From Litir à Clann (Family Newsletter), October 1983
(Bulletin No 6), by the Association President, R. Malcolm "Mac"
Sinclair.
I believe that the real measure of our 1983 Clan "Gathering"
is the happiness and honest enjoyment so evident among those who attended
our dinner/ceilidh in Antigonish and/or our church service and receiption
in the Goshen community. No doubt the fact that the whole project was
financially viable and the programmes went along without problems brought
some serenity to those of the organizing committee, but the majority of
us were there to enjoy; and enjoy, we did.
I have included re-prints of articles from the Antigonish newspaper
which provide some details
of our gathering and a copy of The Rev. Marion Stewart's
sermon. The following notes may
be of interest:
- About 115 persons attended at our dinner/ceilidh.
- We had, of course, the parade of the haggis.
- We had short speeches and longer speeches; short toasts
and responses . . .
all in the context of a Scottish/Sinclair grand celebration.
- We had a formal meeting of the Association and duly
approved our Constitution. Our first act thereafter was to extend honorary
membership to The Rev. Dr. D.M. Sinclair, an outstanding clergyman, scholar
. . . especially Gaelic - you should have seen his frown when the principal
speaker attempted a short greeting in that language - and long time
proponent of the Sinclairs.
- The Nova Scotians also convened an initial meeting of
a Nova Scotian Branch and resolved to establish under a complementary
Constitution.
- Greetings and regrets were read from our honorary
president, Gordon Sinclair; from Clan Sinclair (U.S.A.) President David
Sinclair Bouschor; the Secretary-Treasurer, Nancy Staveley; the Newfoundland
contingent, Robert M. Sinclair and family; and Jim and Doreen Sinclair of
Langley, B.C.
- A message of congratulations and warm good wishes for
continued health and happiness was authorized to go out to Jim and Doreen
on their 41st wedding anniversary, August 13th, and to Ian Sinclair of
Montreal who was bringing a bride into our Clan membership the same
day.
- The principal speaker (President Mac) gave a somewhat
light hearted talk on "The Sinclairs: A Blend of Scots with a Dash
of Norse" suggesting that one outstanding continuing trait of the
Sinclairs: their self-will or perseverance (stubborness?) stems from genes
of their Norsemen forbears, who stubbornly fought to survive on the seas
and "colonize" in Caithness and the Orkneys and in Normandy.
- Your stained glass window
was presented on Sunday, August 14th, with these words:
"The members of Clan Sinclair Association Canada are proud to
present this memorial window depicting the clan badge and motto to the
congregation of King's United Church, to commemorate the contributions which
generations of Sinclairs have made to their churches, wherever they have
held membership, and specifically the Sinclairs who have been a part of the
life and well-being of this area and King's United Church.
"We ask you to receive this gift and to dedicate it to the
Glory and Praise of God."
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*An accompanying article from
The Casket added the following information:
- The business meeting was held under the banner of the
Sinclair motto, "Commit thy Work to God".
- Officers and past officers attending this gathering were:
the president, R.M. Sinclair of Kingston, Ontario; immediate past-president
Dr. E.G. Sinclair, Norwood, Ontario; area vice-presidents Sandy Sinclair,
Toronto and John M. Sinclair, Nova Scotia; and "historian Roselma
Sinclair, Norwood, Ontario".
- The new executive elected by the Nova Scotia association
were: John M. Sinclair, New Glasgow; Mary F. Sinclair, Thorburn; Aliasdair
Sinclair, John G. Sinclair and Jane Sinclair, all of Halifax; and Harold
Sinclair, of Goshen.
- The service at King's United Church in Loch Katrine was
conducted by Harold M. Sinclair, and the "homily" was by Rev.
Marian Stewart of the Forbes Memorial Pastoral charge.
- Pipers at the church service were Lt. Colonel John M.
Sinclair, New Glasgow, and Alan Young, Loch Katrine; the organist was George
Sinclair; and soloists were Joan Sutherland, Goshen, and Margaret MacGregor
MacDonald, Antigonish.
- Organizers of the gathering included Mary F. Sinclair,
Thorburn, and Harold M. Sinclair, Goshen.
- Special guests were: Sandy Cameron, leader of the Liberal
party in Nova Scotia; Brian Fraser, a representative of the province of Nova
Scotia; and Rev. Donald Sutherland, president of the Federation of Scottish
Clans of Nova Scotia.
- The dinner and ceilidh were at the Legion Hall in
Antigonish; the reception after the church service was in the Goshen
Community Fire Hall.
- At the reception, Jack Sinclair of Hartford, Michigan,
gave a slide presentation about "the Sinclair castle in Wick,
Scotland" - Castle Sinclair Girnigoe.
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