St Andrew's Ball, Vancouver, BC 2011

The St. Andrew's Ball hosted by the St Andrew and Caledonian Society celebrated it's 125th year being the oldest Scottish society in existence in Vancouver.  It is the premier social event for the Scottish community though Robbie Burns Dinner and Highland Games in Port Coquitlam in July attract more, for sure. We learned from the delightful Kayla that the proceeds were part of the fund raising for the Scottish Studies and Piper Band at Simon Fraser University. Heather, a beautiful lady,  one of the program organizers came around and personally welcomed us.
The St. Andrew's Ball though had David Lundy as Master of Ceremonies doing a masterful job, piper Kim Reid, soloist Wilma Paton, the Royal Scottish Country Highland Dance Society, the Vancouver Fiddle Orchestra, Grace by Maureen Baird, Donald Paton addressing the Haggis, Honorable Chief Justice, Lance Finch, toasting the Queen, and Cilla Bachop toasting the Twa Lands.  The men were mostly dressed in suits but those highland kilts  cut a fine form on the dance floor while the ladies gowns and scarves were truly magnificent.  The Vancouver Marriott Pinacle Hotel did a fine job of rising to the occasion serving a delicious meal.
It was an event where Scots drank Scotch and we were informed that on average a Scot travelled some 900 hundreds miles a year on foot and drank some 20 gallons of liquor, so that it could be deduced that an Average Scot got over 41 miles to the gallon.  The dancing was splendid. There was a Grand March and then we formed 4 and 3 couple groups  to be lead through ancient parlour dances with much confusion and increasing fun as the night moved along.
I loved the piping of Kim Reid that filled the foyer of the Marriott and assured us we'd arrived at the just the right place.  The beautiful Wilma Paton's solo, Caledonia brought tears to my eyes and I so enjoyed the Toast to the Twa Lands, Scots celebrating their homeland of Canada.  What a grand occasion!
Our accountant friend, Lorne Kay, drove in from Chilliwack so we could continue our long standing banter about whether the Kay's or the Hay's contributed more to the River Tay.  Laura, a Murray and a Dunn, simply loved the elegance of the evening though she discretely passed her portion of haggis to me during the dinner.