Saturday, January 26th the Scottish Society of Fredericksburg hosted their 14th Annual Burns Night at the Country Club. It was a poignant evening as one who had made it so instrumental in celebrating the Bard of Scotland’s past birthdays was no longer with us – Chief Don Mcleay.Although Don was not present his presence was. An opening rememberance given by master of ceremonies Preston Simms on Don's contribution to the Society to Trip Wiggins tribute to our past Chief by intertwining The Immortal Memory of Robert Burns with Don’s impressive life. We were touched with the presence of Don’s wife Astrid.
We were entertained royally. With evening’s festivities start a rousing show by the Mary Washington College Eagle Pipe Band lead by Ray Scott. After dinner we enjoyed the Celtic harps of Sara Lindley and Re MacArthur.
They were followed by Syllabub who delighted us with traditional Celtic music.The Toasts to the Lads and Lassies was given cleverly by Andy and Kim Fraser. Have I not said the food was excellent? It was! Yet, what impressed me most of all the outstanding moments that evening was the excellent rendition in Burns' own Lowland Scots dialect the ‘Ode to a Haggis’ done by young Preston W. Simms. Well done Preston!
In fact all of them I know made our past Chief proud.
Well done lads and lassies!
