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The Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library Family Tree
The Family Tree - April/May 2003
Braveheart Scottish Weekend 2003 Thank You


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


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