A Round of Scottish Festivities: Customary Brilliant Ball at French Club One of the few mishaps in Mr. Ranald MeDonald's brilliant year as President of the St. Andrew's Society fof Shanghai was that the failure of the malls, or business depression, or some other evil influence, withheld the customary supply of heather for Scotland's festival day. Messrs. Caldeck, Macgregor & Ca. and Messrs Gande, Price, Lta., through the courtesy of the great distilling firms they represent, fortunately were able to prevent any such tragedy on Friday, fend at a very early hour all Scot faster were wearing hefty sprigs of the romantic abiding place of the most pestiferous midges creation knows," Thus began the first public function of the mew President, Ins. James Macbeth, a veteran member fof the Society and one of the most popular choloes for President ever made, His sound and witty oratory at private functions in his frst month of office already had endeared him to many beyond the Scots who need no Introduction, and it would seem that he may count on a happy and successful year of office, Cabled Greetings Mr, Macbeth's rst duty of the day was the always pleasing one of fending a cable message to His Jesty, through the Comptroller, which Fead:—"St. Andrew's Soctety of Shanghai request you to convey to Hie Majesty. the King their loyal rectings. (signed) James Macbeth, President." Later in the day, the following. reply was reccived:—"The King warmly Uanks you all for your Joyal greetings."
"A message site was received tom the Prince of Wales, who, presiding noticed. at the annual banquet of the Royal Scottish Corporation, read the general lady's skill inthe arrangement of 2 good wishes sent by St.
Society to kindred organizations in various parts of the world—"Gree Ings from Shanghai Soots." "The Cor poration replied:—"Royal Scottish Corporation, with President, the Prince of "Wales, sends hheartlest greetings for St, Andrew's 'Others to whom the local Society's greetings were sent—and from many of whom replies were received, were—The 2nd Scols Guards, The Royal Scots Fusiliers, The 93rd Highlanders, and Scottish Societies at Hankow,' Tientsin, Peking, sin tao, Chefoo, Dairen, Amoy, Foooho Canton, Taipeh, Batavia, Kobe, Yokohama, Sandakin, Penang, Colombo, Calcutta, Rangoon, Singapore, Mal coa, Ipoh, Manila, Tolle, Kuala Lumpur and Hongkong.
An innovation this year was the production of a Now Year card, eral hundreds of which also were Sent off yesterday by the President fand members.
Early Functions The earliest set ceremony of the day was a visit by the President, members of the Committee, and a number of other Scots, at 830 am. to the War Memorial, on which Mr. Macbeth deposited a wreath of pop: ples on behalf of St. Andrew's So-Doty, and others were added as tributes from ex-members of various Scottish regiments. Pipe-Major Wellated played a Iamen} before the Uttle company lett There was nothing nature until noon, when the Ewo Handicap was run off at the Shanghai Race Club, before the usual Large attendance, who later enjoyed the hospitality of the house of Jo dine, Matheson & Ca. A full account of the race appears on the Sports Page of this. issue.
Two little ceremonies which it is hoped yet may attain somewhat Targer proportions were noted at the two. Cathedral schools. Annually St. Andrew's Society offers bursaries for competition amongst the children fof Seoltish parents, subjects connect fed with Scotland occupying a prom-Snent place in the examination papers. Unfortunately, the entries this year were not as numerous usual, but @ very high standard was jet by the children who headed the Lists, which leads to hopes of keener competition in future years. The prizes, together with books presented fand signed by Mr. Jas. Macbeth, were resented during the morning muster in the schools, Kathleen Brennan Clarke, of the Cathedral Girls School, and Allstair J. Harvey, of the Cathe ral Boys School, heading their re spective classes The Caledonian Ball In the evening came the big affair which 1s recognized as opening Shanghai's winter season, the Caledanian Ball, eld yot once again in the French Club, by courtesy of the Committee and members, who generously placed their handsome ball-oom and all but @ few'of the other rooms at the disposal of St, Andrew's Society, Depression may be blamed for the fact that the attendance was barely larger than that of last year, Dut, practising economy without les sening hospitality, the Committee were able to make everybody happy and to net a very useful addition their charity fund. As it was, the ball-room, " supper-room, _Auchter~ muchty, and. the several_sitting-out places all were comfortably crowded throughout the evening, and no spaces were wasted, Decorations and Regalia St. Andrew's Society has & super-Aulty of furnishings, relies of the days when they had to make the stark wall end ceilings of the old Town Hall look something like a piece of Scotland. Nowadays, with the most of the French Club placed fat their disposal, they can use bu! few of these fittings, for much de-oration of the club would be paint-Ing the ly. Howsver, they bring in few things, and again last night there were to be seen the clan shields, the claymores and Lochaber axes, the heroic figures of "the Saint" and With their pipers in blue-grey
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.