Highland culture in Mapleton, MN

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Highland culture in Mapleton, MN

• By Rory Colin McGregor

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Mapletons Scottish Ties

• Curling
• Robert Burns Celebration
• Scottish inhabitants and Clan heritage

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McGregors homestead

• My family came to the Mapleton area before the
  1850s and were some of the first pioneers in the
  area
• In the following years this area was inhabited by
  many other families of Scottish decent
• As early as 1866 the Maple River (for which the
  town is named) was used in January to curl in a
  celebratory bonspiel in honor of the Scottish
  poet Robert Burns birthday

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Group activity-

• In your table groups discuss what you already
  know about curling
• Rules
• Teams
• Equipment
• Playing area
• Strategy
• Anything else

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Curling

• The origins of curling are unknown and in
  dispute, but by the 16th Century written accounts
  of curling first appear in Scotland
• By the 18th century, curling had become a common
  past-time on Scotlands lochs
• During the 19th century curlings popularity
  spread throughout the northern parts of the world
  (Canada, N. Europe, and N. America)
• The largest curling club in the USA is the St.
  Paul, Minnesota, club, with over 700 members

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Curling Basics

• 2 Teams of 4 people (skip, vice-skip, second,
  lead)
• The stones are 44 lb granite rocks (8/team)
• A match is usually made up of 8 to 12 ends
• The playing area, or "rink," is 140 feet long and
  14 feet wide
• At each end is a house, 12 feet in diameter
• Between the 2 houses are the hog lines
• Beyond the 2 houses are the back lines
• To be in play a rock must stop between these two
  lines at the opposite end of the ice from the
  shooter

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How Curling is Played

• Shake hands and greet the opposition
• Coin is tossed to determine who starts
• Lead of first team throws first rock where the
  skip commands, followed by the lead of the
  opposition, and alternate back and forth until
  the skips final rock a.k.a. the hammer is thrown
• The skip stays at the opposite end of the ice
  from the shooter and calls the shots and the
  sweepers (2 teammates that arent shooting) on
  and off

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How Curling is Played

• When delivering a rock a player may not pass the
  nearest hog line with the rock
• The shooter aims at the skips broom and puts on
  the turn desired by the skip at the release
  (rocks should complete 1 1/2 to 3 revolutions
  from release to stop)
• As soon as the rock is released the sweepers may
  start sweeping if needed
• Once the rock passes the tee line of the far
  house the skip from the opposing team may try to
  sweep it out of play

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How Curling is Played

• Sweeping is used to maintain rock speed and line
  (hard sweeping keeps rock strait and fast)
• At the close of the end points can only be scored
  the team that has rocks closest to the button
• The team who lost the end possesses the hammer in
  the following end, if no points are scored the
  team with hammer retains possession of it
• At the end of the match the players all shake
  hands and say Good Game
• The winning team then cleans the ice before
  retiring to the back room

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How Curling is Played (Strategy)

• Draws- shot into the circles or house, expert
  curlers, can curl in behind a guard already in
  place to make a very difficult or impossible
  takeout
• Guards- protecting a teammate's stone to make it
  difficult for an opponent to takeout
• Takeouts- knocking an opponent's stone out of
  scoring territory
• Raises- rocks can also be bumped back to draw the
  house or raised for a takeout

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Curling in Mapleton

• It may not be the largest town you visit, but
  it has the oldest established curling club in the
  state. In 1856, Scottish immigrants settled in
  this territory. The town was named after the
  Maple River where the game of curling was
  introduced. Circular wooden blocks with metal
  bands were their only curling stones. There are
  even stories of the men using their wives flat
  irons occasionally. However, 1890 saw the
  introduction of granite stones.
• From Ceud Mile Failte (A hundred thousand
  welcomes) by Gwen McGregor, one of the clubs
  first women curlers

