What is a Clan Wallace Gathering?
It is a fun filled time for the Family of Wallace with camaraderie that can’t be beat. It is a unique blending of Scottish heritage and locale events and attractions. It is a biannual meeting of our members in a location designated by the board to significantly represent our Society. The event normally includes Festivals, Highland Games and other Scottish traditions. Each Gathering has been unique, with events planned to facilitate fellowship during activities that embrace our Scottish Heritage. Learning about the Wallace Family and Scotland’s National Hero, William Wallace is the key to every gathering.
How did the Clan Wallace Gatherings Begin?
Halifax, Nova Scotia, 1999 Tom Wallace initiated the idea of a Gathering in 1998 and approached the Board with a proposal to host an event in Halifax during 1999. Because there were so many activities happening in Halifax that year, he thought that it would be a great venue. He sure was right!!!! Tom orchestrated the 1st Bi-Annual Gathering in grand style. He arranged for Clan Wallace Society members to have tea with the Mayor of Halifax and tour the Nova Scotia Governor’s Palace. The Wallaces’ attended the Military Tattoo on Canada Day as well as a parade in town. Tours of the area were arranged and attended by the group. There were Highland Games, a formal Banquet and a pub night.
How did the Spirit of the Gathering Continue?
Salado 2016
Salado is located in central Texas, where Clan Wallace Society was founded by two men named Wallace in 1966: Charles B. Wallace, Joseph P. Wallace. This was a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Clan Wallace Society. Chief Andrew Wallace was invited to attend from his home in Edinburgh, Scotland; members came from all across the land to celebrate our heritage, history and the occasional wee dram.
Friday night kicked off the celebration with the Calling of the Clans. All clans present made themselves known to the crowd, Wallace included. Saturday morning began with a parade through town, two of our members carrying the Clan Wallace banner leading the marchers to the event grounds. Celebration included a dinner at one of Salado’s finest restaurants.
Bannockburn Tour 2014
The year 2014 came around all too quickly. Flying over to Scotland gave us time to refresh memories of what took place between the Scots and English armies during that two-day battle in 1314. King Robert I, the Bruce, led his Scots army against King Edward II and his English army at Bannockburn, just a few miles from where Wallace and Murray had bested the English army in 1297 at Stirling’s bridge, just a short distance from where King Edward I beat Wallace’s Scots in 1298 at Falkirk. On a good day, all three battlefields are visible from Stirling Castle. There may be times when having a front row seat to history is too close!
Our visit included tours of Lanark, Falkirk, the National Wallace Monument at Abbey Craig, Dunfermline Abbey and other locales of general interest to William Wallace’s and Robert Bruce’s historic period in Scotland during the First War of Independence.
Where exactly the Bannockburn battle took place has been lost to history. The park is probably pretty close to where it took place, despite differences of opinion by historians. What it does have is a marvelous Bannockburn Heritage Center with 3-D re-enactment that puts everyone into close combat with the participants. The park also has the “other,” the original statue of King Robert I, the Bruce, a copy of which we’d seen two years earlier in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Calgary 2012
While we made our long weekend home in Calgary, their Games split between Calgary on Saturday, away from the mountains, Canmore on Sunday, in the midst of them. A good number of us came in early, learned the lay of the land, spent time with old friends and made new friends. Before the weekend, plenty of time for classes on genealogy, Scotch tasting, history of clans and families. During our city tour, we found a Bruce statue in the middle of Calgary, one that many Calgarians seem to know nothing about. It’s identical to the statue in Bannockburn, both cast in 1964, although it doesn’t have the larger space around it.
All too soon our Calgary/Canmore long weekend came to a close, time to pack up and go home. We did, but only after a farewell breakfast with most of us still in attendance, knowing that in two years we’d be off to Scotland for the next big anniversary event: Bannockburn.
Estes Park, CO, September 2009
The 6th bi-annual Gathering of the Clan Wallace Society was held in conjunction with the 33rd Longs Peaks Scottish/Irish Highland Festival. As one of the honored clans, the Society marched at the front of the parade through the city of Estes Park and had a very large tent in front of the other clan tents.. ‘Our’ High Desert Pipes and Drums of Albuquerque also marched, but sadly not with the Society. The Gathering wrapped up with a nice breakfast where President Bill Wallace passed the Wallace Sword to incoming president Bob Wallace of Dayton, NV. Everyone enjoyed the meal and an extensive raffle that included Wallace labeled wine and a beautiful, framed photo to the statue of William Wallace on the National Wallace Monument in Stirling.
