Clan Macdonald Yarraville Inc

Report for  June 2020

Hon. Chief’s Report

Hi one and all,

The first 6 months of 2020 will go down as the strangest half of any calendar year, which I personally have ever experienced. A so-called pandemic, which I believe was predictable and one that as a nation we should have been a lot better prepared for – while some are questioning if there is some other agenda?  Who really knows, but amongst the whole unpleasantness of the year to date, there have been some positive things, if you look for them too. As they say, behind every cloud there is a silver lining. And to date, Australia has been lucky.

Following on from the hot and dry summer until the end of 2019, with terrible bushfires nationally, this year has been one of total contrast. In Melbourne and Geelong we have experienced below average temperatures and above average rains. I have never seen it so green, over the normally hotter and drier months. Anyhow, it beats getting around with a hose and using scarce town water to keep the gardens going – and we live on a bit more than an acre to boot. No complaints here.

There has been virtually nothing going from a Scottish events or function viewpoint, and I will need to check in to see when anything is up and running again. For me as Clan Chief, that has been a bitter disappointment as I had the time available this year to focus on attending these events. It will largely have to wait until next year, assuming that Covid-19 is under control and restrictions are eased. We can at least keep moving on the Ancestral grave site restoration and for all those involved in managing that project, we should all be very grateful.

I have tried to remain in touch with many of you over this difficult period. It’s great to see Sophie and John doing better and it seems that John is happy to keep on keeping on, after a brief stint in palliative care. I cannot get to see him yet, but we stay in touch now by phone. Mum is in residential care and I have had to book 3 days in advance to get in to see her. For over 2 months she was in total lock-down we could not see her at all. That to me is a very sad way to spend your last days, isolated except by phone, when you have spent 90 plus years as free and easy as Mum has. Will we ever return to the type of normalcy that we have been accustomed too? We can pray for this to happen of course, and that the disease does not mutate and cause an even worse, second wave.

While I have been lucky enough to get out and enjoy some nature on a daily basis, I am resolved to keep a safe distance and use the sanitiser whenever appropriate. Yet others have been locked away in quarantine and isolation from their loved ones and friends. I hope that this does not continue for much longer as we were not designed to live like this, humans being social animals. A number of milestone birthdays have occurred in my family in recent months, but the celebrations have been very low key and below our normal standard. With some restrictions being eased now, we will try to make up for that in some way, over the coming weeks. It has not been easy for any of us, has it?

I do try to ring and stay in touch with as many of you as possible. I enjoy doing so. We cannot yet catch up as a clan as many are in the vulnerable category and others are keen to keep a safe social distance and so on. Please feel free to ring Min and I on my mobile at any time, for a chat – or even on Messenger. Until things move again and there is something exciting report, stay safe, active and please remain positive. Our attitude is something that we can control.

Slainte’

Thomas Macdonald

As you know many of the events planned for the year have been cancelled however there have been a number of organizations who are thinking beyond the square.

If you read below you will see that the organisers for the Ringwood Highland Games are holding a virtual event, which you may be interested in joining along with many of the other clans and societies, just follow the prompts.  The highland dancing communities are holding classes on ZOOM, along with their committee meetings and the possibility of a “virtual” comp to keep the dancers on track.  The pipers are not backward either the piping community are arranging many ZOOM events to keep them “tuned” in.

Portarlington Celtic festival and the Koroit Irish festival held virtual festivals on line during May/June, which were considered quite successful.  The Robert Burns Festival in Camperdown are, also holding a virtual festival on Saturday 4^th July, check out their web page for details.  With the organisers of Kilmore Celtic Festival hoping to hold a scaled down version later in the year, watch this space.  Daylesford Highland Gathering has not yet cancelled their gathering so this may be the next outing for the clan tent.

The Australian Pipe Band Championships which were to be held in April 2020, are planning for their comp to occur on 10 and 11 April 2021 in Maryborough.  So whilst the “lockdown” has hindered the Scottish community somewhat, we are an inventive lot, and not afraid to use the technology available to our advantage or to plan ahead.  Who knows we may still be able to use this further down the track to encourage some of our younger members to take up highland pursuits, instead of playing the “games” on the computer, phone or tablet.  Glass full, not half empty!

The latest from the stone masons working on the gravesite restoration is that they were waiting for extra stone from overseas to stabilize the older grave stone, this is being accessed at no further cost to the clan. The extra stone has arrived and installation has been completed.

News from across the Tasman, Mr Alan Macdonald of Christchurch has resigned as High Commissioner, with Mr Andrew Wilkie being installed on 1^st July 2020.  Congratulations to both Alan and Andrew on their work on behalf of the worldwide clan.

So as we wait out the pandemic, sit by the fire, talk to the children, (maybe you will understand them), soak up the atmosphere, watch the rain falling, read a good book or once the rain stops plant out some seeds in the garden, take a walk around the district, talk to the neighbours, observing social distancing of course.  We will survive this and most of us will be much stronger for the effort!



due to the advent of COVID 19 the Forum has been postponed