Dunedin Scottish Cultural Foundation
Background
The Dunedin Scottish Cultural Foundation’s mission is to preserve and promote the pride and traditions of Dunedin’s founding fathers by seeking and developing avenues of financial support to provide funding that will offer opportunities for aspiring students to receive world-class piping, drumming and dance instruction through our schools, after hour programs and ultimately our own College of Celtic Culture.
The Dunedin Middle School, High School and City Pipe Bands have been under the direction and leadership of Master Pipe Major Sandy Keith for over twenty years. Through Mr. Keith’s dedication, our Pipe Bands have excelled and our programs and events have been recognized throughout the world. Our dancers, through superior local instructors, have also achieved world class recognition.
Mr. Keith’s position has been primarily funded by the City of Dunedin, supplemented since the mid 1990’s by $5,000 assessments that are paid by both the Middle and High School Bands. Dance instruction fee’s have at times, received limited tuition support from Band Booster Organizations along with tuition fee’s paid by the students.
Through fund raising efforts and contributions from the Dunedin Highland Games and Festival Committee each school has met its $5,000 obligation. However covering this cost takes funds away from repairing, purchasing and maintaining the unique equipment and authentic uniform required by the bands. This assessment also lessens funds available for our drummers and dancers to receive specialized instruction.
In light of reduced tax revenues and extreme belt tightening, the City of Dunedin is struggling to fund the Piping Director position. This lack of funding threatens our Scottish instructional programs and places all three Pipe Bands and our dancers in possible jeopardy. The extreme economic hardship that the City and Schools are enduring will preclude them from funding unique organizations and programs which our Dunedin school’s offer.
The need for funding, which has always been present has become more critical as we face the planned departure and retirement of our long time Piping Director Sandy Keith. Continuing and enhancing our programs and the legacy created by Mr. Keith is our challenge. With diminishing funding from the schools and the City, the Foundation realizes the need to seek sources of revenue that will attract a skilled instructor such as Sandy Keith.
Scottish Organizations within the City of Dunedin include our three bands, the Dunedin Highland Games and Festival Committee, The Scottish American Society, and The New World Celts.
All three bands raise funds through various fund raising activities. The DHG and Festival Committee sponsors three major fund raising events (Celtic Festival, Military Tattoo and the Highland Games); the New World Celts collects funds and awards numerous scholarships and sponsorships to individual students so they can receive continued instruction in the areas of piping, drumming and dance. The Scottish American Society makes yearly nominal donations to the school bands. Despite all of the fund raising and contributions – there is still a major funding shortfall.
To maintain the high standards which Dunedin is known for and continuing to provide world class instructions and programs, the Foundation needs a predictable source of funding over and above existing revenues. The Foundation has set an immediate goal of raising $50,000 / $75,000 / $100,000 annually.
The rich Scottish Culture of Dunedin through our bands and organizations brings enormous revenue into our City and County. The many Scottish events held throughout the year bring our City much recognition and visitors from around the world to our City. Every business benefits in some way from the uniqueness and recognition that our bands and organizations bring to our City.
It is the goal of the Foundation, working with our Bands and all Scottish Organizations within Dunedin, to raise predictable sources of funds that will allow Dunedin to maintain first class piping, drumming and dancing instructors to our youth which will preserve the rich Scottish and Celtic Culture of the City of Dunedin and further embrace and strengthen our Sister City initiatives.
Please consider supporting this cause. For further information please visit our website at: www.scottishculturalfoundation.com
The Dunedin Scottish Cultural Foundation is a not for profit charitable organization and holds a 501(c) (3) status under the Internal Revenue Code.
The Dunedin Scottish Cultural Foundation’s mission is to preserve and promote the pride and traditions of Dunedin’s founding fathers by seeking and developing avenues of financial support to provide funding that will offer opportunities for aspiring students to receive world-class piping, drumming and dance instruction through our schools, after hour programs and ultimately our own College of Celtic Culture.
The Dunedin Middle School, High School and City Pipe Bands have been under the direction and leadership of Master Pipe Major Sandy Keith for over twenty years. Through Mr. Keith’s dedication, our Pipe Bands have excelled and our programs and events have been recognized throughout the world. Our dancers, through superior local instructors, have also achieved world class recognition.
Mr. Keith’s position has been primarily funded by the City of Dunedin, supplemented since the mid 1990’s by $5,000 assessments that are paid by both the Middle and High School Bands. Dance instruction fee’s have at times, received limited tuition support from Band Booster Organizations along with tuition fee’s paid by the students.
Through fund raising efforts and contributions from the Dunedin Highland Games and Festival Committee each school has met its $5,000 obligation. However covering this cost takes funds away from repairing, purchasing and maintaining the unique equipment and authentic uniform required by the bands. This assessment also lessens funds available for our drummers and dancers to receive specialized instruction.
In light of reduced tax revenues and extreme belt tightening, the City of Dunedin is struggling to fund the Piping Director position. This lack of funding threatens our Scottish instructional programs and places all three Pipe Bands and our dancers in possible jeopardy. The extreme economic hardship that the City and Schools are enduring will preclude them from funding unique organizations and programs which our Dunedin school’s offer.
The need for funding, which has always been present has become more critical as we face the planned departure and retirement of our long time Piping Director Sandy Keith. Continuing and enhancing our programs and the legacy created by Mr. Keith is our challenge. With diminishing funding from the schools and the City, the Foundation realizes the need to seek sources of revenue that will attract a skilled instructor such as Sandy Keith.
Scottish Organizations within the City of Dunedin include our three bands, the Dunedin Highland Games and Festival Committee, The Scottish American Society, and The New World Celts.
All three bands raise funds through various fund raising activities. The DHG and Festival Committee sponsors three major fund raising events (Celtic Festival, Military Tattoo and the Highland Games); the New World Celts collects funds and awards numerous scholarships and sponsorships to individual students so they can receive continued instruction in the areas of piping, drumming and dance. The Scottish American Society makes yearly nominal donations to the school bands. Despite all of the fund raising and contributions – there is still a major funding shortfall.
To maintain the high standards which Dunedin is known for and continuing to provide world class instructions and programs, the Foundation needs a predictable source of funding over and above existing revenues. The Foundation has set an immediate goal of raising $50,000 / $75,000 / $100,000 annually.
The rich Scottish Culture of Dunedin through our bands and organizations brings enormous revenue into our City and County. The many Scottish events held throughout the year bring our City much recognition and visitors from around the world to our City. Every business benefits in some way from the uniqueness and recognition that our bands and organizations bring to our City.
It is the goal of the Foundation, working with our Bands and all Scottish Organizations within Dunedin, to raise predictable sources of funds that will allow Dunedin to maintain first class piping, drumming and dancing instructors to our youth which will preserve the rich Scottish and Celtic Culture of the City of Dunedin and further embrace and strengthen our Sister City initiatives.
Please consider supporting this cause. For further information please visit our website at: www.scottishculturalfoundation.com
The Dunedin Scottish Cultural Foundation is a not for profit charitable organization and holds a 501(c) (3) status under the Internal Revenue Code.