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Dear Friends,
Our Scottish Weekend in Moultrie is not possible without the complete
and enthusiastic cooperation of a huge number of people and agencies both
here in Colquitt County and Moultrie, and literally, from all over the
world.
This year, Braveheart Scottish Weekend 2003 brought in to our community
– using actual dollar amounts – something like $75,000 to $80,000. These
figures include only basic registration fees, motel rentals, meals, etc.,
and are on the conservative side. (I know that at least one of our
visitors went four times to Bud K and almost bought the place out!)
If you multiply even the smallest number by the “roll-over” formula
suggested by the Chamber of Commerce, you will see it is a significant
influx of “new” money to our area. Almost every dime that comes in to us
goes right back out to the community in the products and services that
make the event possible.
To me, over the years, it has been an important weekend – both as a
public relations event and an economic event – to our city and county.
This year, we had visitors to Moultrie from at least 25 states and
from Canada and Scotland. There were almost 100 Scottish Clan (Family)
groups represented.
I must thank Harriet Carlton, Miranda Mabry and Scott Smith – who
worked way beyond what anyone could have thought or expected anyone to
do! Thanks as well to Melody Jenkins, Norma McKellar and Wendy Hayek who
ordered things, blew up balloons, delivered VIP goodie bags and solicited
things locally for our goodie bags!
Norma McKellar organized her library groups and some of the schools so
that our school children made enough Valentine’s for decorating and for
each of our visitors to have a hand-colored card! Thanks to all of the
youngsters in the schools and at the YMCA who worked on this project for
us.
We must thank Elizabeth McGee, Laura Bittinger, Jackie Crozier, Sandy
Allen, Lorene Wallace, Camille Morris and Irene Wilson from the Historical
Society who came and greeted our arriving guests.
We must thank Becky & Carlton Duggan, Judy and Mark Mobley, Mr. and
Mrs. Victor Beadles, Sally Shovar, Anne and Monty Carlton, June Maule,
Riverside Manufacturing, Willard Lasseter, Vivian Anderegg, Rev. Winston
Baker, Mr. & Mrs. George Whitfield, Dr. Patty June, Dr. Dave Adcock, Woody
Bowers and Gidge & Warren Taylor for hosting our out of town program
participants in their homes.
Anne and Monty Carlton also hosted a luncheon for twenty invited Very
Important People at their home on Saturday. Anne and Monty have done this
for years…and have always hosted someone as well.
June Maule made it possible for us to have a venue for our big crowd
Saturday evening by loaning us her hangar at no charge…and the Colquitt
County Agricultural Center hosted us on Friday night.
We must thank The Cornerstones Group of the First Presbyterian Church
for helping to decorate for our Saturday night Gala Banquet and Ceilidh –
Ed & Eilene Bates, Bits Beard, Wayne and Jean Burroughs, Polly Cobb, Pearl
Grandy, Iris Griffin, Joyce Laabs, Billie Joel Lauer and Verna Moon.
Ron Hunter of Hunter’s Video Productions came and video-taped part of
Saturday night’s events for our local public access TV channel. You’ll be
able to see it soon! Thanks, Ron!
We must thank the entire First Presbyterian Church in Moultrie for a
beautiful Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan and luncheon on Sunday.
We must thank Marion Hay and Max Hancock for helping us overcome
hurdles and the folks from Colquitt County who did help us move what
seemed like half a million tables and chairs and boxes of decorations and
uncounted boxes of heavy things! Many thanks to Al Daniel and his crews.
We must thank Mayor Bill McIntosh for his help in our securing
“trail-blazing-road-cones” from the State Department of Transportation and
in getting the lot behind the library cleared and neat for our athletics
demonstrations and pipe band concert.
We must thank the City Recreation Department for the loan of uncounted
tables and our bleachers for the athletics demonstrations!
Thanks to Smith Foundry for help with our helium for our Saturday night
balloons.
Scottish Weekend would never have been possible without the help of
Roscoe Gay and his crew of the best cooks anywhere. We could not do
without the cook tent from Prico Tents!
We could have never made any of our Saturday evening venues into places
of magic without Ronnie Barrett and Flowers by Barrett.
Joan Lewis wrought her chocolate magic for a special gift for Raymond
Campbell Paterson of Edinburgh, Scotland. Raymond took his “chocolate
box” intact on the plane – on his lap – back to Scotland for his daughters
to see and enjoy!
We could have never made presentations without Rocky Jones and Rocky’s
Trophies!
This year, we could have not had our athletic demonstrations without
the “loan” of Rocky’s vacant lot!
