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Auszüge aus dem St.-Andrew-Letter, die das Schaffen der Ordensmitglieder, der Komtureien sowie unter dem Patronat des Ordens stehenden Organisationen dokumentiert, und Einblicke in die allgemeine Ordensarbeit vermittelt. 

Edinburgh’s „One O’Clock-Gunner“: Tam the Gun
Since April 1999 Staff Seageant Rom McKay is member of our order in the rank of Companion (CoSA), with date of August 31st he had been appointed to Knight of Honour (HKSA). The famous “Edinburgh Gunner” has a lot of fans all over the world – let’s here cite one of them:
    
A Timely reminder bang on time
Time and tide waits for no man. Question: What time is the one o’clock gun fired? Answer: The one o’clock gun is fired daily from the Mills Mont Battery of Edinburgh Castle at 13.00 hours precisely, except on Sundays, Christmas day and Good Friday. The time gun has been a recognised audible singnal in the Capital since the 19th June 1861 except during the years 1914-18 and 1939-45, for obvious reasons. During the latter days of Queen Victoria, the time guns of Britain were wired to the city of Edinburgh.
    
In recent years the one o’clock gun has been involved in extra-curicular activities, called upon to provide the happy Hogmanay revellers with an explosive display of time keeping. The illustrious Staff Sergeant Tom McKay of 52nd Lowland Brigade has become a regular New Year television personality, appearing at the stroke of midnight – second only to Big Ben. Tam the Gun as he is known to all and sundry shares a birthday with Robert Burns – the 25th January, altough Tam claims to be younger. Edinburgh’s marching marksman has held the post of District Gunner for 21 years – the longest serving “shooter” in it’s 138-year history. Talk about doing time, he’s the biggest gunslinger in town.
   
“Never behind time Tam” sometimes ticks. The rest of the time he talks.
With time well and truly on his side (only working from 12.58 to 13.02) Tam has a big bang in mind. Not the end of the world as we hnow it but the seemingly imminent millenium celebrations. In association with David Campbell consultants, he’s planning a timely presentation within the ancient walls of Edinburgh Castle. The exhibition, engulfing the concept of time, will rum from December 1st 1999 to February 29th 2000. Historic Scotland, alonng with the 52nd Lowland Brigade is backing his unique project whole-heartedly, appreciating the significanceof time at the end of the millenium.
   
Why do pubs have to close at 5 am?
Armed with a barrel load of questions I tried to phone the time keeping Sergeant but made the error of calling him at 12.59 pm – he was working. I phoned again at 13.10 pm – he’d finished for the day. When I eventually caught up with Scotland’s “father time” he temporarily remained tight-lipped about his gunpowder plans apart from genuine need for sponsorship. However, after gentle persuasion (a large glass of Highland Park malt and two packets of cheese and onion crisps) he divulged a few fiery secrets.
    
Apparently prior to midnight on the 31st December 1999 Tam’s two tonne time piece will be liftet eighty feet from the Mills Mount Battery to a position close to St. Margaret’s chapel by a sixty tonne crane – courtesy of Hewden Crane Hire. A detailed history of the one o’clock gun will be at the centre of the exhibition along with a miniature version of Tam’s Howitzer, modelled especially for the millenium. There’s even a rumour circulating the town suggesting a “tiny Tam” will be cast to accompany this replica gun. I never ever thought Tam would become a model! No more was said, time flies when you’re enjoying yourself. An ear-spitting bellow of “Time, gentlemen please”brought our pragmatic face to face discussion to an abrupt halt. The hourglass had run its course so I shook his firearm and left. Why do pubs have to closeat 5 am?
   
It’s a sign of the times when Tam appears with cap in hand to aid his quest for a punctual exhibition. Neverthless this is a one in a million chance to have the time of your life by involving yourself in a project second to none. Can you give “Tam the Gum” a hand with this unique event? He’s looking for anyone who can detonate……oops I mean donate a little funding in the form of sponsorship.
    
If he can’t find a sponsor then apparently everything will have to be bought on tick. Call District Gunner Tom McKay on 0131 310 5071 or write to him at Edingurgh Castle.  He’ll certainly make time to see you.

Grand Priory of U.S.A.
Here some positively activities may be realized next time, as the grand prior, H.E.Lt. General Dr. John B. Bennett GCSA, announced – we will inform our members in next issue. For all members in U.S.A.: The grand prior’s adress is 3603 Highway T, Labadie, MO, 63055; fax: (314) 939-3329.

Museum’s fifth anniversary
With the Diplomaof Honour St.Andrew-Associaton congratulated the Scottish Tartans Museum and Heritage Center in Franklin, North Caarolina (USA) to 5th anniversary; the diploma was presented by our member James Wesley Akins, chieftain of Clan Akins. H.E. The Grand Master received a letter of thanks of Mr. Carl McSween, sergeant of the museum’s Scottish Tartan Color Guard and letter of appointment to honourary member of the mentioned unit. Further cooperation – if possible – is planned.
    
