When is International Kilt Wearing Day?

[Tobus]

No chance! The Philadelphia St.Andrews society, one of the oldest in the country, has private affairs for members only, and you can only become a member by being invited by another member (but there is no way of knowing who is a member...). I've written the chap on their contact sheet, and he keeps promising to get back to me...but no luck yet.

Wow - do they have a secret handshake too?

That doesn't seem like a very open or friendly way to promote Scottish culture. If that is indeed their goal... which may or may not be the case.

[macwilkin]

Wow - do they have a secret handshake too?

That doesn't seem like a very open or friendly way to promote Scottish culture. If that is indeed their goal... which may or may not be the case.

You have to remember, though, what the original purpose of a St. Andrew's Society was -- not to promote Scottish culture to non-Scots, but to serve as a mutual aid society for Scots immigrants on a distant shore. Whilst they certainly did celebrate Scots culture, it came as a secondary mission to relieving the distressed on a foreign shore. Obviously given that mission, some safeguards had to be taken, or else funds and contacts might have been abused by those with less than honest intentions, just as others aped the secret handshakes, passwords, etc. of fraternal organisations.

T.