On the third weekend in September, after a hiatus of three years, seventeen adventurous Dunbar’s from all over the country gathered at Loon Mountain in New Hampshire’s White Mountains for the Scottish Highland Games and a memorable AGM. They came from California, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio, Maryland, Florida, Georgia and New Hampshire. Ten thousand Scottish enthusiasts were there, and our tent welcomed many visitors. Eight Dunbars (mostly women) signed up for the L & T. And we have one new member, Tony Dunbar from Georgia, whose ancestors were at Dunbarton Plantation in South Carolina.
Until Sunday afternoon, when we nearly drowned in rain, we were blessed with perfect weather of sun and 70’s. On Friday night most attended the Tartan Dinner under the direction of Scottish Chef Gary Maclean. The dishes were traditional Scottish fare, but each was prepared with a unique twist. Who knew that rumble-de-thumps were not mashed potatoes and gravy, but a delicious mix of diced potatoes, cheddar cheese and cole slaw?
On Saturday we were led to the parade grounds for the Opening Ceremony by pipers, our Dunbar banners proudly displayed. The Scottish Consulate in Boston remembered Queen Elizabeth II, who had passed away at Balmoral on September 8th, and his tribute was followed by a somber moment of silence and a moving piper’s lament.
On Saturday night we had our clan dinner, AGM and DNA Auction at our hotel. For details, please read the minutes, but I will mention two highlights of general interest:
First, we voted to hold our next AGM at San Diego; we had selected San Diego for 2020, but those games had been cancelled due to Covid;
Second, we reaffirmed our commitment to tour Scotland in 2024. Karin Dunbar, Sue Gill and I will be planning together. We hope to provide more detail in the Winter issue of the Lion & Thistle.
In conclusion I have one NOTEWORTHY STORY. On Thursday, while we were organizing our tent, Sherry Crane from Clan MacTavish drove her large SUV down our tent row, and ran over our tent flap -- and Debra Nowell’s toe. After a flurry of worried activity, we were thankful that Debra had little more than a bruised toe (but a great scare). I am telling this story because it has a silver lining. Debra and I visited the MacTavish tent the next day to assure Sherry that all was well. We heard that Graham McTavish (Outlander’s Dougal Mackenzie) had spent over half an hour at their tent at Grandfather Mountain recently. I’m pleased to report that he was extremely gracious, nattily dressed, and made a lasting positive impression on everyone.
Yours, Aye,
Christine Dunbar Kuhn, Convener for the AGM