The Museum’s adress: The W.C. Burrell Building 95 East Main Street, Franklin NC 28734, phone 828-524-74 72.

Priory of Portugal
As prior of Portugal H.E. Prof. Dr. Dom Antonio C. de Albuquerque de Sousa-Lara, Count of Guedes GCSA, has been appointed. The chervalier is acting as historian, author etc. and holds the position of vice-rector of the most distinguished Universidade Moderna (seat: Lisboa).

Priory of Germany
As prior of Germany has been appointed Chev. H. Prof. Dr. Michael Pöhlmann, Laird of Drumdunnan GCSA. Since many years he is acting meritorious in the domain of humanitarian aid (children in Estonia and Africa, etc.), in summer1999 he has been appointed to vice-prior of the Ecumenical Confraternity of Saint Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Priory of Finland
Fight against drugs and special services for young people has been declared as goals of the priory of Finland any time ago.Unfortunately we received no actually informations about real activities in this domain until now, but we wish best success for all projects.

(Bildtext): With the “Happy German Bagpipers” Chev. Fritz A.E. Plassmann Laird of Inverie HKSA (left), visited the order’s seat Balgonie Castle. Chev. Basil Wolfrhine of Stuart, Laird of Kintail & Camster GCSA (right), head of the commandery of Soonwald, now also as a musician is very succesful: With his “Basil Wolfrhine’s Great Highland Show” (Rock, Pop, Classics etc.) at the “Highland Games” in Tiefenthal/Pfalz on June 26th he invited the visitors to a journey through Scotland.

FLVPD: CD deliverable next time
Available up from October 1999 (as we hope) is the 1st CD of “The Leiblach Valley Pipes and Drums”.Orderst: Pipe Major chev. Emil King, Laird of Garegarth GCSA, Sägerstraße 8, A-6912 Hörbranz(more about the CD next issue of St.Andrew-Letter.

DONATIONS TO “OUR” MUSEUM
From members of the order “our” Museum of Scotland (Edinburgh) received three distinguished objexts: Chev. Wolfrhine of Stuart donated the statuettes “The Jacobite” and “Braveheart” from the series “Scottish history in pewter”, H.E. the Grand Master presented one hand-finished Laird’s Assembly-badge.

NATIONAL ANTHEMs AUTOR DIED
With sadness we had heard from Chief The Chev. S.L. Akins of that Ilk, that Mr. Cliff Hanley whow rote the words to Scotland The Brave passed away in August. Akins: “He will be greatly missed, but the words which he wrote to our National Anthem will live on as long as the spirit of the Scottish piople endures”. Members who want to receive the complete text of Scotland forever may request a copy from Grand Master’s office.

Commandery of Nellenburg
Also here a very encouraging development is to registrate: The SAVC-unit actually has thirty members, the number of members of the order (knights and dames) is thirteen now (in the commandery of Nellenburg all members of the order automatically become members of St.Andrew Volunteer Corps). Acting as commander and vice-commander are the chevaliers Dipl. SpkW Fritz Metterhauser GCSA and Hans Peter Raith, Laird of Craig Mellon GCSA, who is so prefect for Baden and Württemberg and King of Arms of the order. Special thanks we hereby want to express to Chev. Metterhauser, who generously made possible now the production of the SAVC-badges.

NEW MERIAN-TOURIST GUIDES
“Scotland has no National Anthem”, “Nobility-title wanted? Scottish Laird-titles to buy up from DM 850,-…” – okay, let’s forget such nonsense published in former MERIAN-publications. Clear arrangement and design, useful size (11 x 21 cm), well done photographs, illustrations and stories, actually informations and sevice-tips – all that makes the “hand-books” “MERIAN classic: Schottland – Kultur mit Genuss” (192 pages) and “MERIAN live! – Schottland” (128 pages) to indeed useful guides (Verlag Gräfe und Unzer/München).

ANNUAL FEES URGENTLY REQUESTED
A lot of members has not paid the annul fees for 1999, some are in debt with their fees also for 1998. The fees (payable either to this local unit (commandery/priory) or to Grand Master ’s office) are; Knight/Dame US$ 25,-, Commander/Dame Commander US$ 35,-, Grand Cross/Dame Grand Cross US$ 85,-; honourary members we thank for a donation.

COOPERATIONS SAVC & ÖASG
A lot of successfully cooperations also this years has been arranged between our Volunteer Corps (SAVC) and the Österreichische Albert Schweitzer-Gesellschaft (ÖASG), Last common activity was a donation of medicaments for the “Centrul Mitropolitan Moldovei si Bucovinei” in Iasa/Romania (September 1999).

