strathspey@strathspey.org:63981

Anselm Lingnau

Re: open meeting in Edinbugh

April 22, 2013, 9:20 p.m. (Message 63981, in reply to message 63980)

Andrew Smith wrote:

> For the past ten years at least my understanding is that the Constitution
> has not referred to "Country Dancing as danced in Scotland" as either under
> the "Objects" (incidentally with no reference to 'Aims') or in the current
> terminology, the "Purposes".

The »country dances as danced in Scotland« thing was part of the Society's 
aims when it was newly founded in 1923. Somewhere down the road – rather more 
than 10 years ago – it got changed to »Scottish country dances«.

It is well worth considering that the Society started as a »Scottish« (as 
opposed to English) »country dance society« – the English already had one in 
the form of the EFDSS, of which the two intrepid ladies apparently didn't want 
to become the Scottish arm. Given that SCD is now an international, rather 
than Scottish, concern it makes sense to think of the Society as the Royal 
»Scottish country dance« society, promoting, not just in Scotland but 
everywhere, the style of dance imported into Scotland in the 18th century, 
kept alive during the 19th and early 20th centuries, and reinvigorated and 
endowed with international appeal by the (R)SCDS in the latter part of the 
20th. It is up to us in the 21st century to make sure that SCD stays fun, 
international, and welcoming to everybody everywhere. Scotland is a fine place 
but keeping SCD just for the Scots would be a terrible waste!

Incidentally, would anyone here who actually went to the meeting be prepared 
to summarise for us what happened? Pia? Robert?

Anselm
-- 
Anselm Lingnau, Mainz/Mayence, Germany ................. xxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Simple is better than complex. Complex is better than complicated.
                                            -- Tim Peters, _The Zen of Python_