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Curling in Mapleton

• In 1904, an enclosed rink was built with two
  sheets of natural ice. In 1950, our current rink
  with four sheets was built. In 1954, artificial
  ice was installed to the delight of the ladies
  who had formed their group called the
  Heatherettes in 1949.
• We dont have a movie theater nor a ski slope,
  but we do have a curling club and the Scots and
  everyone else knows curling provides a real Hoot
  Mon! by Gwen McGregor
• After curling opposing teams retire to the back
  room to enjoy cards, spirits, food, and
  conversation with eachother
• Heather Curling Club is the oldest established
  club in Minnesota with three generations on a
  curling team
• How often can members curl? Seven days a week in
  winter
• With about 150 people our club boasts 10 of the
  towns population as members

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Pictures from Lay It Up! Curling is chess on
ice, with broomsticks. February, 1999 issue of
Smithsonian Magazine.

• Left
• View of HCC from sheet 4, yellow is counting 1
  pt
• Right
• HCC members forming a stone outside the club

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Robert Burns (1759-1796)

• Bobby Burns was a Scottish poet who is most well
  known for the song/poem Auld Lang Syne
• As a young man he learned to read and write in
  several different languages
• He published poems and many nearly forgotten folk
  songs in Scots-English which was unusual, but he
  achieved immense popularity
• Burns was a man of an extremely passionate
  nature his misfortunes combined with his natural
  tendencies to frequent excesses of
  self-indulgence (scotch and women) lead him to
  die a poor yet adored man at the age of 38

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Mapletons Burns Night

• Every January since 1856 Scots living near
  Mapleton have gathered to celebrate Robert Burns
  on his birthday
• 1866, the Burns Club and the Curling Club were
  joined and every year since then a Burns Bonspiel
  has been played
• Burns night festivities include highland dances
  and songs accompanied by live bagpipe music,
  poetry, stories, Burns bonspiel trophies, the
  crowning of Miss Bonny Lass, the night is led by
  a guest MC, and followed by the Haggis supper and
  socializing

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Why our Scottish culture remained so important to
us?

• Clan loyalty and bonds and history
• Clans are social groups comprised of families
  derived from a common ancestor
• Clans are usually accompanied by dependent and
  associated families who have sought the
  protection or help of the Clan at some point in
  history
• Early settlers needed each other just to survive
  in this new and unknown land
• The Clan foundation was important and familiar to
  settlers that came halfway around the world

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Clans

• In Gaelic, "Mac" "Son of
• Clan MacGregor, are the Sons of Gregor, or the
  followers of Gregor
• The name McGregor is an anglicized version of
  MacGregor

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Condensed MacGregor History

• The MacGregors were known to be a noble and
  powerful clan, holding many lands in Perthshire
  and Argyllshire. The Campbell Clan illegally
  obtained deeds to the MacGregor lands therefore
  causing them to resort to violence, making them
  known to be raiders and killers.
• In 1603 there was a victory of Clan MacGregor
  over Clan Colquhouns which a Royal Commission was
  bribed to deem as an act of rebellion. The Clan
  MacGregor was consequently outlawed and a
  proscription was placed upon them.

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The Proscription, which remained in effect for
170 years (1603-1774) stated, among other things

• To even claim the name MacGregor openly was to
  invite an immediate execution, and, Babies not
  yet born will not take MacGregor name under
  penalty of Death
• No more than four shall meet at a time, under
  penalty of Death
• They shall bear no weapon, save an unpointed
  knife for cutting their meat
• Pardons for thievery and murder could be attained
  by selling MacGregor heads to the government

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Clan MacGregor Attributes

• Clan Motto
• 'S Rioghail Mo Dhream
• (So Royal My Race)
• Unofficial Clan Motto
• Where the MacGregor sits IS the head of the table
• War Cry
• Ard Choille (The Wooded Height)
• Clan Badge
• Pinus sylvestris (The Scotch Pine)

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MacGregor Clan Coat of Arms and Tartan