Join the Topeka St. Andrew Society on Sunday, April 6th, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Lucky Dog's Sports Bar and Grill in Topeka. We'll be downing a few pints in celebration of National Tartan Day in America!
Why April 6th? April 6th marks the anniversary of the drafting of most famous document in Scottish history and one of the world's most eloquent statements of nationhood: the Declaration of Arbroath.
Edward II and his English army were routed at Bannockburn by Robert the Bruce's ragtag Scottish forces in 1314. By 1319, with the recapture of the castle at Berwick, Scotland had effectively expelled England from their soil. All the while, Bruce constantly asserted his nation's sovreignty and his right to be king of Scotland. Nevertheless, England continued to launch attacks into Scotland.
A major obstacle to Scotland's independence sat in Rome. Pope John XXII had not accepted the notion, partly because Robert had been excommunicated for killing rival John Comyn the Red in a church in Dumfries in 1306. Comyn had formed an alliance with Edward II and with his father, Edward the Longshanks, before him. Truth be told, Comyn may have had a better claim to the throne than Bruce.
In 1320, the Scots decided to make their case to the Holy Father in writing. On April 6th, Abbot Bernard de Linton sat down at Arbroath Abbey and penned the Declaration of Arbroath, a formal declaration of independence.
The document urged the Pope to see things from a Scottish perspective and not to take the English's claims of villainy and treason seriously. Using strong language, it even went so far as to say that unless the Pope accepted Scotland's claim of independence, violence and wars would continue and innocent lives would continue to be lost -- and the blood would be on Pope John XXII's hands.
The document was signed and bore the seals of 38 Scottish Lords. It was delivered to Rome and the Pope accepted the Scottish case. The Holy Father sent a letter to Edward II, ordering him to cease his attacks on the Scots.
War between the English and Scots continued, and the Pope's loyalties soon went back to England for purely political reasons (he needed to ally with someone against France, and the English were willing to help -- for a price).
Nevertheless, the Declaration of Arbroath stands as one of the world's most memorable expressions of liberty, putting the wills and wishes of the people above those of the king and affirmed the nation's independence in a way that no battle ever could.
"...for, as long as but a hundred of us remain alive, never will we on any conditions be brought under English rule. It is in truth not for glory, nor riches, nor honours that we are fighting, but for freedom — for that alone, which no honest man gives up but with life itself..."
Hope to see you on the 6th!!!
The weather made it difficult to attend, but those who were able to attend the annual Robert Burns tea enjoyed an afternoon of good food, good company, great music and poetry by Rabbie himself.
Bob Lawson read a brief self-authored biography of Scotland's most famous native son, and Caleb May shared some of Burns' most famous poems, offering some insight into each. Finally, Rev. Doug Phenix led us in some traditional Scottish tunes.
March and April look to be active for TSAS. St. Patrick's Day (Monday, March 17) means it's time to march behind the Kansas Territorial Pipes and Drums in the annual downtown Topeka parade. Keep your eyes here for more details.
In celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath, you're encouraged to don the tartan for National Tartan Day! TSAS will be celebrating with a Pub Night at Lucky Dog's Sports Bar, next to Frances O'Dooley's. There will be pint and appetizer specials for those wearing their tartan.
We've also put in a request for Governor Sebelius to proclaim April 6th "National Tartan Day in Kansas." More news will be posted as we hear back from her office.
Hope to see you at the parade!
A hundred thousand welcomes from all of us with the Topeka St. Andrew Society!
Founded in 1977, the organization was established for those persons with a common interest in the history, culture and national character of Scotland and her sons and daughters.
This is the place to look for the latest Society news and information as well as upcoming events. We plan on trying some new events and ideas in 2008 -- like our first-ever Pub Night to celebrate National Tartan Day on April 6th -- so this is an exciting time to be a TSAS member!
Please take a look around the rest of the website for general information about the Society. If you'd like to join or if you just have questions, let us know by using the contact form on the "To Join..." page or you can e-mail us at topekastandrew@yahoo.com.
Or, if you'd rather talk to a real person, feel free to contact any of the executive committee members (see that page on the site) or contact membership chair Jim Williamson at 785.273.4986. We'd love to tell you more about the Topeka St. Andrew Society!
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