(Bildtext): Head of the commandery of Alabama and High Commisioner of The Laird’s Assembly: Chev. Steven L.Akins of that Ilk CXA, High Chief of the Name and Arms of the Clan Akins. Personally arms of the chief and crest-badge of Clan Akins.

5th anniversary: GORDON HIGHLANDERS OF AUSTRIA
Five years-jubilee this autumn celebrates a very actively Scottish unit in Austria - The Gordon Highlanders of Austria with seat in Donnerskirchen (Burgenland). Actually seventeen members – mostly young men – chief Christoph Gänsbacher, Amtmann (=title used in the federal-state Burgenland for the community-secretary and “right hand” of the mayor) has under his command – all in full dress (tartan:Gordon) – and in next future also able to act as pipers and drummeres (“start-aid” for using the special instruments was given in summer by our member Col. The Chev. Emil King Laird of Garegarth GCSA, pipe major of before mentioned band “The First Leiblach Valley Pipes and Drums” (FLVPD) with seat in Hörbranz (Voralberg).
    
In August 1999 chief Gänsbacher and his adjutant visites H.E. the Grand Master and in relation to a lot of common goals a partnership-contract between the order and the Gordon Highlanders of Austria will be realized next time (as it exists between the order and the FLVPD since 1985).
    
On 1st of August chief Gänsbacher and his team had invited to their 3rd highland-games in Donnerskirchen, since 4 years Gänsbacher holds the all-Austrian title of “Highlander of the year”. With date of July 20th he has been admitted as member of the order with the rank of HKSA (Knight of Honour).

THE LAIRD’S ASSEMBLY
At the name-day of St. Ebba (yr.) of Coldingham (April 2nd 1999), in middleages Saint-patron of lairds, landed proprietors and farmers, THE LAIRD’S ASSEMBLY has been established. The associaton is open for members (and non-members) of the order, who are owner of a Scottish Laird-title and also to all friends of Scotland.
    
Categories of membership are: Associate (ALA), Member (MLA) and Hon.Member (HMLA). The badge shown in colour the silver (white) head of the silver(white) unicorn (Scotland’s traditional “heraldix biest”) with neck-crown and golden chain before the saltire, the St. Andrew’s-flag; the black inscription “ALBA GU BRATH” is the gaelic version of “SCOTLAND THE BRAVE”. The small eight-pointed crosses are symbols for the affiliation of The Laird’s Assembly to the order.
    
Acting as High Commissioner is The Much Honourable Chev. Steven Lewis Akins of that Ilk CSA, High chief of the Name and Arms of the Clan Akins; Hon. High commissioner is H.E. The Grand Maser of the order.
    
Deliverable up from now are an excellent three-colours-printed diploma and a metal-badge, designed in ancient-silver, silver and gold (please request special informations from Grand Master’s office). Into the diploma the four last lines of our beloved Scotland the Brave have been included:

Land of the purple heather,
Land of the stormy weather,
Land in my heart forever:
Scotland the Brave!

And: The Laird’sAssembly does not award Laird-titles, but can help to arrange such for serious applicants.

Arms of Commandery of Regau
The order’s King of Arms (Grand Herald), Chev. Hans Peter Raith, Laird of Craig Mellon GCSA, has finished the arms of the order’s commandery of Regau (Upper Austria): The escutcheon (chield) shows the family-coat of arms of the commander, col. Mag. Art. Alexander Sixtus Baron of Reden CSA (beams in red-white-red-white) in combination with a gaolden winged sword-hand (a symbol from the arms of Regau). The arms will be registrated also in the Raith’s Roll of Arms which will be published next time.

Priory of Italy
As prior of Italy has been appointed Comm. Dr. h.c. Eliseo Zecchin CSA, secretary-general of the distinguished Unione Nazionaledi Cavalerid’Italia (U.N.C.I.), a journalist, publisher and editor. His office is that of U.N.C.I.: P.taa Municipia, 8/2; I-37121 Verona/Italia, phone and fax 045/ 800 11 22. A vice-prior of Italy may be nominated next time.

Commandery of Alabama
With date of July 9th 1999 the commandery of Alabama (U.S.A.) has been established; as the commander has been appointed The Much Honoured The Laird of Akins, Steven Lewis Akins of that Ilk CSA, High Chief of the Namne and Arms of the Clan Akins and president of The Clan Akins society. The commandery’s adress is: 680 Alma Road, Jasper, Alabama 35501-8507, U.S.A.

Commandery of Illinois
In relation to unpleasant affairs the order had to declare the commandery of Illinois with seat in Chicago (U.S.A.) for “closed” until to new decisions; the commander, Chev. John W. Young III. Laird of Auldbar CSA, has been suspended upfrom August 1999.