“Caledonian Club to be formed in Bermuda” read a front-page headline in the November 20, 1936 edition of The Royal Gazette and Colonist Daily. The meeting on November 29, St. Andrew’s Eve, at the Inverurie Hotel in Paget, was held to form a club and discuss its aims and objectives. All those who were Scottish by birth or parentage and ‘wives of Scotsmen’ (no husbands of Scotswomen presumably) were invited to attend.
The Society which was subsequently formed had as its aims the promotion of friendliness among Scots in Bermuda; provision of relief to members in times of adversity and assistance of Scots residing in Bermuda; the preservation and promotion of Scottish history, culture, literature and music of Scotland, and the encouragement of community caring by raising of funds for local charities.
The first function of the Bermuda Caledonian Society was a dinner and dance at the Hamilton Hotel on January 25, 1937 to celebrate Burns’ Night. Hailed “a Huge Success”, the dinner was attended by the Colonial Secretary, the Hon. A. G. Grantham, and Mrs. Grantham, and the Mayor of St. George’s and Mrs. Meyer. His Excellency the Governor and Lady Hildyard, accompanied by his ADC, joined the company later in the evening following a prior engagement at the English Speaking Union. The Chaplain of the Society, Rev. James W. Purves, recited the Selkirk Grace, and the Haggis “wi’ a’ the Honours” was piped into the dining room amid cheering by Mr. Thomas Aitchison. During dinner the Myles Standish Trio played Scottish melodies, and Miss Claire Dillon sang “Annie Laurie.” The evening was presided over by the President of the Society, Mr. Lawrence H. Smart, who though not a Scot himself, was the son of an officer in the Highland Light Infantry. Vice President Mr. Robert Aitken proposed the toast to the Immortal Memory, the toast “The Land O’ Cakes” was proposed by Rev. Purves, “a stout Lowlander”, and the last Toast “The Land we Live in” was proposed by Mr. E. A. McCallan. An Eightsome Reel was danced by three sets, and following the singing of “Auld Lang Syne” the evening concluded with dancing in The Grill”. Mr. McCallan’s speech was printed verbatim in the January 27 issue of the daily.
The first meeting under the new constitution was held at the residence of the President, The Old House, Point Shares on Friday June 11, 1937, at which Rev. Purves gave a speech on “an interesting Scottish subject”: conditions in Scotland today compared with those of the past. About 40 gathered at the Smarts’ residence, and in addition to the lecture, those attending were treated to Scottish tunes played by piper Tom Aitcheson. This was followed by a less formal gathering on July 1 at “The Rowleys”, Riddles Bay when about 25 members played various outdoor games and enjoyed light refreshments. Later that year on November 12 the annual meeting, attended by more than 60 members, was held and was followed by a social gathering. In addition to a talk by Rev. Purves, there were a raffle, Scottish songs and eightsome reels to pipe music. Tickets were 2/-. There was no celebration of St. Andrew’s Night, but plans were made to hold the annual Burns’ Night dinner on January 25 the following year.
The committee elected for the following year was as follows: President Lt. Col. Gourlay, Vice Presidents Miss K. Wingate and Mr. R. D. Aitken, Hon. Secretary Mr. Hugh Davidson, Hon. Treasurer Mr. Charles Fuller, Chaplain Rev. Purves and Executive Committee Mrs. M. A. Gibbons, Mrs. S. Clark and Mr. J. M. Waterson. Mr. T. Aitcheson continued as the Society’s piper.
In April 1937 a memorial service at Christ Church, Warwick was held for soldiers of the Black Watch regiment buried in the churchyard. The following year plans were made for the erection of a memorial to the officers and men of the Black Watch interred in the churchyard while the regiment was stationed on the Island from 1842 to 1852. To raise funds for the memorial, the Society held a “Floor Show and Dance” at the Hamilton Hotel, with tickets costing 4/-. The memorial was unveiled with Scottish and military honours on the afternoon of Sunday, May 15, 1938. Special features of the ceremony included “a letter from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth who was honorary colonel of the regiment, tartan plaids of the Black Watch covering the memorial, sent from the regiment’s headquarters in Scotland for the occasion, and two claymores used in the trouble days of the Stuart rebellions, to combat which the regiment of the Black Watch was first raised.
The Burns Night Soiree of 1941 was somewhat different from the dinners of previous years, as it was held as an aid to the Bermuda War Fund, to which the Society had already made several donations. In 1942 they invested funds in War Savings Certificates, and adopted a Cameron Highlander prisoner of war in Germany at a cost of £24 per annum. Thus began a long-established tradition of giving back to the community in which they had settled.
After the war, with the establishment of regular flights of the British Overseas Airways Corporation from the UK, the haggis was flown in especially for the Burns’ Supper, and presented to the Society’s president with much ceremony.
In 2000 a third gala event was added to the Society’s eagerly anticipated events, a Hogmanay Ball, which included the singing of Auld Lang Syne twice: once at 8pm (midnight in the UK) and again at midnight local time.
Funds raised through raffles held at the two balls have allowed the Society to make significant contributions to various local charities over the years.
