The article is viewable HERE on the Advocate's website.
The Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge is sponsoring the 2011 Baton Rouge sanctioned solo piping competition. It will take place on Saturday, July 23, 2011 8am-5pm. Please note that the location has changed. It will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Baton Rouge, 763 North Blvd, in downtown Baton Rouge. We have held sanctioned competitions in Baton Rouge since 2007, and hope that many of our regional pipers will be able to attend this event as well.
Besides the competition itself, we have a number of events that will take place during the day, including the EUSPBA Southwest Branch Annual General Meeting. The EUSPBA Progressive Certification Program (PCP) Exam will be offered to those who pre-register for it. After the AGM and dinner on your own, everyone is invited to Broadmoor Presbyterian Church, 9340 Florida Blvd, where the Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge's summer Ice Cream Social and Ceilidh will be held from 7:30-10. Bring your instruments, voice, poetry, dance, etc. and join in! Jamie Mungall will be our Master of Ceremonies; please put a check on the registration form if you are interested, and then check in with Jamie at the Ceilidh to "sign up" for your slot. The "cost" of admission is a container of ice cream or cookies!
Our judge will be Ed Krintz of Charlotte, NC , former PM of the Grandfather Mountain Highlanders, and one of the founders of the Loch Norman Pipe Band.
The registration forms are now available HERE. Please check the forms for further information.
The following solo events will be offered:
__ AM Grade 1-Piobaireachd
__ AM Grade 2- Piobaireachd
__ AM Grade 3- Piobaireachd
AM Grade 4- Senior Piobaireachd
AM Grade 4- Junior Piobaireachd
__ Novice Bagpipe (practice chanter)
For more information, please contact Rosemary John, Event Chair, at: rhsjohn@cox.net.
The following optional hotel is available close to the event site; please note this is a change from the earlier suggested hotels:
La Quinta Inn Baton Rouge University Area
You are invited to attend the second annual summer Ice Cream Social and Ceilidh of the Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge. Come for fellowship and ice cream and also to see and participate in the talents of the Caledonian Society. The Caledonian Pipes and Drums will be performing, as will the Scottish Country Dancers. The Caledonian Claymore Club promises to show us some of their sword fighting too! In addition to our Society's talent, we will have a number of guest pipers from around the region competing in the Red Stick Regional Solo Pipe Competition.
We're looking for other acts to take a turn at the stage as well! So if you have a joke or story to tell, a poem to recite, a song to sing, a skit to perform, an instrument to play, a dance to dance, a hidden talent or a "stupid human trick" to show off, come and share it! If you know that you would like to perform, please contact Jamie Mungall at jeb_mungall@yahoo.com so that an appropriate amount of time will be reserved for you. Otherwise, it is open mic.
The Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge is proud to organize a Scottish sword fighting workshop for the weekend of August 5-7, 2011 at the Broadmoor Presbyterian Church (9340 Florida Boulevard, Baton Rouge, LA 70815).
Our Pipe band has developed a tradition of being a competition band, with higher standards and expectations of its pipers and drummers than ever before. They have worked hard and long to make the transition from a casual band into a band able to hold its own in nationwide competitions. That being said, among this community of competition pipe bands, our Baton Rouge Caledonian is among the few “mixed kilt” ensembles that lack a complete uniform. This variety of tartan kilts was long accepted when the Band was only a casual group or “street band”. However, the Band membership and Band officers have expressed a desire to acquire uniform tartan kilts for the band, and the Board of Directors, after some months of quiet contemplation, agrees that this would be a great thing for the Band and the Society.
The most prohibitive aspect of kilt purchasing is cost, and when there is talk of outfitting an entire band, cost is definitely a factor. While there are some members of the Band who are interested in purchasing their own kilts, there will need to be approximately 16 that need to be made. Preliminary research has put the cost of this at around $400 each.
Often, when in these situations, the choice of tartan is a difficult issue. It seems obvious at first, to assume that the Band ought to wear the Louisiana Tartan. After all, it was designed by Past President of the Society, Joe Campbell and is an official symbol of Louisiana. However, our friends in the Na Cait Dubh feature that tartan predominately among their members. Even though the Louisiana Tartan is not their official uniform, it is featured so prominently that if our band began using it uniformly, there is the significant chance for public confusion. So in an effort to avoid any such confusion, the Louisiana Tartan has been deemed indistinctive for the uniform.
Another little known fact is that the Caledonian Society actually has an official tartan, the Fergusson clan tartan. This was chosen some years in the past in honor of founding member, Miller Dial. However, this being a family tartan, it discourages members from purchasing their own kilts as they lack a real connection to the Fergusson clan.
The alternative and mostly settled upon option is to design a tartan for the Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge, available only to the Band and Society members. This of course, will take some extra work, and would incur some additional costs. However, it would give the Band the desired uniform look tailored to their existing equipment and give them a unique tartan to wear distinguishing them from all other bands and representing the Caledonian Society and each of their respective heritages in excellent fashion.
