International Artizans
USA
Strathleven Artizans have a branch/connection in the United States of America in both the West coast in Seattle with Honorary members Mr & Mrs Harry & Diane McAllister and in the East coast and in New York City Ms Betsy Thomson.
Harry and Diane have had connection with Strathleven Artizans for nearly 4 years now and we had the pleasure of their company on our grand opening night banquet held in 2006 where they represented King Robert the Bruce and his queen Isabella De Mar.
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Harry who was born in Dumbarton and Diane who is American usually come over twice a year to Scotland where they have many friends, they travel all over Scotland and indeed they do an awful lot of work in both Scotland and the USA in promoting all things Scottish.
Back home in the U.S.A they put together, print and distribute a directory (Scottish Fellowship) in promoting the likes of Highland games, Scottish music and dance, food, tartan wear and burns suppers, any thing Scottish can be found in their directory, this covers the 4 north-eastern states, they have ran this for a good many years now and are in conjunction with Strathleven Artizans have started a similar directory here in Scotland called the Scottish Fellowship.
The Artizans are building a network with other societies and groups and are getting the message across that if we all pull in the same direction then we will get some where and the whole country can and will benefit, Strathleven Artizans have over the past 4 years came along way, we have travelled all over Scotland and over seas as well promoting King Robert the Bruce living and dieing in our village and raising awareness of the Royal history in our village i.e. did you know that 3 kings left Renton/Strathleven and go to Scone to be crowd King.
We have met and spoke to Lords and Ladies, First Minister, MSP’s, MP’s as well as celebrities.
The Strathleven Oak (the Bruce Oak) is a major part of the Artizans as we will in the fullness of time be putting together a national exhibition from products made from the Bruce Oak, craftsmen from different part of Scotland and further a field will have a part to play in producing this exhibition and this is the ideal of Harry McAllister using the Scottish Fellowship Network to further these goals.
New York Branch.
While taking part in this years Tartan day Parade in New York City we met up with a lovely lady by the name of Betsy Thomson who we had emailed prior to going over to the U.S.A, as our Chairman Duncan Thomson had seen that Betsy was the only other Thomson in the parade so he invited Betsy to join the Artizans in the parade which she duly did.
We spent the whole day together with the parade, the bus trip to Stout’s bar and then having dinner in the evening we got to know her well and enjoyed her company so much that we have made her an Honorary Artizans.
Betsy lives in the Bronx and is a singer/song writer and has just won an award for her latest song/video the song is called strait jacket which can be seen on you tube hopefully he will get it on our website soon we also have a link to her website check it out. She is a spiritualist and reekie/healer and she worked with the NYC Fire department as a councillor after 9/11. She is indeed a very special person and certainly made an impression on us and we hope to meet up with her again soon.
By Jim Tannock
