Project 2: Interview #1
Interview with Joseph and Deidre Ambrose - February 20th, 2017
Q: How did you find out about the St. Andrew Society?
J.A: My grandfather was part of the St. Andrew Society in Detroit. When me and your mother moved to Sarasota, we saw Sarasota was having a Robert Burns supper. I think that was 1996…
Q: Does your heritage need to be Scottish, or can you join even if you just like Scotland?
J.A: You can just be interested in Scotland, you don’t have to be an American.
D.A: The organization was actually for immigrants. They helped Scottish immigrants become accustomed to America and Canada. It was basically a support network for Scottish-Americans. But now it’s a fraternal organization.
Q: Do you have immigration documents from any family members?
J.A: Grandma Jean has naturalization papers from Bryan Ambrose.
D.A: I don’t think we have immigration documents from Scotland, but I think I have immigration documents from our Irish family members...They’re somewhere in the house.
Q: How does St. Andrews give back?
D.A: They helped widows with life insurance, and funeral expenses. Immigrants couldn’t get regular life insurance so they had to insure themselves. Over time, they had things like retirement homes, there was one in Chicago by St. Andrews. They gave financial aid and helped orphans.
J.A: For every one, it’s chapter is different. Now it’s social events, such as Burns supper, holding the Highland Games competition, and they actually have a Burns club where people can learn and read about Robert Burns. Some years they have a New Year’s Hogmanay celebration.
Q: How long have you all been members?
J.A: 21 years, some people there have been friends for over 25 years
Q: Did my grandparents know about it?
J.A: Yes, but they didn’t join here in Florida
Q: Is there any other interesting facts or information I should know about the St. Andrews Society, or my Scottish heritage in general?
D.A: Sarasota mentions their heritage frequently, because it was founded by Scots. We even have a sister city in Scotland called Dunfermline. And the Mertz theater was brought here in 1939, which was an old Dunfermline opera house that was reconstructed here in Sarasota.
D.A: It’s named after the Patron saint of Scotland, St. Andrew.
J.A: He never saw Scotland, he was killed in modern day Greece. They found out Romans were gonna desecrate him and ground up his bones, so some Christians took his bones back to Scotland. Scotland was the first country to have free primary public education, because they wanted to make sure everyone could read their Bible. They did not want to have to rely on the church to read it to them.