Month: January 2024

Happy 2024 to all SDFA officers and members. This is your webmaster Ben; while I am usually behind the scenes I want to make myself available to assist with helping our members remain current on their memberships. Please read the directions below completely and carefully and ask questions if you are confused.

Three things to be aware of:

1. Existing members MUST renew each year to remain in the SDFA. Dues may be paid on our website or by mail.
2. The website DOES NOT automatically charge your dues each year. You must log on and pay them yourself.
3. If you are unsure of your membership status please contact membership secretary Bill Boyd to confirm. E-mail him HERE.

Renewal options and instructions are detailed below:

If you are a member and have NEVER paid for your membership on the website:

1. Go to www.scottishdistricts.com
2. Click the “BECOME A MEMBER” button at the top of the webpage.
3. Select a Single or Family membership.
4. Enter the required information including payment.
5. Once your order goes through you will receive a receipt and your login information.
6. Done.

If you are a member and have PREVIOUSLY PAID dues on the website:

1. Go to www.scottishdistricts.com
2. Log in with your username and password HERE.
3. If you have forgotten your login, you may reset it HERE.
4. Click the “BECOME A MEMBER” button at the top of the webpage.
5. Select a Single or Family membership.
6. Your information will already be entered for you.
7. Update any incorrect contact or address information and enter your payment method.
8. Once your order goes through you will receive a receipt.
9. Done.

If you prefer NOT to pay online, you may mail your payment.

1. Please contact President Dennis Blythe for instructions.
2. You can e-mail him HERE.

Finally if you no longer wish to be a member:

1. No further action is required from you. HOWEVER
2. Please consider contacting President Dennis Blythe and sharing your feedback on your membership experience. This will help us continue to improve our organization in the future. You can e-mail him HERE.

If you have a problem with the website you can e-mail me HERE.

We hope you will all join us in making 2024 the strongest year for the SDFA yet.

Warm regards,

Ben Kuhns

Dear Member,

Happy Hogmany (or Happy New Year) to all our SDFA members, present and past.

As we start the new year we look forward to sharing our sense of identity and pride in our Scottish heritage and celebrate our cultural background.

Were you able to attend a Scottish gathering, a Highland games, or Scottish or Celtic event in 2023?  You need to make a plan to visit one in 2024 and make a New Year’s resolution to attend an event.  The squeal of the pipes, the Highland dancers, the authentic foods, and the show of athletic strength and skill all stir that Scottish pride.

There are several new Highland games, hopefully there is one near you. The American-Scottish Foundation, americanscottishfoundation.com, has a good calendar in their newsletter (subscribe for free) showing the Scottish events schedule across the United States and Canada.  There is also a free copy download of the “Scottish Banner” at the end of their newsletter for their subscribers.

We had a great 2023 with a growth in our membership.  We want you to grow with us again in the new year.  You will see many changes in the Association, more communications to share our pride in our Scottish heritage.  One of the new features in our quarterly newsletter will be a feature called, “What I know about Scotland is…”, where you can contribute just one thing that you know about Scotland.  We will make a list of all of the contributions in the newsletter and we can all learn something.  If you would like to be in the first issue, all you have to do is email me your fact to sdfa.membership@gmail.com before January 15.  This should be fun and I need your participation.  An example would be: “What I know about Scotland is that Scotland is about the size of South Carolina”.

If you have not renewed your membership for 2024, please do so, so you don’t miss out on the January newsletter.  All 2023 memberships terminate on January 31.  It’s easy to renew on the website www.scottishdistricts.com.

Don’t forget the online meeting on January 10 at 8:00 PM.  A 40 minute meeting to bring you up to date on what your Association is doing.  If you have any question or suggestion that you would like to have discussed email it to Dennis Blythe, President – djblythe1@gmail.com.

I look forward to hearing from you in this new year.

Aye,

Bill Boyd FSA Scot
Membership Secretary