07/30/2026
Notes from Last Night's Meeting
Notes from last night's meeting. They are not complete and should not be considered a replacement for the official minutes taken by the acting secretary.
As usual, the meeting began with discussions about vendors, clans, sponsors, and other festival business. However, the conversation soon became focused on Heavy Athletics. The discussion grew quite heated, becoming loud enough that people chose to leave the meeting.
The main issue centered on the Heavy Athletics events. For many years, we have provided the space free of charge so athletes would have a place to compete. Although competitors pay an entry fee, once the costs of T-shirts, food, bottled water, trophies, and other expenses are covered, the Heavy Athletics competition has operated at a loss every year. Even so, we have continued to support it because we believe it is an important part of our event.
This year, the owners of the athletics equipment informed us that they would need to begin charging us for the use of that equipment. After considerable discussion, a compromise was reached. While this allows Heavy Athletics to remain part of the festival, it also means that some budget reductions will be necessary.
Some of the changes for this year's festival include:
There will be no "Give It a Go" event.
There may not be chairs available in front of the entertainment stage, so attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or portable chair if they wish to sit and watch the performances.
There will be fewer dining tables available. We kindly ask that guests give priority to our older visitors when using these tables.
Additional cost-saving measures will be implemented, although we hope they will have little impact on the overall festival experience.
Despite these necessary reductions, many favorite attractions will still be part of the festival, including:
Live entertainment
The bagpipe band
Vendors
Clan representatives
A travel agent
Artists
Children's activities, including Heavy Athletics for kids, hatchet throwing for kids, and a children's golf activity
Heavy Athletics will be at our event.
We appreciate everyone's understanding as we work to balance rising costs while preserving the traditions and activities that make our festival special. Our goal remains to provide an enjoyable experience for our fellow Scots, participants, and all of our visitors.