We could not have had supplies for our parties without Moultrie
Distributing!
Art-Carved Signs and Hughey Holloway made gorgeous signs for the
weekend!
We could not have had all of our programs without the kind cooperation
of Jack Bridwell and The Colquitt County Museum of History.
We could not have had our Scottish Country Dancing Workshops without
the cooperation of The Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce. (The
dancers LOVE dancing on the third floor of Moultrie’s “castle!”)
Faye Gay has made our hand molded chocolates for years…adding that
special touch of thoughtfulness and deliciousness to our event.
DeLayne Hodges and his son have made our Odom Heritage Award for the
last two years. What they can do to a block or two of wood is
unbelievably wonderful.
Thank you to Chip Blaylock at the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition for
the loan of another (it seemed) half a million tables and chairs for use
in Mrs. Maule’s hangar on Saturday evening.
We so appreciate the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Department who directed
traffic for us on Friday and Saturday evenings…and the Georgia DOT for the
loan of road cones to blaze a trail to our Saturday evening party.
We appreciate the City of Moultrie Police Department for helping with
the Centerville Volunteer Pipes & Drums wee concert on the Square
Saturday.
We know we filled The Hampton Inn that weekend and The Executive Inn
too…with folks at the other local motels as well. We appreciate the
cooperation of the local accommodations folks.
Sears, The American Banking Company, Griner Jewelry, South Georgia
Banking Company, The Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce and
Everything Special made it possible for us to print a program and
registration form in The Family Tree.
The Southwest Georgia Bank and the Grassroots Arts Program (supported
in part by the Grassroots Program of the Georgia Council of the Arts
through the appropriation of the Georgia General Assembly and in
partnership with the Colquitt County Arts Center) made it possible for
dear Chinnubbie McIntosh to come from Hominy, Oklahoma to not only
participate in Braveheart Scottish Weekend 2003, but to appear at Okapilco
School, Funston Elementary School, R.B. Wright School and at Doerun
Elementary School.
Mr. McIntosh also participated in the video/television program in our
schools. (Chinnubbie McIntosh is a descendant of John Mohr Mackintosh -
Chief of the Mackintosh - who was with Oglethorpe when Georgia was
founded. John Mohr - “Big John - married into the Wind Clan of the Creek
Nation, so Chinnubbie is Chief of the Mackintosh and Chief of the
Creek…and incidentally, a long-time and beloved friend of mine!)
Moultrie businesses and individuals who helped with our door prizes
include The Army and Navy Store, The Moultrie Pawn Shop, Artistic Flowers,
Badcock Furniture, Colquitt Regional Medical Center, Creative Cakes and
Candies, Lasseter Tractor, Mel Gay, The Upper Room Christian Book Store,
Richard A. Garcia, DVM, Live Oak Veterinary, Hooks Package Store and Sid’s
Antiques and Gifts.
Moultrie businesses and individuals who helped with our goodie bags
include The Moultrie YMCA, Crystal Pharmacy in Moultrie, The American
Banking Company, The Southwest Georgia Bank, The Moultrie-Colquitt County
Chamber of Commerce, The Apothecary Shop, Peach Care for Kids, Stanley
Home Products (Harriett Carlton), A Taste of Home Restaurant in Doerun and
Fuller’s Fried Chicken in Moultrie.
Space prohibits me thanking the out-of-county-and-town-and country
folks who helped…but they range from 200 handsome Coca Cola bags from my
friend, Susan Shaw in Atlanta…and two hand-crochet afghans from my friend
Alice Henry in St. Paul, Minnesota…to a very special just-for-Braveheart-Scottish-Weekend
booklet done by my friend Anne Cristie of Burke’s Peerage in London…to a
lovely Scottish music CD for each of those 200 goodie bags and a Robert
Burns video for 24 VIP goodie bags from Scotland – carried in hand luggage
all the way from Edinburgh to Moultrie by The Family Tree Internet Editor,
Alastair McIntyre!
Our entertainers and speakers came from the four corners of the world!
I’m so proud to say that you will never be able to see in one place the
quality of both the entertainers and the speakers as we had in Moultrie
this year! It was the best Scottish Weekend ever!
If you’d like to know all of the out-of-town folks who helped…just drop
by the library and I’ll be glad to show you a complete program and tell
you too!
It is a very complicated event – our program was 13 pages long this
year – and just can’t be done if everyone isn’t willing to jump in and
help.
Thank you all.
Aye,
Beth Gay, DCTJ, FSA Scot
Editor-in-Chief, The Family Tree |
