The Chestermere Whitecappers Association honoured Chestermere’s Scottish community with bagpipes and haggis during the annual Robert Burns potluck dinner on Jan. 28.
Every year, the Chestermere Whitecappers Association celebrates Robert Burns Day to honour former Scottish president, Graham Cox.
“We brought in a piper, the tradition is the haggis is piped in, then Graham recited the “Address to a Haggis,” said the Vice President of the Chestermere Whitecappers Association Karen Rideout.
Over 60 residents attended the annual Robert Burns potluck dinner and gathered to celebrate.
“There are a lot of Scottish people in Chestermere who might not have another outlet to celebrate Robbie Burns day,” Rideout said.
She added, “If anybody wanted to celebrate because they are Scottish, we were here for them.”
When Robert Burns died, his friends had a dinner to honour him and read the “Address to a Haggis,” which has carried on for more than 200 years.
The President of the Calgary Burns Club Jim Hutchens suggests Robert Burns Day is celebrated because of the humanity of the poet.
“His grasp of the fact all men and women were created equal in a time when the station of people was defined by class and wealth,” Hutchens said.
He added that individuals such as William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, and Robert Burns espouses freedom, freedom of Scottish people, of souls, of mind, of thought, of speech, and the freedom to fulfill dreams and potential.
“That is what it means to be Scottish and to be Canadian, and to live in this country,” Hutchens said.
“Robert Burns captured all this and more in his works and words,” he said.
Not only did the Robert Burns Day potluck dinner give residents in the community an opportunity to celebrate and to socialize, but to also see what the Chestermere Whitecappers Association has to offer.
“Our members look at this club as being a very safe and secure place to gather with their peers,” Rideout said.
“Everyone could sit and socialize. Being social leads to longevity, the key is that it’s a safe environment to come to,” she said.
Adding, the Chestermere Whitecappers Association is always looking for new members 50 years of age or older.
For more information on the Chestermere Whitecappers Association stop by the centre, or please visit the website at http://whitecappers.ca/.
