Scottish North American Leadership Conference 2013
The 11th Annual Scottish North American Leadership Conference will be held at the Scottish Home in North Riverside, IL, on Friday, October 25-27th, 2013.
See Scottish North American Leadership Conference.
(2014 Save the Date - Monday, July 7, and Tuesday, July 8, 2014
at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland)
Every year, the conference is an opportunity for those of us in the Scottish-North American community to share views, values, experiences and best practices. The Conference aims to raise awareness of Scotland and Scottish culture; to develop a better understanding of the roles, objectives and operations of the various government, academic, non-profit and private sector organizations that operate in the Scottish-North American community and to identify opportunities to enhance communication and collaboration within the community.
The Conference is presented by founding partners, the CHICAGO SCOTS and the American-Scottish Foundation, in association with hosting partners, the Detroit Saint Andrew’s Society and the Scottish Studies Foundation in Toronto.
Another important area of focus was planning for the Scottish-North American community’s involvement in 2014 - the year of Scotland’s Second Homecoming. Plans are in the works for the 2014 Conference to be held in Stirling, Scotland, to coincide with another one of the 2014 Homecoming’s featured events. The 2014 Leadership Conference will build on the very successful inaugural 2009 Homecoming Scottish Leadership Conference that was hosted at Queen Margaret University, just outside Edinburgh, at the conclusion of the Gathering.
Click HERE to Register Online or download individual forms:
Ticket Prices:
Full Event - $130.00
Friday Banquet Only - $65.00
Conference Only - $65.00
To register via mail and pay with a check, please click on "Registration Form" above or click HERE to download a full invitation in PDF format. The full invitation includes reply forms for both registration and sponsorship opportunities.
Scottish North American Leadership Conference
Theme: Partnerships Across the Generations
2013 Schedule of Events
Click here for the FINAL SCHEDULE for the Conference
It is with great pleasure that we invite you to join us at the Scottish Home, headquarters of CHICAGO SCOTS, in North Riverside, Illinois for the 11th annual Scottish North American Leadership Conference. The Conference will begin on Friday, October 25, and conclude on Sunday October 27, 2013.
The conference is an opportunity for those of us in the Scottish-American community to share views, values, experiences and best practices. The Conference aims to raise awareness of Scotland and Scottish culture, to develop a better understanding of the roles, objectives and operations of the various government, academic, non-profit and private sector organizations that operate in the Scottish North American community and to identify opportunities to enhance communication and collaboration within the community.
The Conference is presented by founding partners the CHICAGO SCOTS and THE AMERICAN-SCOTTISH FOUNDATION, in association with The Scottish Studies Foundation, Toronto, Canada and The Detroit St. Andrew's Society, who hosted the Conference in 2011 and 2012.
The 2013 conference is something of a departure from our usual format as we will use the 2013 Conference to guide us in the preparation of an agenda for the 2014 Conference that will be held in Edinburgh on July 7, 2014 as part of the second year of Homecoming. Like the inaugural Scottish based Leadership Conference held in 2009 during the first Homecoming, the purpose of the 2014 Conference is to enhance collaboration between communities and organizations in Scotland and North America by examining how the engagement of key stakeholders can be improved and mutual benefit can be delivered.
Having spent 20+ years working with the Scottish North American community, we know that there are many stakeholders who share a concern that the infrastructure which sustains North America's Scottish Diaspora is more fragile than is generally understood. The Scottish North American Conferences in 2013 and 2014 will address this concern. We personally believe that the many relationships which constitute of Scotland's engagement with her Diaspora can, indeed, must be enhanced and improved - and that the time to achieve this is now.
We are delighted to have the support of Edinburgh University, where we will host the 2014 Leadership Conference. Our Conference will align with another Conference that is being organized by the Chair of the University's Diaspora Studies Department, acclaimed Scottish Historian, Professor Tom Devine. The University's Conference will focus on the historic understanding of the North American Scottish Diaspora, and will conclude with an examination of the Diaspora from a contemporary perspective. Our Conference will provide a useful means to extend this examination by looking at various ways that we stakeholders can work together to strengthen the Diaspora's connection to Scotland well into the future, thus building a lasting and very practical legacy for the Conference.
The program for the 2013 Conference is in the process of formulation. As its focus is, in part, the identification of areas in which we here feel there are opportunities for improved engagement between Scotland and the Diaspora in North America, we encourage you to make your views known so that we can develop an accurate picture of what we collectively wish the engagement to accomplish. We have invited, as is customary, those from Scotland and North America whom we believe will add value to the discussion.
Significant groundwork has already been done regarding both the 2013 and 2014 Conferences. Now, we ask you to reserve your place with us for this October's Conference. Information on how to reserve your place is attached. Space is limited, so please act today to ensure that your voice is heard. We hope that you will attend these conferences and help to extend and enhance the friendship that binds Scotland and North America.
If you have any questions about the Conference, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will be emailing program and agenda updates in the coming weeks so we can stimulate the discussion ahead of the Conference.
Alan L. Bain |
Gus Noble President, Chicago Scots |
SCOTTISH NORTH AMERICAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
October
25. 2013
Prominent Scots from across the United States are meeting near Chicago this weekend for the Scottish North American Leadership Conference. Here, President of the American Scottish Foundation (ASF), Alan Bain, fills us in on his organization and the importance of the event.
Read more...
2012 Presentation Downloads available. Click HERE.