Page 69 - RSCDS Toronto Golden Jubilee Book

Chairs – continued
It was a privilege and honour to serve as Chairman of the Toronto Branch. I was sup- ported by a loyal and hard-working com- mittee. We were fortunate to be in office during the best of times financially and with a vibrant membership.
David Grant, 1975 - 1977
David asked for $1,000 per night for the four performances, and, to his surprise, the CNE agreed, not knowing that the teams would have danced for free. This was an incredible windfall for the Branch social groups, who were paid $120 for each team participating. The balance went to the Branch.
The event was held at the CNE Grandstand before an audience of about twenty thou- sand. Bob Millar was appointed the dance director, while Stan Hamilton and the Flying Scotsmen and the 48th Highlanders provided the music. David was asked to invite Miss Milligan to come as a guest of the CNE to officially open the Tattoo, and she agreed; however, surgery on her ninety-year-old knees prevented her from attending. After consulting David, the CNE then invited Lord Strathspey, the chief of the Grant clan, to perform the honours in her place.
This was a busy week for David and Betty Grant: attending the Scottish World Festival Ball, dancing at the CNE, and, also entertain- ing Lord and Lady Strathspey for lunch at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club, the home of the one and only original Island Fling. Lord Strathspey, impressed by his surroundings, remarked that the clubhouse was much bet- ter than Cowes, the home of the Royal Yacht Squadron.
Jean Noble and Grace Harris, who were among the dancers, remember a terrible thunderstorm one night before they danced. This made the performance extremely dif-
ficult on astro turf that had soaked up the rain "like a wet bath mat." Since every performance required much waiting before actually dancing, Jean remembers striking up an acquaintance with the Golden Helmets from the Ontario Provincial Police and hav- ing a great time joking around with the men. Dancing had its special rewards!
Frances Gray, 1977 - 1979
Afterwards we went to watch the Scottish World Festival in the stadium. We were driven there in a horse-drawn landau with all the pipe bands already in position on the field. One of the big events of the evening was the mass demonstration of the RSCDS Toronto Branch dancers, which was a tremendous success and very well received by the pub- lic. For this event we, as a Branch, received $5,000, which was divided amongst all the Social Groups who participated, on a pro rata basis.
In those days we had a membership of more than 1,200 dancers. Immigrants from Scotland were still arriving in Canada and there was great interest in our Society. While the numbers have declined since then, Scottish Country Dancing is still an important part of many people’s lives in Toronto.
Another anecdote, involving the entire Committee when I was Chair, stands out. One Monday night, during a Branch meet- ing, we were all upstairs in the boardroom when Professor Ronald Smith, who held his Scottish Country Dance class downstairs that evening, opened the door, put his head in and said, "Would you lot shut up?" We were all immediately silenced for a few seconds by this outburst; then we burst out laughing when we realized what he really meant was: Would we lock up the church when we left!
Dr. William (Bill) Brunton Ramsay Stoddart
Bill received part of his SCD Teaching Certificate from Miss Milligan, and always expressed his admiration that her love and dedication saved another aspect of Scottish culture from disappearing.
He was a keen supporter of TAC and of the Toronto Branch of the RSCDS, serving as Chair from 1979 to 1981. He taught at Glenview for 16 years and was President of the St. Andrew's Society of Toronto at the time of his death in 1995. For several summers he taught at Mainewoods Dance Camp.
The focus with most SCD teachers was tech- nique and dance etiquette; Bill’s focus was having fun. He emphasized not what hap- pened from the knees down but what hap- pened from the neck up. He analyzed dances and then would explain them for the linear, visual, and other learning-styled dancers. His group was run democratically by the mem- bers for the members, where the teacher was appointed and the executive elected.
He and long-time friend and colleague, Professor Alistair Cameron Stewart, designed a database for the growing index of SCD recorded music. Bill took his LP collection and created the original Ramsay Index, aimed at non-computer people, publishing it himself. Many people knew him only through the Ramsay Index. It is the hope of TAC that the new edition (Ian McHaffie and others) will help dancers throughout the world enjoy the spirit of dance as much as Bill did. Bill and Alistair also discussed how "we were all get- ting on" and explored possible SC dances that could be adapted to walking rhythmically while maintaining the joy of movement.
Bill was a garrulous public speaker and not known for short speeches. At his retire- ment from the Chair at the Tartan Ball in 1981, when it was time for him to give his last Chair’s speech, the audience pushed themselves away from their tables to settle comfortably for a long good-bye. Bill got up, thanked the head table, and then said, "I wish to thank you very much for letting me be Chair," and promptly sat down. The entire hall was stunned. Bill got the last laugh.
Alasdair Robertson, 1981 - 1983
At Christmas and at the end of the dancing season, we were often out dancing four or five times a week. As I recall, there were over a thousand members in the Toronto Branch. Toronto just edged London, England as the largest branch. We had four active bands and our group, Calvin, had both Stan McKee and Donald Bartlett as our pianist during those years.
Of all things I have done over the years, danc- ing, especially Scottish Country dancing, has always been a pleasure and an escape for Jo and me.
George Conolly, 1983 - 1985
After he became quite ill, Tony came to the house with his rice pudding.
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