! in
all the great world,” says she, “how did I find this” “Foil! foil!” says the hen-wife, “don’t let that set thee
thinking. Here’s for thee a bird, and as soon as he sees the father of thy son, he will hop on top of his
head.” The Green Isle was gathered from end to end, and the people were put in at the back door and
out at the front door; but the bird did not stir, and the babe’s father was not found.
Now here, she said she would go through all the world till she should find the father of the
babe. Then she came to the house of the big giant and sees the bottle. “Ai! Ai!!” said she, “who gave
thee this bottle?” Said the giant, “It was young John, son of Erin’s king, that left it.””Well, then, the
bottle is mine,” said she. But to make the long story short, she came to the house of each giant, and she
took with her each bottle, and each loaf, and each cheese, till at length and at last she came to the
house of the king of Erin. Then the five-fifths of Erin were gathered, and the bridge of nobles of the
people; they were put in at the back door and out at the front door, but the bird did not stir. Then she
asked if there was one other or any one else at all in Erin, that had not been here. “I have a bald rough
skinned gillie in the smithy,” said the smith, “but,” “Rough on or off, send him here,” says she.
(Continued page 7)

Page 7 — late Fall 2013

No sooner did the bird see the head of the bald rough-skinned gillie, than he took a flight and
settles on the bald top of the rough-skinned lad. She caught him and kissed him. Thou art the father of
my babe.”
“But, John,” says the great king of Erin, “it is thou that gottest the bottles of water for me.”
“Indeed, ‘t was I,” says John. “Weel, then, what art thou willing to do to thy two brothers?” “The very
thing they wished to do to me, do for them;” and that same was done. John married the daughter of
the king of the Green Isle, and they made a great rich wedding that lasted seven days and seven years,
and thou couldst but hear leeg, leeg, and beeg, beeg, solid sound and peg drawing. Gold a crushing from
the soles of their feet to the tips of their fingers, the length of seven years and seven days ■

Upcoming Events
There will be two Glencoe
Clan Donald AGM cake at the Friday night Mariner’s
Remembrance events coming up in
February. One will be in Richmond Museum dinner in Newport News, Virginia
but we don’t have the details on this
event at this time. The other
Glencoe Remembrance will be held
at Rick Keller’s home in Arlington,
VA on 16 February 2014 from 1PM
to 6PM.. More details on both these
events will be noted in an upcoming
newsletter after the Alexandria
Christmas Walk.
I would like to wish all you Clan
Donald types a happy Thanksgiving
and hope to see you at the Scottish
Christmas Walk in Old Town
Alexandria on 7 December.

Page 8 — Spring 2013

Clan Donald Mid-East Officer Information
Clan Donald Regional Officers
Regional Commissioner: Stan Darroch
Email: stan.darroch@cox.net
Deputy Regional Commissioner: Vacant
Regional Genealogist: Louise McDonald
Email: juslouise@gmail.com
Chaplain: Rev. Ernest McDaniel
Email: revernest@chatmosscable.com
Chancellor: vacant
Newsletter Editor: Vacant
Region Historian: Bob Scripp
Email: wildpict@verizon.net
Webmaster & Glencoe Day Event Coordinator:
Rick Keller
E-mail: rkeller49@verizon.net
Delaware Commissioner: Vacant
District of Columbia Commissioner: vacant
Maryland Commissioner: Michael McDonald
Email: oothorns@aol.com
Virginia Commissioner: Maureen McConnell
Email: meamcconnell@verizon.net
West Virginia Commissioner: Vacant

Clan Donald Mid–Ea st
6907 Hard Rock Ct
Alexandria, Virginia 22306
Tel: 703-768-1526
E-mail: stan.darroch@cox.net

Check out the Clan Donald Mid-East Website
http://mid-east.clan-donald-usa.org/index.html

Clan donald late fall 2013

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