Williamsburg, Virginia September 2007
The 5th Biannual Clan Wallace Society-Worldwide Gathering (CWS) The Clan Wallace Society held its fifth bi-annual Gathering in conjunction with the 30th Williamsburg, VA Scottish Festival in late September. More than 100 Wallaces from throughout North America enjoyed four days of fellowship and visited sites vital to American history such as the Yorktown battlefield and (British) surrender site. The Gathering was definitely a family affair as several family reunions took place as part of the event. Old friendships were reestablished and many new friendships were made amongst the Wallaces from Canada and 18 states both east and west of the Mississippi.
Hosts Captain John R. Wallace and Lisa Donant made everyone welcome starting with a hospitality suite. In addition to fellowship and tourism, members enjoyed a whisky tasting in the hospitality suite and a welcome reception held at The Williamsburg Hospitality House, an excellent venue. J. Marcus Wallace taught a class on genealogy and Larry Slight taught a class on heraldry. Smith Museum with the Provost (Mayor) of Stirling CAPT John Presenting the Clan Wallace Society Wreath at the Wallace700 Ceremony in Aberdeen 5 Clan Wallace was the honored clan at the Williamsburg Scottish Festival so lead the march of clans and was furnished a large tent right next to the reviewing stand. President Bill Wallace and his wife Norma, representing Ian Francis Wallace, of that Ilk, Chief of the Name and Family of Wallace, were piped onto the field, made brief remarks, and participated in ceremonies at the reviewing stand. Bill and Norma also represented our chief at the Festival’s Balmoral Reception on Friday evening preceding. The grand finale of the Gathering was the formal banquet and awards ceremony on Sunday evening. President Bill Wallace presented two President’s Awards and two Awards of Appreciation for outstanding service to the Society.
Scotland, 2005
2005 was the 700th Anniversary of Wallace’s Martyrdom—–What a wonderful time for Clan Wallace to go to Scotland. So the plans began with The Board deciding a professional tour company would make the arrangements directed by the CWS Board working with Clan Wallace Society event coordinator, Lois Wallace. Fifty Wallaces were on a bus and several families followed in cars on the inaugural Clan Wallace Society trip to the home of their ancestors. A pre tour attended The Abernathy Games, toured the Grant Distillery, Culloden, Loch Ness, Loch Lomond, Inverness and the Isle of Sky to get the flavor of Scotland. The main tour concentrated on William Wallace by visiting his birthplace in Elderslie, The National Wallace Monument, Stirling Castle and the Smith Museum. The group participated in the Wallace 700 Parade in Aberdeen and the following wreath laying ceremony at the Wallace Statue. CPT John Wallace presented the Society wreath. Local children performed a pageant which depicted William Wallace’s life. The Provost of Aberdeen held a reception for Dick and Jan Were Piped Into the Banquet Whiskey Tasting 4 the Wallaces. A dinner with Chief’s son Andrew (heir apparent) in Edinburgh was an opportunity to get to know our next chief. The Rosslyn Chapel, St. Andrews Golf Course, The Scottish Parliament Building with the Freedom Papers, Edinburgh Fringe Festival entertainers, Edinburg Castle and the Military Tattoo were other highlights of the Gathering.
Reno Nevada, 2003
Having participated in the Halifax and Fergus Gatherings, Dick and Jan Wallace of Marysville, California thought it was time that the Gathering be held in the United States. They incorporated a whiskey tasting presented by John Wallace; a geneology class taught by Kay Caylor; The Reno Highland Games; a Banquet with professional entertainment; and a Kirkin of the Tartan conducted by Russ Caylor with a final farewell breakfast. Sight seeing and casinos were available and participates had enough free time to enjoy them. Many Wallaces formed small informal groups to sight see.
Up to this point the Gatherings were organized by individuals who approached the Board and said that they were willing to take on the responsibility of organizing the Gathering. It is a big responsibility with financial liabilities. The CWS Board decided it would be proactive in assisting and organizing the future Gatherings.
Fergus, Ontario, 2001
Jamie Wallace of Newburgh Ontario put together the next Gathering two years later to continue the new Clan Wallace Society tradition. David Ross, the author of the book, On the Trail of William Wallace was a guest of the Society and speaker. The Fergus Highland Games were the centerpiece of the gathering. In addition the Wallaces visited an aviation museum, and a Legoland center. Jim Bowie Wallace is shown wearing an Egyptian funeral mask made out of Legos. There were many opportunities to socialize and a fantastic dinner.