A History of the Scottish Society and its Highland Games  (Continued)

From the beginning, Charlie Oliver envisioned the formation of the Scottish Society of Charleston.  The first officers were Charlie Oliver, President; Angus McBride, Vice President; Ester McLaughlin, Secretary; Furman Reynolds, Treasurer.  The Board of Directors was composed of Ludovic Grant-Alexander, Pipe Major; Thea Williams, President of the Scottish Lassies Club.  (At the time, one representative of the pipe band and the president of the Scottish Lassies Club, were automatically on the Board of the Scottish Society of Charleston.)  The other members of the society Board of Directors were Royce McNeil, Enid Causey, Edwin F. Holcombe, Sr and Malcolm Swan.

Soon thereafter, it was decided to hold a Scottish Fair to raise funds for the band.  After Charles Oliver, Malcolm Swan, Ed Holcombe, Royce McNeill and K.C. Stier met with Charles Duell, Middleton Place was chosen as a Games site.  The first Games Committee consisted of E.F. Holcombe, Director of Fields Events; Malcolm Swan, Program; Royce McNeill, Clans, Tents and Booths; and Norma Oliver, Dancing.  The Highland Dancing judge was Marguerite Reid, and the first Piping judge was Sandy Jones.

Charleston’s first Scottish Games and Highland Gathering was off to a good start with an assist from Ross Morrison and Guy Soule, athletic judges from the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games, and the best wishes of Agnes MacRae Morton, co-founder of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.  K.C. Stier furnished support to the Games with tents, storage, dance platforms, etc.

On February 26, 1973, the Scottish Society of Charleston was incorporated to keep alive Scottish heritage and customs here in the Low Country of South Carolina with ceilidhs, Burns’ Night Suppers, and Scottish Games, to sponsor a Scottish pipe band, and to give scholarships in piping, drumming, and dancing.

 From this small beginning, the Scottish Society of Charleston has continued to support what is considered to be one of the best and friendliest Games in the United States, the result of constant dedication and work by the members of the society.