The Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York is the oldest

charitable institution A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a cha ...

in the state of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

and is focused on helping Scots in the New York community with the motto Charity, Fellowship, Scholarship.

History

Originally named the Saint Andrew's Society, the organization was founded in 1756 by

Scottish founders Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

who were looking to "relieve the distressed." It was named for the patron saint of Scotland,

Saint Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( ; ; ; ) was an apostle of Jesus. According to the New Testament, he was a fisherman and one of the Twelve Apostles chosen by Jesus. The title First-Called () used by the Eastern Orthodox Church stems from the Gospel of Jo ...

. Past presidents of the society include

US Declaration of Independence The Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America in the original printing, is the founding document of the United States. On July 4, 1776, it was adopted unanimously by the Second Continen ...

signer

Philip Livingston Philip Livingston (January 15, 1716 – June 12, 1778) was an American Founding Father, merchant, politician, and slave trader from New York City. He represented New York at the October 1774 First Continental Congress, where he favored imposi ...

(its first president),

William Alexander William or Bill Alexander may refer to: Literature *William Alexander (poet) (1808–1875), American poet and author *William Alexander (journalist and author) (1826–1894), Scottish journalist and author * William Alexander (author) (born 1976), ...

(the "

Earl of Stirling Earl of Stirling was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created on 14 June 1633 for William Alexander, 1st Viscount of Stirling. He had already been created a Baronet, of Menstrie, Clackmannanshire in the Baronetage of Nova Scotia on ...

"),

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie ( , ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the History of the iron and steel industry in the United States, American steel industry in the late ...

and

Ward Melville John Ward Melville (January 5, 1887 – June 5, 1977) was an American philanthropist and businessman active in the "Three Villages" in western Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. He donated 400 acres of land and money to establish Stony Broo ...

. Past members include

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the first U.S. secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795 dur ...

Lewis Morris Lewis Morris (April 8, 1726 – January 22, 1798) was an American Founding Father, landowner, and developer from Morrisania, New York, presently part of Bronx County. He signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a delegate to the Conti ...

, the Rev.

John Witherspoon John Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 – November 15, 1794) was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and a Founding Father of the United States. Witherspoon embraced the concepts of Scottish common sense real ...

, the Rev. Dr. David H. C. Read and

John Stewart Kennedy John Stewart Kennedy (January 4, 1830 – October 30, 1909) was a Scottish-born American businessman, financier and philanthropist. He was a member of the Jekyll Island Club (also known as The Millionaires' Club) on Jekyll Island, Georgia al ...

. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, member sentiment was split between

Tory A Tory () is an individual who supports a political philosophy known as Toryism, based on a British version of traditionalist conservatism which upholds the established social order as it has evolved through the history of Great Britain. The To ...

and Patriot. At a reorganizational meeting after 1784, the society was retitled under its current name. In 1897, the organization revised its constitution to expand eligibility for membership to lineal descendants of a Scot, not just the son or grandson of a Scot. In 1966, more than 800 members and guests honored

with its 210th anniversary dinner at the

Waldorf Astoria The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story, Art Deco landmark des ...

hotel in Manhattan. The dinner continues today, with more than 200 people in attendance for the 2023 event, which honored Scottish actress and ''

Downton Abbey ''Downton Abbey'' is a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. It first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV (TV network), ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United St ...

'' star

Phyllis Logan Phyllis Logan (born 11 January 1956) is a Scottish actress, widely known for her roles as Lady Jane Felsham in ''Lovejoy'' (1986–1993) and Mrs Hughes in ''Downton Abbey'' (2010–2015). She won the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer for ...

with the organization's Mark Twain Award. (Also known as the "Sammy," the award honors leaders in their fields who have had a significant and positive impact on the Scots community around the world.) In 1993, the Society had 980 members. In 2010, the constitution was again revised, allowing women Society membership, with Margaret "Peggy" Macmillan the first woman admitted.

Reason & Genesis for Creation

According to organization president Richard Porter, "By the middle of the 18th century, there were more than 100,000 Scots and people of Scottish descent in Colonial America. From farmers and laborers to the younger sons of the nobility, Scots came from all parts of their native country, as well as Ulster, seeking opportunities in the New World. In cities ranging from

Savannah A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

in the South, in 1750, to

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

in the North, as early as 1657, Scots organized philanthropic and social groups to aid fellow Scots in need, building on the tradition of the church poor box. A secondary but important purpose was to provide social opportunities and business connections among the Scots. The first such group in New York was established as the Scots Society of New-York in 1744, 'from a compassionate Concern and Affection to their indigent countrymen.' The Society folded around 1753, but the need for a philanthropy to assist Scots in need, particularly widows and orphans, continued unabated. On November 19, 1756, a group of 45 men established The Saint Andrew’s Society of New York in the Province of New York, 'for the relief of Natives of Scotland and their Descendants who might be in Want or Distress, and to promote Social Intercourse among its members.' Alms were not to be given to those whose indigence was the result of drunkenness."

Leadership

Present day

The society provides for needy Scots in New York City via its

almoner An almoner () is a chaplain or church officer who originally was in charge of distributing money to the deserving poor. The title ''almoner'' has to some extent fallen out of use in English, but its equivalents in other languages are often used f ...

s program and has a scholarship program that allows two Scots to attend graduate school in the USA and three American students of Scottish lineage to attend graduate school at a Scottish institution of higher learning. Social events for the Society include the

Tartan Day Tartan Day is a celebration of Scottish heritage and the cultural contributions of Scottish and Scottish-diaspora figures of history. The name refers to tartan, a patterned woollen cloth associated with Scotland. The event originated in Nova ...

parade in April and an annual banquet in November. The Society sponsors a Kirkin' o' the Tartan service during Tartan Week in April of each year. The Society offices are located on East 55th Street in Manhattan, which houses a collection of books about Scotland.

References

;Notes ;Sources

External links