Tribute

Lee Fuell

April 1, 2002, 2:19 p.m. (Message 30234)

All,

From an article in The Times of London, August 1990:  In 1944, the Scottish 
Country Dance Society presented then-Queen Elizabeth a bound collection of the 
books published by the SCDS.  At that time, The Reel of the 51st Division was very
popular, having been sent home from the Laufen POW camp in Germany by
mail from the soldiers who devised it.  The Queen was disappointed that the 
Society had not published the dance, and made it known she wished to see the 
dance in the next book the Society published.  As a result, the SCDS changed its 
policy of only publishing traditional dances and included Reel of the 51st
Division in The Victory Book at the end of the war.  

Of course, Queen Elizabeth later became the Queen Mother, who just
died Saturday.  Not only was she instrumental in giving us a great
dance, she helped change the policy of the SCDS from publishing only
traditional dances to accepting newly-devised dances.  Without her,
we might not have (or at least not have in RSCDS publications) all the great 
modern dances by devisers like James Cosh, Jon Drewry, Roy Goldring, and their 
ilk.  Perhaps an appropriate tribute to this great lady would be to dance Reel of the 
51st Division in our respective groups this week.

Respectfully,

Lee
Donald Lee Fuell, Jr.
President, Cincinnati Branch
Royal Scottish Country Dance Society
http://www.rscdscincinnati.org
xxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx

Psykesfam1

April 1, 2002, 5:32 p.m. (Message 30235, in reply to message 30234)

We'll be dancing Reel of the 51st tonight at our class and I'll be telling 
our dancers why! Thank you for passing that story on.

Heather
Lady Lake Scottish Country Dancers, FL

alan mair

April 1, 2002, 10:32 p.m. (Message 30236, in reply to message 30234)

All,

The 1944 Bulletin of the (then) Scottish Country Dance Society confirms this
story.

" Mrs Hamilton-Meikle (Chairman) in a few well-chosen words asked Her
Majesty to accept the book (Books 1-12) as a token of the SCDS's loyalty and
affection for the Throne ; Mrs Stewart (Vice -President) then handed the
book to the Queen, who was obviously very pleased and interested, and in the
course of her reply showed her appreciation of the work of the Society in
collecting dances from various parts of the country and publishing them. On
hearing about the dance the "51st Division Reel", sent from a German
Prisoner of War camp, Her Majesty said she hoped it would be published some
day.

So well done Ma'am.

The interesting question is why the Book was prepared for and presented to
the Queen rather than the First Couple?

Respectfully

Alan