The Heuch Quaich Awards Night

"A Burn's Supper with more pipes and fewer drones!"

Every year, the Heuch Quaich is awarded at our Burns Night - its like the Oscars for Screaming! Scots the world olver gather on the Saturday closest to Jan 25th to celebrate the birthday of our national bard - (Robert Burns) and drink uisgue beatha (whisky) from a quaich (scottish two handled drinking vessel) and eat haggis (all the meat we couldn't sell to the english!)

Most Burn's suppers are rather dull long-winded affairs organised by the Sporran Police (all will be explained) with more drones than a pipe band! Since we are outwith the long tight grip and  sobering influence of the RSCDS we have fun the way old Rab would have liked it!

Instead of long speeches, we like to sing Burns' songs, and recite his more bawdy poetry. The fiddlers play and the pipes lie silent - as it should be!

In addition to the perfunctory 'Address to the Lassies' and their reply, we have added 'The Address to the englishman' and allow a 2 minute reply from the Sassenach! 

Our chapter is very fortunate in having a fine example from Southern Scotland who has been known to upstage everyone assembled with his great shafts of wit!

List of past recipients of the Hallowed Heuch Quaich. 

1997 - Kenneth Smith
1998 - Bruce Mabbot 
1999 - Gregor Williamson 
(3 member of the legendary 'backstep boys')
2000 - Murray Nicolson
2001  - Sally Dee
2002 - Hauneka Cassels
2003 - Linda McJannet 
2004 - Howard Dean (in absentia) for the Heuch that lost him the candidacy, thus the presidency, and so can be blamed for all of Bushes problems! Just as they say that a hurricane can start with the beating of a butterfly's wings, so we see how one little heuch can do much damage when not rehersed!
2005 - Members of the Single Malt and Song Society
2006 - Mary Ellen Scannel
2007 - The Sons of Harmony 
2008 - Barbara McOwen
2009 - Brian O'Donnovan (see pictures from 2009)

Here is a copy of our Bill o'Fayre for our last Heuch Quaich dinner. As you will see, the whisky features well! 2005's dinner featured 

January 21^st 2005
The Kendall Tavern
The Bill o'Fare

The Selkirk Grace* -  Captain of the Lexington Militia
Address to Haggis** – ensemble  
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The Haggis - warm, reekin, rich wi’ champit tatties, bashed neeps
Mince n’ tatties, Salmon (purchased not poached!)  
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- The Glenlivet 15 year old French Oak Reserve  
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The Immortal Memory of Robert Burns (1759-96)  
Bruce Mabbot, Gregor Williamson, Barbara McOwen, Anne Hooper  
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- The Glenlivet 18 year old  
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Address to the english – Jeremy Bell
englishman’s reply (bob minsfield)
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- The Glenlivet 21 year old - Archive
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The Puddin’ - Tipsy laird (sherry Trifle), Petticoat tails, an a tassie o’ coffee
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- The Glenlivet Cellar Collection - 1983
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The Toast to Lassies and Reply
Members of the Single Malt and Song Society
Accompanied by ‘abunadh cask strength batch #13
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Heuch Quaich 2005
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Jigs and reels ‘til early dawn
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  Full Scottish Breakfast served by half-wit englishman in ¾ length hose
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‘aye fond kiss and then we sever’

* The Selkirk Grace

'Some hae meat and canna eat, 
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.

Here is the same toast in its mathematical form.

** The year that we could not procure a genuine real McCoy haggis for the feast, we composed and recited the 'Address to the Tim of Haggis'!

The Address to the Tin of Haggis! and other poems.

See pictures from 2009