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The Chicago Scots & The Illinois Tartan - An Introduction
We are very excited to be heading out to the Windy City next weekend and grateful to Gus Noble, President of the Chicago Scots, for inviting us over for the week. We are looking forward to meeting customers old and new, running our pop up shop at the Westin in Chicago, out at Gorton Community Centre in Lake Forest and then joining in the fun at the Scottish Festival and Highland Games on Friday and Saturday.
The link doesn't stop there as Gus is actually from Duns, where the ScotlandShop HQ can be found, and went to school with Sarah, our Operations Manager. Of course once we had filled Gus in on the latest gossip from Duns talk turned to tartan and the Illinois St Andrews Society tartan. Designed by Frances Gillan in 1990 to celebrate the society's 150th anniversary in 1995, after much thought the society governors chose a field of blue and white, representing the flag of Scotland as well as the white background of the Illinois state flag, with touch of red as a nod to the red, white and blue of the United States flag. In 2012 the Illinois St. Andrews Society tartan was designated the official tartan of the State of Illinois following a unanimous Senate vote. The tartan is known by various names including: Illinois, Chicago, Illinois St Andrews, Chicago Scots and Illinois State. We have woven a bale of cloth and created a range of products specially for our visit in this beautiful tartan.
So who are the Chicago Scots?
Originally known as the Illinois St Andrews Society the society was first established in 1845, and is the oldest non-profit organisation in Illinois. Their mission is: "To nourish Scottish identity through service, fellowship and celebration of Scottish culture for the purpose of supporting our Caledonian Senior Living and Memory Care campus set on five acres in North Riverside, Illinois". Running a whole programme of events and supporting charities, scholarships to college and university in the US and through the R Harper Brown Scholarship, in Scotland too. R Harper Brown was co-Chair of the Kith and Kin campaign which raised $7 million to build the newest wing of the Scottish Home which we will be visiting while we are over, as word has it they might be looking for a few touches of tartan which we can help with. The Scottish Home provides care to seniors in the North Riverside area of Chicago and is part of the Caledonia Senior Living and Memory Care campus.
Of course the Chicago Scots are not limited to those with pure, Scottish blood they "welcome everyone who is Scottish by birth, by heritage or simply by inclination." So don't be shy, if you are interested in all things Scotland their door is open.
If you are live in or around Chicago we would love to meet you when we are over. Visit our events page to find out where we will be and when.
