Newspaper Article – Clan Celebrates 90 Years

CLAN CELEBRATES 90 YEARS

By Mary Hollywood

A sixpenny supper at a Scots function? Yes, but with no suggestion of meanness or frugality. That was the price of a mid-evening repast when clans gathered in Napier 90 years ago.

Today in Napier families of the former Hawke’s Bay Highland Society and the City of Napier Caledonian Society and Pipe Band, celebrate 90 years of Scottish activities in Napier with more than 500 people gathered in the city for the occasion.

The clan spirit of Scotland is evident with third and even fourth generation members and friends attending the anniversary festivities.

Records of the Scots societies in Napier are sketchy but it is fact that the Caledonian Society – under several names – survived the Highland Society which appears to have ceased existence about the time of the Napier earthquake.

The last trustees were the late Mr Norman McKenzie and Mr Tom Parker.

Throughout their history the aims of the two societies were different. The Hawke’s Bay Highland Society concentrated on sporting activities; the games native to Scotland as well as amateur athletics, while the Caledonian society arranged Inglesides and evening functions.

Lost headquarters

Early records confirm the Hawke’s Bay highland Society was functioning in Napier in 1890, meeting regularly on the old recreation ground – where the Municipal Electricity Department and old tram barns were later situated in the triangle created by Faraday, Carlyle and Thackeray Streets.

When plans were first mooted to bring electricity to Napier and to provide tramway transport, the followers of the Rugby code moved to Logan Park and cricketers planned a move to Nelson Park, but with the imminent closure of the recreation ground for an MED depot and for tram barns, the highland Society had nowhere else to go.

It was at this time that the society’s chief, Mr R. D. D. Maclean, [McLean] gave the park which was to bear the family names to the people of Napier.

The gift, presented as a memorial to his father, Sir Donald MacLean, [McLean] included the proviso that the society have the use of the sport’s ground for three days each year free of charge.

Descendants of society members think this proviso still stands.

The Highland Society’s interest in Maclean Park (as the spelling should be) was emphasised when in 1911 it made a donation or nearly 1000 pounds to develop “two full-sized grounds” and “an uncovered stand seating about 1000”.

The society’s generosity was not restricted to the recreational needs of its members – their personal and family needs were attended to also.

Evidence of this still remains in the old cemetery on Hospital Hill where the tombstone of a member, John Murray Graham Corford, who died in 1896, was paid for by the Hawke’s Bay Highland Society and the Dunedin Gaelic Society.

RSA link

The infant society did not overlook the social needs of its members either. In those early days, functions were held in the Foresters’ Hall near Clive Square – the hall which was later to be lifted on jacks to become the upstairs social area of the Napier RSA Club.

After the Hawke’s Bay Highland Society went into recess – probably about the time of the Napier earthquake, the Caledonian society held its Inglesides in the same hall for several years.

These monthly functions were much the same as the present Inglesides – except for the cost. It was then a princely sum of 1s 6d for admission and supper as an additional sixpence.

Despite the teetotal atmosphere demanded at these Caledonian society gatherings they were well patronised and “reportedly” a great success.

Tradition and ties with their homeland were strengthened for Napier’s Scots community each year in those early days by the then chief, Mr Tom Parker. Mr Parker returned to Scotland every year for the grouse shooting and brought back a haggis in time for the traditional ceremony on Burns night.

One of the society’s most popular functions was the special Ingleside held each year on Hawke’s Bay show night.

“Farmers came to town by all sorts of means and stayed overnight so they could attend, the secretary, Mrs Betty Climo, said.

Another highlight was Halloween when the musical programme was lightened with games including ducking for apples.

Over the years the names of the society’s chiefs were names synonymous with the development of the town itself. Among them were Hugh Duncan Stevenson, Percy Spiller and Willie McDonald.

Like so many homes, businesses and organisations, the Scots societies were hit by the earthquake and the depression years that followed, Mrs Climo said.

Although no records can be found to substantiate it, opinion among the families of former members is that it was around the late 1920s or early 1930s that the Hawke’s Bay Highland Society ceased to exist.

“There is no official record of the winding up of affairs. There is probably still a bank account somewhere gathering dust,” a descendant, Mr Stuart McKenzie, Napier, said.