A committee is being formed to design a tartan for the kilts and to shop around at tartan mills and kilt makers to get the best deal and quality. Whenever the committee settles upon prospective tartan designs and has such approved and registered. They will be made available here for viewing.
A Past-President of the Clan Campbell Society North America, Joe has held numerous offices and positions within the Clan Campbell Society including Board Member for 15 years, Secretary, Vice President and two terms as President.
Presbyterians Show Their Scottish Roots
The Advocate Covers the Caledonian Claymore Club, the CSBR, and Kirkings of the Tartan
(Article by independent journalist, Mark H. Hunter).
Red Stick Regional--EUSPBA Sanctioned Solo Bagpipe Competition 
The Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge will sponsor a solo bagpipe competition on July 23, 2011 at 8am-5:30pm at First Presbyterian Church, Baton Rouge
__ AM Grade 1- 2/4 March/ Strathspey/ Reel
__ AM Grade 1- 6/8 March
__ AM Grade 1- Hornpipe/ Jig
__ AM Grade 2- 2/4 March/Strathspey/ Reel
__ AM Grade 2- 6/8 March
__ AM Grade 2- Hornpipe/ Jig
__ AM Grade 3- 2/4 March
__ AM Grade 3- Strathspey/ Reel
__ AM Grade 3- 6/8 March
Choose ONE : full tune __ OR Ground Only __
__ AM Grade 4- Senior 2/4 March
__ AM Grade 4- Senior 6/8 March
__ AM Grade 4- Senior S/R-- 2 parts
Choose ONE : full tune __ OR Ground only__
__ AM Grade 4- Junior 2/4 March
__ AM Grade 4- Junior 6/8 March
__ AM Grade 4- Junior Strathspey/Reel
2/4 March (Two 2-parted or one 4-parted tune) ***
*** non-sanctioned; EUSPBA membership not required
Hope to see you in July!
2333 S. Acadian Thruway, Baton Rouge, LA 70808-2304
1-225-924-9600
Ice Cream Social and Ceilidh 
The CSBR will host its 2nd annual Ice Cream Social and Ceilidh on July 23, 2011 at 7:30pm at Broadmoor Presbyterian Church
**Admission is homemade ice cream or shortbread**
If you cannot bring homemade desserts, then bring your favorite store-bought to share
Highland Broadsword Seminar
August 5-7 The Caledonian Claymore Club will hold a Seminar and Workshop on Highland Broadsword
To lead this seminar, we are flying in Christopher Thompson, President of the Cateran Society, and expert swordsman, who will focus on the art of the sword fighting techniques of the Highland Regiments.
Times and schedules are still being worked out, but the dates are set. Tickets will be $25. If you plan to attend, please contact James Mungall at (225) 278-1577 or jeb_mungall@yahoo.com.
We are working in conjunction with members of the Scottish Society of the Louisiana Highlands to make this possible. If you are living in Shreveport or the surrounding area, please contact Erik Middleton (318) 834-4269 or willun98@yahoo.com if you are interested in weekly broadsword sessions.
Because of the nature of martial arts, if you plan to attend this seminar, please try to attend Tuesday classes of the Caledonian Claymore Club so that you can be prepared to receive the expert instruction that Mr. Thompson has to offer.
Pipe Band Kilt Project
Joe McD. Campbell Receives the Thistle Award
On November 12, 2010, Joseph McDowell Campbell was awarded the Caledonian Society's Highest Honor: The Thistle Award, "IN ESTEEM AND GRATITUDE FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LIFE AS A PATRIOT, PHILANTHROPIST, AND BENEFACTOR OF SCOTTISH AMERICAN CULTURE"
Here follows a partial reproduction of Joe's bio as read at his commendation.
An abiding love for Scotland, Scottish culture, heritage and his Scottish ancestry is evidenced by Joe’s lasting contributions to his Clan Society, and other Scottish organizations. He has served since 1996 as President and Chairman of the Board of the Clan Campbell Education Foundation.
Joe is a long time member of the Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge. He has served this community as a Board member for many years. He has, in the spirit of service, answered the call of the Caledonian Society to fill the office of President to fulfill an unexpired term and was elected to the office in 2009. He has one term as Vice President and for many years as the Webmaster.
A founding member of the St. Andrew Society of Baton Rouge, Joe served that society as Secretary and for three terms as Chief.
Joe served on the Board of Directors of the Highland Games of Louisiana. He has also served as a Board Member for the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations. He is currently a designated committee member from the Caledonian Society of Baton Rouge to the Steering Committee to seek to return Highland Games to South Louisiana.
In March of 2004, Joe Campbell was honored by the Celtic Society of Louisiana with a "Roast", a dinner and with their "Green Derby" award. The Green Derby Award is given for significant contributions to Celtic culture.
On July 21, 2006, Joe was awarded the "Distinguished Son of Scotland Award" by The St. Andrew Society of Louisiana.
Joe’s legacy of service to Scottish culture is most physically manifest in The Louisiana Tartan, which was designed by Joe and unanimously adopted by both houses of the Louisiana Legislature and signed into law by Governor Mike Foster on June 6th, 2001.
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