Hogmanay and New Year’s Day are well established Scottish traditions that are celebrated enthusiastically not just in Scotland but in the far flung corners of the world and not just by those of Scottish origin. Few Americans miss the time honored “Dropping of the Ball” in Times Square to signify the start of the New Year and with it the hopes and aspirations that each of us has.

As you raise your glasses to welcome in 2008, I would ask that you remember another equally well known custom– making (and keeping) New Year’s resolutions.

On our site, you will read a request from the committee of the Columbus Scottish Festival in Columbus, Indiana for assistance to help produce their festival on Saturday and Sunday, September 13 and 14, 2008. Murl McRae(a former president of our Society) is the current chairman of its Clan committee. From this, and our own experience, you will understand that it is becoming increasingly difficult for organizations like ours and events like Murl’s to operate without a great deal of input from members and volunteers and for whatever the reasons they are becoming more and more difficult to recruit. More often than not, it is the ‘old faithfuls’ who willingly and selflessly perform all the necessary tasks without which Societies could not function effectively. From editing and mailing newsletters, recording the minutes of the meetings, answering queries, controlling the Heritage Fund, keeping accounts, maintaining the members’ register, planning our meetings, organizing the schedules for the various events we attend, keeping our web site up-to-date, attending functions and archiving our records, these and a host of other duties are carried out on our behalf by a dedicated band of volunteers without whose help we could not continue.

My plea to you for 2008 is, therefore, to try to find some time in your already busy schedules to volunteer your services and or time for the seemingly increasing number of duties that need to be performed to keep us the successful Society that previous members and officers have made it. You will be surprised how much you will benefit personally. Now that’s a resolution well worth making! My very best wishes to you and yours for 2008,Jim