Tursachan

The Newsletter of the Callanish School of Celtic Arts

Dear Students and Parents,

Thanks to everyone who made the 4th Annual Callanish Winter Fling such a great success. Even though our numbers were down this year, we managed to stay afloat, due largely to the great raffle that Carol Mindrebo headed up. We made over $500 in ticket sales, which helped to recoup the lost finances from last year’s event. Spring has (almost) sprung and it’s time for the Callanish School to get busy with all of our March gigs! There will be a sign up sheet going around and both fiddlers and dancers are encouraged to attend performances. There is a lot of important information included in this addition of the Tursachan, so please read this letter carefully!

Mòran Taing,

Maggie Carchrie

Flowers of the Forest

Steve Kenneally, fiddle student and Irish musician, died unexpectedly last month. The School will be making a donation to the Kenneally Family Benefit Fund. If anyone is interested in contributing, please see either Lissa or Maggie in lessons by the end of May.

Scottish Arts Scholarships

Many of the area’s Scottish Societies have scholarships available for students who have been involved in lessons for at least 2-3 years. Most scholarships are due by April 1st. If you have a financial need and are interested in applying to one or more of these grants, please see Maggie for details. A letter of recommendation is also needed by either Maggie or Emerald.

Jacket and Bag Order

Maggie will be placing a dancer jacket and duffle bag order on March 18th. If anyone is interested, she will have order forms available at lessons this month. Please return all forms by Thursday, March 17th.

Spring Fundraisers

The Callanish Parents have elected to participate in two fundraisers this spring on kind of a low-scale level. We will be doing a repeat order of the cookie dough. Many of you received rave reviews and requests for ordering more. The packets will be distributed during the week of March 7th and all order forms and money will need to be returned no later than Friday, March 25th. Anticipated arrival date is the last week of April. The second fundraiser is our annual chocolate bar sale. Joy Pell will be picking up boxes of Hilliard’s Chocolate (the company we used before last year) sometime during the next two weeks. Each bar sells for $1. Please let Maggie or Joy know if you would like to sell a box or two of chocolate (52 bars). Maggie hopes to have the chocolate sale wrapped up by the last week of April before she goes on maternity leave.

Baby Shower Planned

A baby shower is planned for Maggie and Thomas on Sunday, April 10th at the home of Mary and Roger Carchrie-Feltus, 85 Camp Street, Hyannis from 2–5 pm. All Callanish Students are invited to attend with their families along with those in the Colum Cille Pipe Band and the HLSS. Further details about the shower will be given by the hostesses Mary Carchrie, Joy Pell and Cynthia Dyer in upcoming e-mails. Maggie and Thomas are registered at www.babiesrus.com and you can also read more on the upcoming arrival on their website at www.mermaid-productions.com/rory.

Fiddlers!

Please watch for Maggie’s e-mails in regards to upcoming lessons and make-up lessons for Emerald’s absences. For those of you who paid for tuition in two parts, the second half is due on March 24th! Maggie will figure out your balance due and e-mail you the amount.

Spring Dance Lessons

Shelley Stiles, Associate, SDTA, will be conducting Highland dance lessons for the school while Maggie is off on maternity leave during the months of May & June. Lessons will be held on Sunday afternoons at the WBCB. Lessons must be paid in full to Maggie no later than April 15th for the spring term. Please also note that there will be a $1 per hour price increase for group lessons beginning in May. Group lessons are now $12 for 60 minutes and $18 for 90 minutes. This will help to insure that Shelley is paid her full rate along with the hall rental. Shelley will need 10 dancers to register or she will not be able to come to the Cape and teach this spring. Private and small group lessons will resume with Maggie at her house the last full week of June.

During the month of April, Thursday dance lessons will be held at Maggie’s house in Sandwich instead of the WBCB. Maggie feels more comfortable being at home teaching than out at the building the month before her baby is due. Thursday dancers are only registered through the end of March, so please have your April tuition to Maggie no later than Thursday, March 31st. If you are planning on enrolling in lessons with Miss Shelley, tuition for May and June can also be paid for at that time.

