Coming up soon is our Robert Burns Supper on Saturday, January 27th. We hope for a good attendance. If you haven't yet bought your ticket, please do so now. Check the website for details www.nycaledonian.org or call us at 212-662-1083 and leave a message. There will be many interesting items up for bid at the Silent Auction as well.

We will be planning our Spring Semester of the Scottish Studies program very shortly. We will be offering instruction in bagpipes and tenor drums. Don Ross will be teaching Beginning Gaelic in the fall. During the Spring semester he will devote his energies to teaching intermediate and advanced Gaelic, plans are also underway for a conversational Gaelic program.

We are also planning our famous pre-parade Tartan Week ceilidh, which will be at the same location as last year, the Abigail Adams Auditorium on 61st Street, between First and York Avenues. It has been called the "mother" of all ceilidhs, so you won't want to miss it! We hope to have other special events during Tartan Week (Fortnight, this year!).

Last month, the NYCC was honored in its 150th year by Commander Robert Currie of Clan Currie at the Pipes of Christmas concert at Madison Avenue Church, along with St. Andrew's Society, the American Scottish Foundation and Geoffrey the Tailor.

Our Nominating Committee will be forming shortly. Members, this will be your opportunity for taking a seat on the Board. Details to be announced.

If you have not yet renewed your membership for 2007, please do so now. You should have received a membership renewal form in the mail. Your membership dues are very important, as they help to support the Club's activities and programs and cover the day-to-day running costs. It only costs 57 cents a week (less if you are a family member, a senior, or a student). What a deal! How can you refuse? And if you are not a member, join now!

Looking ahead toward the Highland Games season, the Club visits at least five games during the summer months. This is a great way to get fit, enjoy being outdoors, lose pounds, meet thousands of people and have fun. (That bit about getting fit and losing weight is contingent on not eating too much fish and chips or meat pies! ["Pehs" if you're from the Kingdom of Fife]) It is exhilarating! And we run busses to two of the games - Westbury and Bonnie Brae!

The New York Caledonian Club is always looking for space to hold their events at the most reasonable cost or even "scot free" if we can get it. If you know of a space that would be good for ceilidhs or lectures, or if you know of a corporation who would like to donate a space for an event, please let us know.

I would ask you to please keep Jim Campbell, our 73rd Chief, in your thoughts. He was diagnosed with cancer last September and is fighting for his life. Jim, who over the years gave so much to the Club, needs our prayers now.