History of the St. Andrews Society in the Inland Northwest

Our Mission:
First formed as the St. Andrews Society of the Inland Empire in 1955, the St. Andrews Society adheres to the original purposes set out in the Bylaws:

• To encourage the study and promotion of Scottish history, literature, music, dance, customs, sports and culture;
• To organize and promote an observation of Robert Burns’ birthday (January 25th) each year; and
• To encourage and participate in observing other cultural events for public education and entertainment.

 
History - Origins of the St. Andrews Society of the Inland NW:
In 1936, John “Scotty” Cameron spearheaded an effort by many Scots in the Inland Empire to sponsor an all-Scottish picnic at Kellogg, Idaho. Many folks from Washington, Idaho, and Canada traveled by bus and cars to gather with their friends.
 
Out of this effort was born the Scottish Picnic Association, which annually sponsored a large picnic on the last Sunday of July. The perfect setting for this much-anticipated event was Lake Coeur d’Alene City Park. Piping, dancing, singing, and talking about things Scottish were the order of the day for the hundreds who attended.
 
Through the years, the pipe band from Kimberly, BC, attended and played an important part in the success of the picnics. Spokane’s own Angus Scott Pipe Band, whose name honors the Pipe Major of that band, was also involved in the early years of the Scottish Picnic.
 
Following the gathering of 1955, a number of the Scots in the Scottish Picnic Association decided to organize a St. Andrews Society in this area.