Despite the winding up of the Highland Society it is still more than a memory to those associated with sport and pipe music.

In the late 1940s the Highland Society of New Zealand presented a cup to the Napier Amateur Athletic and Cycling Club in appreciation of the club’s help in running the national pipe band contest in Napier.

“There were 29 full bands and our club members took three days off work to help get the contest organised. The cup is still competed for today,” Mr McKenzie said.

The society is also remembered by young bandsmen today at Napier Boys High School. The school’s pipe band in its early days was presented with the Napier tartan kilts of Highland Society bandsmen.

The boys still wear this tartan today.

Records show “it took Caledonian Society members until 1933 to reorganise things after the earthquake – including a change of name and meeting place.” It was then the society started meeting at Port Ahuriri and the name was altered to the Port Ahuriri Caledonian Society.

The society’s numbers grew rapidly until the Second World War broke out when most of the men were called up.

For most of the war years, Chief Willie McDonald was the only man left to run functions and for the first time women were allowed to hold office.

Hard times

The running of the society’s business affairs was not the only challenge the women members faced during those years. Members pooled 500 grams of butter each month for the supper. Minced luncheon sausage, a dash of tomato sauce and a rather tasteless wartime salmon and shrimp paste were the only “delicacies” the women could offer at social functions and Inglesides.

With the war over the men returned and things got back to normal with Inglesides being held regularly. These evenings became so popular with the public that the society ran a free bus from the city to Ahuriri each Ingleside night which returned into town at the witching hour.

However, trouble was not over for long. In 1948, a poliomyelitis outbreak closed all public gatherings so no Inglesides could be held for some time.

The society did not waste this time. A membership drive was held with annual subscriptions costing 30 cents.

A highlight of 1948 was the election of Mrs Cora Brimer as the society’s first and only chieftainess, a position she held for some years.

In 1960 amid bitter protest from Port Ahuriri residents, the Inglesides were moved to central Napier. Patronage fell and some Inglesides closed early or were cancelled altogether.

Membership dropped from 128 to 50.

Things levelled out despite increases in subscriptions and for social functions. In 1968, subscriptions were raised to $1 for single people and $1.50 for married couples.

About this time another controversial decision was made with the change of the name from the Port Ahuriri to the City of Napier Caledonian Society and Pipe Band – a name which has been retained to this time.

Despite the advent of television and 10 o’clock closing the society has gone from strength to strength in recent years.

It has held strictly to teetotal principles and dress standards. The kilt is still the official dress with many passing down from one generation to another.

Band honours

Although the anniversary celebrations this weekend are the social event of the society’s year, the pipe band’s achievement, of being promoted to A grade status at the Dominion contest in Hamilton recently, is a fitting anniversary honour.

The band and bandsmen are an integral part of society’s activities and despite costs and a heavy demand for their services the band has gone from strength to strength.

SATURDAY WITH THE TELEGRAPH

While the emphasis remains on traditions the society recently extended its programme when six of its members studied for their Duke of Edinburgh bronze award.

The group was successful in its studies and the six young people were presented with their awards at last year’s Christmas Ingleside.

The organiser of the anniversary celebrations, Mrs Climo, said members were unsure earlier whether their planned gathering would meet a response.

“We need not have worried. The final numbers are more than double what we had hoped for,” Mrs Climo said.

Photo caption – SCOTS of the Antipodes had close ties with their homeland. Taken about the turn of the century, this group of Napier town councillors, chiefs and chieftains with their pipers, posed on the steps of their chief’s home in Napier Terrace – which was later to be known as Randall House. Many of the names are remembered in the business and commercial world of Napier today, while others are remembered in the naming of the city’s streets. From left (FRONT ROW) Treasurer C. Tait, piper Finlayson, chieftain P. S. McLean, piper A. Helm, chief R. D. D. McLean, piper C. P. McGlashan, chieftain H. McKenzie, piper D. Campbell. MIDDLE ROW: Councillor J. P. Thomson, secretary Tom Parker, councillor C. A. Martin, J. Morrison, McKenzie Forbes, councillor J. Neilson. BACK ROW: R. McDonald and Joe Webster.