For March we have rescheduled the Whiskey, Wine and Chocolate event originally planned for valentines Day. Let's keep up the romance!

There will be a presentation about how Scots celebrate the day, and the opportunity to taste pairings of Whisky, Wine, and Chocolate. At our 6.30pm mix and mingle session, there will be bubbly and special Valentine goodies available.

If you have a favorite Scottish-themed romantic verse or piece of prose, please bring it along and  read it out – it will help get us all in the mood.
As well as the normal 50/50 raffle prizes, there will be Valentine baskets, a signed book by Diana Gabaldon, and many more.

The event will be held at the Irish Cultural Center, 1106 N Central Avenue, Phoenix. Admission is free to members, $10 for non-members.

April 6 is Tartan Day! Watch for imformation about events.

The Scottish American Military Society Color Guard Opens the Games

Chieftain of the Games Richard McBain, McBain the Younger, Tanist, Clan McBain presided over the Opening.

He was joined by an impressive list of clan dignitaries: Robert Currie, Commander of the Name and Arms, Clan Currie; Mark McLaren, President, Clan MacLaren Society North America; Paul Ross, President, Clan Ross America; Duane Stewart, President, Clan Stewart Society in America; Dennis MacAlister, Chairman, Clan MacAlister; Jerry Minnis, Chief’s Commission North Americas, Clan Menzies.

In addition to crowd favorites The Wicked Tinkers, Scott Jeffers & Traveler, Iain Walinck & Stoneybank, de Mairt Ceol, ar Turas, Open Beta and Chris Yates (and his alter egos) ….

We had something new this year, modeled after the young bands that perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Three middle-school and high-school groups performed in the Learners Arms and the KiltLifter™ Tap Room.

	The Cambridge Avenue Pipers – a group of 12- to 16-year-old boys taking lessons from Master Piper Len Wood. Accompanied by two young Highland Dancers, sisters of two of the lads!
	The Sonoran Foothills Jazz Band – 7th and 8th grade students under the direction of Ms. Kim Terrell, from the Sonoran Foothills K-8 School in north west Phoenix!
	The Mountain View Fiddlers – a group of young fiddlers (and a couple of parents) who are apprentices of Peter ‘Doc’ Rolland, multiple-year Arizona State fiddle champion and renown musician and teacher. Photo: Julia Di Grazia

The Learners Arms Music & Folklore Tent featured two lectures:

 “When and why Scots immigrated to America, where they settled, and how they fared” by Iain Lundy who hails from Ayrshire and was a journalist in Scotland for more than 40 years before moving to the U.S. in 2015. He’s a writer, blogger, researcher and genealogist, and is now Editor of the Caledonian Society’s newsletter, The Desert Highlander. In 2016 he published a terrific book titled ‘Between Daylight and Hell – Scots Who Left A Stain On American History’.

“Early History and Legends of the Scots” by Alice Natale. Alice is on the Board of the Library Friends of Payson; she’s Past Chief Daughter of the ‘Monarch of the Glen Lodge’ of the Daughters of Scotia; President of the Women’s Ministry Team at Mount Cross Lutheran Church in Payson; and an active member of the Arizona Branch of Clan Donnachaidh.

Under the direction of Area Chairman Alasdair Martin, the 2019 Competition hosted the following bands:

Cameron Highlanders of San Diego County (CA)
Clan Gordon Pipe Band (Tacoma, WA)
Glendale Pipes and Drums
High Desert Pipes and Drums (Albuquerque, N.M.)
Mesa Caledonian Pipe Band
Phoenix Pipe Band
Tucson and District Pipe Band

Results:
Grade III 1st Place - John L. Ferrell Memorial Trophy
MSR:    1st Place, Phoenix P.B.; 2nd Place, Mesa Caledonian P.B.
Medley: 1st Place, Phoenix P.B.; 2nd Place, Mesa Caledonian P.B.
Overall Winner*: Phoenix P.B.

Grade IV 1st Place - W.J. McClanathan Memorial Trophy
MSR: 1st Place – Tucson & District P.B.; 2nd Place: High Desert P.D.;
      3rd Place: Clan Gordon P.B.
Medley:   1st Place – Glendale P.B.; 2nd Place: Tucson & District P.B.;
       3rd Place: Clan Gordon P.B.
Overall Winner*: Tucson & District P.B.

Grade V 1st Place - Capt. N.L. Finch, SD&G Highlanders Memorial Trophy
QMM: 1st Place, Phoenix P.B; 2nd Place, Cameron Highlanders S.D.
MSM: 1st Place; Cameron Highlanders S.D.; 2nd Place: Phoenix P.B.
Overall Winner*: Cameron Highlanders S.D.

	Alasdair Martin is affiliated with the MCPB, L.A. Scots P.B. and the 2018 Gd. II World Champions City of Dunedin (FL) Pipe Band. Alasdair resides in Charlotte, NC
	Example of the 1st Place Trophies Grade III John L Ferrell - Grade III WJ McClanathan - Grade IV Capt. N.L. Finch SD&G Highlanders - Grade V
	The Wheaton McClanathan Sr. Memorial Trophy Presented to the Overall* Winners for Grade III, Grade IV and Grade V

Athletics - 55th Games
Michelle Crownhart

The athletic events were once again a major success, with an incredible four new world records, a tied world record, and 34 new field records set by the competitors. Athletics director Michelle Crownhart said, “There were untold numbers of personal bests at all levels of the competition. What a fantastic performance from all of the athletes this year.

A world records was set by Peter Doyle in the Men’s LW 200 weight over bar section, with a weight of 42 lbs and a distance of 19ft 1in. Mikaela Sullivan set tow world records in the Women’s LW 150 class, for the heavy hammer and light hammer throws. And Sarah Stephenson broke the world record in the Master Women 70+ class.

Open section Field records were set by Sean Burns, Peter Doyle, Karl Gehrke, Christena Georgas-Burns, Felicia Baker, Susan Burris, Rachel Pulido, Debra Danley, Amaris Saldate, Mikaela Sullivan, Mona Malec, and Sarah Stephenson.

Athletic Competition Results  Saturday March 2, 2019

Athletic Competition Results  Sunday March 3, 2019

4 New World Records - 1 Tied World Record - 34 New Field Records

Untold numbers of Personal Bests at all levels of the competition!

What a fantastic performance from all of the athletes this year!
Additional Results and Throw Measurementscan be found at
www.nasgaweb.com/dbase/main.asp

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The Official C.S.A. Genealogy & Family History Tent was again a big hit at this year’s 55th Annual Phoenix Scottish Games. Most people merely passed through to view our maps and books, many leaving more interested than when they came in and very much impressed.

Additionally, I and my team of about ten expert volunteer genealogists, in personal one-on-one interactions, helped a great number of people begin to discover their Scottish roots and many left absolutely thrilled and excited by our finds.

The Clan Village hosted 38 Clans and 7 Scottish organizations for 2019.
The Best Clan Tent Award was presented to Clan MacCallum-Malcolm

Also represented on the Noth Field were: C.R.O.F.T, the Society for Creative Anachronism, Phoenix Society of Historical Swordsmenship and the Air Force Reserve Obstacle Course.

Duane Stewart, President, Clan Stewart Society in America (left), is pictured with the Clan's Arizona State Commissioner Jack Stewart at their tent in the Clan Village