AGM Success! Celebrating Our Community and Looking Ahead

By Liz Smith

An AGM isn’t just about reports and elections—it’s about connection! Thank you to everyone who joined us on June 21.

This year, we really encouraged members to come out and take part in thoughtful discussions about the SSO’s future as we navigate ever-tighter resources. Member input matters more than ever, and we were heartened by the turnout, enthusiasm, and ideas shared. Here’s a look at what we covered.

Board Elections & Appointments

We’re thrilled to introduce our new members to our leadership team:

  • Chair: Donald Macdonald

  • Vice Chair: Jen Hill

  • Development Director: Alix MacGregor

  • Director-at-Large: Ross Chase

  • Membership Volunteer: Izzy Adams

Jen, Izzy and Alix are SSO veterans and they bring invaluable experience to the Board. Bios of our new Directors will be on our website soon and you’ll see them featured over time in the Meet an OttScot section of this newsletter.

Returning directors and members

Our returning Directors include “moi”, Liz Smith, in Communications, gratefully working with team members Nujma Bond who edits this newsletter and Dave Johnston, its layout designer; Sara Francis on social media postings; James Fraser our web designer; and Andy MacCulloch guiding (or gliding) as the Kilt Skate program Director across Canada, together with Kilt Skate founder Don Cummer. Past Volunteer Director Dave Johnston is now focusing on Special Events programs.

AGM Report Highlights

Here’s a quick look at what was presented by board members:

Financial Overview

Hogman-EH! was the Society’s largest expense, and attendance was lower than expected, causing a drop in our financial balance. We’re actively seeking more paid memberships and business sponsorships to increase existing funds.

Hogman-EH!

The Society will move this, our signature event, back downtown. The new venue, yet to be confirmed, will be smaller, with the aim of being cost-neutral or slightly profitable.

Volunteers

Thanks was expressed to all volunteers who assisted in 2024-25! We couldn’t have done it without them! More volunteer help is needed across events and operations – so if you’re available, don’t be shy!

Communications

The SSO informs members of the latest happenings via our regular newsletter, occasional Newsflashes, and the SSO website, along with Instagram & Facebook pages. For example, the SSO offers occasional online 6-week Gaelic lessons, and you can watch for announcements in our newsletter.

A small team of volunteers helps produce content for the not only the SSO’s newsletter, but newsflashes, the website, and social media pages. A special thanks to all our great volunteers.

We are always open to content feedback. We plan to incorporate some new suggestions and even revisit some older ones - watch for them in upcoming issues!

Kilt Skate Goes Global

Well not quite global – but in 2024, we celebrated Kilt Skate not only across Canada in 15 venues, but also, for the first time, we had simultaneous kilt skates in Petawawa, Renfrew County and in Renfrewshire in Scotland. It was an exciting high-profile event on both sides, and hopes are high to build on this connection across the waters!

In fact, we named Renfrew County and Renfrewshire Scotland the 2025 Co-Kilt Skate Capital. The well attended event in Petawawa also raised funds for a great cause: Wounded Warriors Canada.

The SSO Kilt-skate is a tradition that’s uniquely ours and proudly growing!

Handing over the Reins

It was not a “good-bye”, but a “see you around” that we said to John McLuckie after his three and a half years on the Society’s Board, including the past two years as Chair, where he guided us through a mix of rocky waves and gentle breezes.

In reflecting, he let everyone know how much he enjoyed his time as a board member and thanked all other board members and volunteers who made his time as chair a success. John fondly recalled the various events like Hogman-Eh! and Tartan Day Trivia that he had been involved with over the years.

John promised that he would still be around at many of the Society’s events in the future and wished the new Board members the best for their upcoming term.

The incoming Chair, and our favourite piper, Donald MacDonald, shared some of his vision for the upcoming year, including having the Society become a central hub for the promotion of Scottish culture, as per our mission. We’ll continue to partner with other local organizations to boost event awareness – as examples, special Scottish-themed performances held at the NAC and the Meridien theatre in 2024.

He also hopes to see the SSO re-engage the business community and governments for sponsorship through the formation of a new Development Committee. As well, Donald would like to see the society actively engaging with younger crowds and coordinating with other cultural institutions.

Final Thoughts

We came together, shared ideas, and moved forward—with purpose and a dash of Scottish grit! If you missed the AGM, you can still be part of what’s next. Whether you're ready to volunteer, have a bright idea, or want to join a committee, please reach out! You’ll find ways to contact us on our website at ottcot.ca.

Together, we’re shaping the future of the SSO—one step, one skate, one ceilidh at a time!