Dog Coats!

Our dog coats were a big hit last month at the DELCO Highland Dance Workshop in Philadelphia. Maggie has plenty of material left and is in need of sewers who are willing to make approximately 6–12 coats. Please see her if you are available to sew!

Hats Off!

Congratulations to the following dancers who earned medals and trophies at the Callanish Winter Fling:

Upcoming Events

6 March Cape Regency Nursing Home, C’Ville 3 PM Show (Arrive 2:30)
12 March Multicultural Fair 4 C’s, W. Barnstable
11:40 AM Show (Arrive 11 AM) Novice to Premier Dances Only
13 March Mayflower Place Nursing Center,
Yarmouth 2:30 PM Show (Arrive 2 PM)
17 March Windsor Nursing Home, W. Yarmouth
4 PM Show (Arrive 3:30 PM)
19 March

Hyannis Skilled Care Center, Hyannis
2 PM Show (Arrive 1:30 PM)
2 April NHSSA Indoor Dance Competition
Manchester, NH 9-4

9 April

 HLSS Tartan Day, Wixon Middle School, Dennis Time TBA
10 April Baby Shower for Maggie & Thomas
Home of Mary & Roger Carchrie-Feltus
85 Camp Street, Hyannis 2-5 PM
21 May RI Highland Games 9-4
25 June Western Mass Highland Games 9-4
25 June Day of the Arts, Cultural Center of Cape Cod, Bass River, MA; Time TBA
16 July Glasgowlands Highland Games, 9-4

Important Notes about Upcoming Gigs

Here are some details and brief directions to the Gigs coming up in March:

Cape Regency Nursing Home (Dancers/ Fiddlers)

Located on South Main Street, Centerville. This is the same road as 4 Seas Ice Cream and Our Lady of Victory Church. Off of W. Main Street in Hyannis, take a left at the Sovereign Bank by Barnstable High School. At the fork, bear left onto South Main Street. Home is just up on the right across the street from a convenience store. Coming from Route 28, take a left from Hyannis or a right from Mashpee at the Centerville Lights with Bank North and a Mobile Station. Stay on this road, going straight through the 3-Way stop. At the set of lights, take a left onto South Main Street. Nursing home is just up on the left about ¼ mile.

Mayflower Place Nursing Center (Dancers/Fiddlers)

Located on Buck Island Road, W. Yarmouth. When coming down Route 28 in Yarmouth, take Cape Street (not Maggie’s parents’ street, but the other one near the Mill Hill Club). From the mid-Cape Highway, take exit 7, Willow Street and head towards Hyannis. Take a left onto Camp Street by the cheapo gas mart. Go almost to the end and take a left on to Buck Island Road. Mayflower Place is just up on the right. Go around back as we are dancing at the nursing home and not the assisted living as we have danced in the past.

Windsor Nursing Home

Located on South Main Street, S. Yarmouth. When heading down Route 28, take a left onto South Main Street at the lights just before the Bass River Bridge. Follow this road and go straight at the 4 Way stop. The Nursing Home is .3 of a mile up on the left hand side. When coming off the mid Cape highway, take exit 8. Take a right from Hyannis or a left from Orleans. Stay straight on Union Street/Station Ave and take a left onto the street just after DY High School. At the 4 Way stop, take a left and home is just .3 mile up on left.

Hyannis Skilled Care Center (Dancers/Fiddlers)

Lewis Bay Road, Hyannis. Nursing Center is located directly across the street from the Hospital. Once inside, take a right and go up to the 3rd floor on the elevator. Take a left off of the elevator and then a quick right. Go all the way down the hall to the end where you will find a large activity room.

Multicultural Fair, 4 C’s (Novice-Premier Dances)

We will have our usual Callanish Fundraising set up in the lobby of Tilden Art Center. Maggie is in need of volunteers to help set up the table at 9:30 AM and to tear it down at 4 PM. She could also need helpers during the day, especially when she is performing with Thomas and the dancers.

Need more info on festivals? See the official Highland Games web site at: www.maclachlans.org/games.html