Some kind of transition time for the band. [This] month we’re set to leave the [Masonic] Temple for the [Arts/Music] School, home of our sponsor. There may be financial changes. And there’s the tartan question, which I’ve tried to help with by leaving my tartan book there. PM... says he likes best the MacBain sett, which I pretty much find unacceptable. Our wunderkind piper gave another point in its favor: she reportedly has ancestry from that clan. (The PM had previously offered Russell tartan as a choice-having recently been informed of his own--non-Scandinavian--descent from that line, but he’s declared himself tired of wearing green & blue.) Furthermore, attendance has dwindled; I’ve lately been the only piper showing up at five.
Meanwhile practice meetings are on hiatus.
Congratuations to me! According to this page's author, less than one in five apiring pipers makes it to the stage of actually playing the pipes. I had no idea I was so distinguished.
One other note, partly off-topic, which our boss recommended including in these Chronicles: I pointed out that my book of tartans, in its paragraph on the Kennedy clan, suggested that the name seemed to derive from "an unflattering Gaelic nickname, caennaideach (ugly-headed)." I don't know what connection the Kennedys of southwestern Scotland may have with the famous Irish-American family, but of course this tidbit reminded us of a certain US senator known in some circles for his big head! (FWIW I do know that at least some of us in the band are Republicans, possibly related to a small-business background.)