New Newsletter Editor!

After about 5 years we are getting a new newsletter editor! Thanks to Donzetta

O'Dunn we have had a spiffy looking newsletter with loads of great content for

the past 5 years. Donzetta, we appreciate your efforts and hope we can count

on you for other great things in the future! Now, on to our new newsletter John

McGregor. Thanks John for volunteering to put the newsletter together!!! It's

great to have volunteers!!!

To the Celts, time was circular rather than linear. This is reflected in their

commencing each day, and each festival, at dusk rather than dawn, a

custom comparable with that of the Jewish Sabbath. It is also reflected in

their year beginning with the festival of Samhain on 31 October, when

nature appears to be dying down. Tellingly, the first month of the Celtic

year is Samonios, ‘Seed Fall’: in other words, from death and darkness

springs life and light.

Learn Gaelic!

Richard Ferguson continues to teach a weekly conversational Scottish Gaelic

class for beginning and intermediate speakers, using the Teach Yourself Gaelic

materials. In the classes, students can also pick up Scottish cultural and historical

information! Best of all, the classes are FREE! Join Richard Mondays, 6:30-

8:00pm at the Flagstaff Adult Center, 245 Thorpe Rd.

Wish List

We need forks and spoons for our project at Soar Into Spring. If you have any old forks and

spoons please call Jude to arrange a pick-up. We will be needing volunteers to help with

Soar Into Spring as well. Soar Into Spring is a City of Flagstaff event celebrating spring and

all things related to wind. NACHS will be hosting an area for kids to plant some seeds and

make a wind chime. The date for Soar Into Spring will be April 25 and the event usually

runs from about 11 to 4. If you are interested in volunteering call Jude at... 928-556-3161.

Silent Auction Items Needed

If you know a business who might donate a certificate for a service, meal, or something of

the sort we are looking for silent auction donations for the Robert Burns Supper, A Highland

Tea with Diana Gabaldon, Shenanigans, and Tartan Day. Or, if you have something you

would like to donate call Jude to discuss it...928-556-3161.

Greetings, fellow pipers,

While I consider myself a relatively new piper (I haven't completed my 7 years yet), I

have had the experience of having people tell me how much it meant to them to hear

the pipes played, whether it was for a special event, or just because I played

unannounced in a public place and someone was touched. Last week I heard a story

about how one of us deeply touched a good friend of mine, who lives here in the

Central California Coast, and I wanted to pass on the good news.

My friend is Ron Veillette, a local firefighter and fellow parishioner at my church. This

past summer, his brother Jim died unexpectantly in a motorcycle accident. The Sunday

before Thanksgiving, Ron, I, our wives and Ron's daughter Paige had dinner together.

We had not had an opportunity to visit since Jim's death, and I asked him how he was

doing. Ron proceeded to tell us how wonderful Jim's memorial service was, how a friend

of Jim's spoke movingly about how giving Jim was, particularly to the youth in his

hometown. Ron then said that this friend announced that his son, who appeared to be 8

or 9, would play Amazing Grace on the pipes, and added that it was not easy for his son

to play in front of people, but that the occasion was not one for being comfortable. Ron

recounted how well the young piper played. As Ron spoke, I thought of one young piper

that I had met last summer at camp - we both had Aaron as our instructor. I then

asked Ron where his brother lived, and he answered, "Williams, AZ". At that point, I

told him that Strider was the piper. Ron replied, "Yeah, that was his name!"

So Strider, your playing meant a great deal to Jim's brother. Keep up the good work!

What we do is more important than we often realize.

I hope everyone has a great Christmas, Channukah, and New Years

Ed Gallagher

Paso Robles, CA

New Officers

For 2009 our officers are:

President…Jude McKenzie

Vice President…Barb RippleCo-Secretaries…John and Jacquie McGregorTreasurer…Mike Casey

Thank you for your service! It takes dedicated folks to make it happen.

The Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society

(dedicated to presenting, promoting, and preserving Celtic culture)

presents:

A ROBERT BURNS SUPPERAn evening of traditional food, entertainment poetry, bagpiping celebrating

the life of Scotland’s most famous poet!!! Music by the KNOCKABOUTS!

Feb. 7, 2009 from 5 to 9

Cocktail Hour from 5 to 6

Entertainment starts at 6

The Kilted Cat

2600 W. Kiltie Ln.

Tickets available at:

Arizona Music Pro

or Jude McKenzie 928-556-3161

Adults-$30.00 Children-$15.00

TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BY Jan. 31

Thanks to Flagstaff Cultural Partners, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the

Arizona Commission on the Arts for their continued support!

A Highland Tea with

Diana Gabaldon!!!

Presented by the Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society(dedicated to presenting, promoting and preserving Celtic culture)

A traditional afternoon tea including sandwiches, scones and sweets, followed by a reading

by Diana Gabaldon!!! New this year… a no host bar featuring Glenfiddich Single Malt

Scotch Whisky! AND… BOOKMAN’S will be at the tea selling Diana’s books!

HAT CONTEST…wear your “best” hat and you may win a prize!!!!!

March 7, 2009 from 2 to 5

The Kilted Cat

2600 W. Kiltie Ln.

Tickets available at:

Arizona Music Pro

Or call Jude McKenzie 928-556-3161

Tickets $25.00 each

TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BY Feb. 28Thanks to Flagstaff Cultural Partners, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Arizona Commission on the Arts for

their continued support!

Celtic Music radio program on KJZA 89.5 FM

& 90.1

- Hosted by NACH's own David McNabb

- Live on Saturdays, 6-7 pm

- Broadcast repeated on Sundays, 1-2 pm

Good Job!Our annual Celtic Holiday Party was a success in many ways. Not only did we

have fun but we collected 53 pounds of food for the Northern Arizona Food Bank.

Thanks to everyone who contributed!

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Please print this form, complete and return to NACHS

! _____ Individual Membership, with email newsletter $ 10 $ __________

! _____ Individual Membership, with paper newsletter $ 15 $ __________

! _____ Family Membership, with email newsletter $ 15 $ __________

! _____ Family Membership, with paper newsletter $ 20 $ __________

! _____ Life Membership, with both newsletter formats $ 150 $ __________

Total enclosed: $ __________

Name ____________________________________________

Address __________________________________________

___________________________________________

Phone ___________________________________________

E-Mail __________________________________________

Yes, Include me on the volunteer list! ____________

Please make checks payable to “NACHS” and mail to:

Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society

PO Box 187

Flagstaff, AZ 86002

Directory of Celtic Arts

For Lessons:

Bagpipe , Flagstaff

Jim Thomson: 928.522.8797

Bodhran

Ron Barton: 928.774.7261

Fiddle

Kari Barton: 928.600.1365

Irish Dance

Sharon Judd: 602.253.1978

For Performance and Music:

AZ Highlanders Pipe Band, or to hire bagpipers

Jim Thomson: 928.522.8797

The Knockabouts

John McGregor: 928.814.2480

Cans for Bands Project:

Don't forget to save those aluminum cans

for our "Cans for Bands" project! Call Jim

Thomson at 522-8797 to arrange a drop-

off at his shop (Thomson and Son

Bagpipes, 555 Blackbird Roost #7).