Who We Are...

The Scottish Society of Indianapolis, Inc. was formed as an Indiana non-profit social club in 1983 by our Founder and President Emeritus, Carter Keith. From humble beginnings as a small group meeting in an apartment clubhouse, the organization has grown to over 200 members. The Scottish Society of Indianapolis has never required its members to prove their Scottish heritage or linage. It is simply a place for people to celebrate Scottish heritage, culture and history together. The Society has wide diversity in its members, which is composed of genealogists, historians, re-enactors, pipers, dancers, story tellers and those that just enjoy and simply love celebrating “things Scottish”.

The Society promotes education about Scottish culture and heritage through its monthly meetings and participation in events and activities such as The International Festival, Ft Wayne Games, Columbus Games, The St. Patrick’s Day Parade, and The Indy Irish Festival. We also have Kilt Nights in the Indy area for all to gather and enjoy great music, scotch, and friendships. We have annual Robert Burns Nights and ceilidh (a party of music and dance), as well as celebrate Hogmanay (Scottish New Years) and our traditional formal event of Founders Day, at which we have a more formal dinner and live entertainment while celebrating the achievements of the last year. Another annual event is the Kirkin ‘O’ Tartan, which is a traditional Scottish-American church service concluding with a blessing of the Scottish clans and districts represented by those in attendance.

In 2009 we have begun a new tradition of presenting of scholarships to those wanting to further enrich themselves with Scottish heritage, culture, and the arts (including music). The George McMath Scholarship Fund is solely funded by donations and raffles for the presentation of scholarships at our annual Founders Day Dinner.

It has been our goal to promote the Society and our Scottish heritage in an effort to grow our Society and educate others about Scotland. We keep our annual dues low so both individuals and families can enjoy our monthly events, which generally include a pitch-in dinner by the members and a fun, educational program or entertainment. It is truly a family night, as while we adults are having one program, our Youth members get to have a program of their own with Scottish games and learning tailored to their age groups (though for some events, we celebrate together as a group).

The Society is also pleased to announce a new annual event, long overdue, beginning in the fall of 2010. We will be having the Inaugural Indianapolis Scottish Highland Games and Festival on October 9, 2010, right here at the Latvian Center. It will be a one day family type event and affordable to all attending. We will have a full schedule of athletic events sanctioned by NASGA--North American Scottish Games Association--clan tents, vendors, traditional Scottish foods, Scotch, live Scottish music, bagpiping, sheep dogs, a Youth area, dancing, and a ceilidh in the evening. We have begun our planning and putting things into place for this event that you won’t want to miss. We would welcome anyone wishing to volunteer to help with the planning or the event itself, please contact us at indyscot@gmail.com for further information. Mark those calendars now for October 9, 2010!