Project 2: Draft 1

St. Andrew Society of Sarasota

“The flower of Scotland, when will we see, your like again. That fought and died for, your wee bit hill and glen.” If you attend the Highland Games of Sarasota, you will most likely hear this anthem played loud and proud throughout the entire day, with drums and bagpipes. This is only one of the many Scottish social events that is hosted by the St. Andrew Society of Sarasota. The St. Andrew Society of Sarasota was originally founded in 1979, and it is a society that celebrates Scottish heritage. They have numerous social events, such as the Tartan Ball, Burns Supper, and the new year’s eve Hogmanay celebration. The organization was originally founded to offer financial assistance to Scottish citizens immigrating to the United States and Canada in the early 1900’s. Currently the focus of the St. Andrew society is to celebrate Scottish heritage in Sarasota, and give back to the community.

St. Andrew society’s origin is from the historical figure St. Andrew of Scotland. He played a vital role in the rise of Scotland’s power in the 1300’s. He was one of Jesus’ disciples, and according to Britannica, he was believed to be the first disciple of Jesus. After he was crucified in Patras, Greece, they honored his sacrifice by creating the Saltire design on the flag. According to the author Michael Turnbull:

“…King Angus looked into the rising sun and saw the Saltire Cross in its blinding light. This filled him and his men with great confidence and they were victorious. From that time St. Andrew and his Saltire Cross were adopted as the national symbols for the emerging Scotland.”

Despite being the patron saint of Scotland, St. Andrew never actually set foot in Scotland, according to Scotland.org.

There is not just the St. Andrew Society of Sarasota. There are St. Andrew Society chapters in different locations around the world. My parents and grandparents are members of the St. Andrew Society of Sarasota, but my great grandparents were members in the St. Andrew Society chapter of Detroit.

The most notable Scottish event run by the St. Andrew Society is the Highland Games of Sarasota. The Highland Games is a big festival that imitates the traditional highland games in Scotland. They have unusual traditional events, such as log throwing and rock slinging. British food is sold at the festival, and a Scottish rock band performs every year at the games. At the festival, there is quite a mix of people. There are those who wish they were Scottish and don kilts along with formal Scottish attire, and there are also current Scottish citizens that attend. At the games, it is also common to see people casually carrying axes, knives, and swords. They sell ancient Scottish weapon replicas and kilts at the festival. An example of a classic Scottish weapon would be the Damascus Dirk. It is a sword, but it is not designed to cut or stab. Instead, it has a blunt edge that is used to strike an enemy.