St. Andrew Society pays tribute to Robert Burns through poetry, song and dancing.
By
Pam Eubanks
| 9:59 p.m. January 20, 2018
East County
Neighbors
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Palm Aire’s Rick MacLeod may have been at his place of employment on a Saturday night, but he didn’t mind.
Instead of tending bar at the Palm Aire Country Club, where he’s worked for a decade, MacLeod was dressed Jan. 20 in a kilt and dancing across the dance floor with his wife, Doris. The couple and others in their Thursday night dance group, the Sarasota Scottish Country Dance Group, led a demonstration of Scottish dances during the Burns Supper.
The event, organized by the St. Andrew Society of Sarasota and Burns Club of St. Andrew, celebrated the 259th anniversary of the birth of Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns.
“This is really cool to be at my own club,” Rick MacLeod said.
Palm Aire resident and St. Andrew Society President Carl Morris and his wife, Mary Lou Morris, co-chaired the event, which celebrated all things Robert Burns. The night’s festivities began with socializing and a cocktail hour and continued with the presentation in of the haggis, toasts to the laddies and lasses and Scottish dancing.
David Coutts, of Venice, finishes dessert with his relatives before the toasts begin.
Barbara and Peter Ross, of Sarasota, are all smiles.
Peter Ross, of Sarasota, laughs at a joke.
Bert Mitchell, of Palmer Ranch in Sarasota, toasts to the lassies.
Founders Club resident Jeanne Vargo toasts to the lads, including her husband, Lee McMillen.
Palm Aire's Rick MacLeod leads the dance demonstrations with the rest of the Sarasota Scottish Country Dance Group.
Sarasota Scottish Country Dancer Ron Walker participates in a dance demonstration.
North Port's Mary Ellen McMahon claps and signs along to "Let's Have a Ceilidh."
Mary and Ed Schreck, of Siesta Key, dine with friend Cathy Hay, of The Meadows.
May and Alex Crawley, of Venice, are honorary presidents of the Robert Burns World Federation.
Mike and Martha Gaffney, of Lakewood Ranch, are good friends with event chairmen Carl and Mary Lou Morris.
Jon and Bonnie Perkins, of Sarasota, will also attend the Highland Games and Celtic Festival next weekend. Bonnie Perkins is president of the Scottish Heritage Society.
Kathryn Lee and Barbara and David MacMillan link arms to sing " Auld Lang Syne."
Tony Hewitt and his wife Ruth Newberry were visiting Sarasota's Marie McEntee and Gordon Hutton. Hutton is Newberry's father.
Rick and Elizabeth Reuter, George Graydon and Louise Spellman all live in Sarasota.
Palm Aire residents and event chairmen Mary Lou and Carl Morris love bringing the Burns Supper tradition to life.
