LANDSLIDE AT INVERNESS

The proceedings of the SNP's 66th Annual Conference, held in the Eden Court Theatre, Inverness between September 20th and 23rd, were largely overshadowed by the keenly contested election for National Convener, following Alex Salmond's standing down after 10 years of unrivalled achievement.

The Media kept caricaturing the issue which divided the contestants for the leadership as "fundamentalism" and "gradualism", bizarrely also dubbing them Left-wing and Right-wing respectively -- the largely English-owned Media's incomprehension of Scottish politics seems to know no bounds!

It is true that some of the candidates' henchpersons became progressively more excited and even at times quite bitter as the campaigns progressed. In the end, however, Conference endorsed the Swinney campaigners by a thumping two to one vote. And all could now get back to attacking the common enemy with reunited dedication.

The following results were declared at the close of Conference:

OFFICE BEARERS

• President
  Dr Winifred Ewing MSP (unopposed)

• Vice-Presidents
  Professor Neil MacCormick MEP (unopposed)
  Alasdair Morgan MSP MP (unopposed)
  Andrew Welsh MSP MP (unopposed)

 SENIOR VICE CONVENER

NATIONAL SECRETARY

NATIONAL TREASURER

EXECUTIVE VICE CONVENERS

NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

The October issue of the paper itself, due out next week, will as usual carry a full report, with pictures, of the Conference proceedings.

FRINGE EVENT

Members of the panel who gave their views of current Nationalist issues, and the SI's role in them, at the fringe meeting in the Eden Court Café Marquee on Thursday evening of Conference:
(L to R) Former SNP Leader James Halliday; Parliamentary business manager Michael Russell MSP; Peter D Wright (Panel Chairman); and Editor Kenneth Fee.

SI ACROSS THE WORLD

Scots lawyer (and keen SI reader) Gillian MacDonald relaxing with her favourite paper during a QEII cruise shore visit to the Geirenger Fjord.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Blair hasn't listened. Public opinion is like a 800lb gorilla. When you speak to it, speak politely. He's had the WI, the Dome and now the petrol crisis. He's got it all wrong."

- Bob Worcester, chief of Mori polls.

DATES IN HISTORY

2 October 1929
Reunion of the Church of Scotland and the United Free Church of Scotland as the Church of Scotland.

3 October 1712
Warrant issued for the arrest of Rob Roy MacGregor, Highland Freebooter, by the Lord Advocate at the instigation of the Duke of Montrose.

4 October 1883
The Boys' Brigade founded in Glasgow by Sir William Alexander Smith. Its stated object was 'the advancement of God's Kingdom among Boys and the promotion of habits of Reverence, Discipline, Self-Respect, and all that tends towards a true Christian Manliness'.

THE REBELS CEILIDH SONG BOOK

GREEN HILLS
(Sir: Green Hills of Tyrol - As sung by Inverscotia Singers)

Oh the green hills are calling me, to shoulder up my pack 
Along the track, where the air is fresh and free,
Where torrents leap and play, I go today

Chorus:
For the calling of the hills I hear, from the birds so near,
From the distant deer, as I swing along with eager stride,
Up the rugged mountain side.

Every noble peak I see lit by the brightening dawn,
Allures me on over rock and jagged scree,
By dark brown pools of peat I guide my feet.

Chorus:

Though the mist has capped each ben,
And phantom peaks obscure, I'll still be lured,
To the corrie down the glen; by yonder waterfall I hear the call.

See the Songbook in our features section

A KIST O FERLIES
A Keek at the Guid Scots Tung
By Peter D Wright
(Note: All words underlined in this section are RealAudio links)

• kist: box; coffin; corn bin; the thorax

• ferlie: marvel; novelty; wonderful; strange

• frae: from

• auld: old

• Nae ferlie: No wonder

• Auld i the horn: Wise, astute

'I ken a thing
that's like a kist of ferlies gif ye read.
Frae Jamison's muckle buik the words tak wing,
auld douce or ramstam, lown or virrfu words,
for musardry o thocht or grame o dirds,
our forebears uisd to flyte or scryve or sing'

frae 'Thesaurus Paleo-Scoticus' - Douglas Young

Chuckies Oan A Cairn
In memory of Gaelic activist Seumas Mac a’Ghobhainn

See Scots Language in our Features Section

AND AS WE CONTINUE.........

If you read our first issue of The Flag in the Wind you will know that this is a weekly Internet commentary on the Scottish political scene; if you desire further erudition click on Archives.

 THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY

The Scots Independent Newspaper is independent of the Scottish National Party, but we support the Party in its drive for Independence; while space precludes us commenting on all the issues raised by the 35 MSPs, 6 MPS and 2 MEPs, also the Party Office Bearers, we have provided a link to the SNP Website.

THE FLAG IN THE WIND

The above was the title of a book written in the early Fifties by John MacDonald MacCormick, one of the founder members of the Scottish National Party in 1934. The sub-title was "The Story of the National Movement in Scotland". His comment in the book said "It is perhaps in the symbols which men use that their deepest sentiments are most readily expressed. Flags as well as straws show which way the wind is blowing". A fuller account appears under Features.

 

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