National Kilt Skate Director on SSO Board

OTTAWA (June 15, 2020) At its 8th Annual General Meeting on June 13, the Scottish Society of Ottawa (SSO) took steps to strengthen the coordination of the kilt skate phenomenon as it grows across Canada and internationally. As part of a new governance structure to renew and revitalize the SSO and to empower all of its directors, a Director of the National Great Canadian Kilt Skate will hold a position on the SSO’s board.

The board position will enable the SSO to commit to a renewed and more active role in the kilt skate community, so that together we can build on the success of past years and support the efforts of communities across the Scottish diaspora.

The National Kilt Skate Director will provide a focused approach to create new partnerships and deepen the existing ones with organizations that celebrate Scottish culture by taking to the ice in kilts.

The SSO organized the first national kilt skate to celebrate the 2015 bicentennial of Sir John A. Macdonald with events in five cities: Montreal, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Calgary. This past winter, kilt skates were held in nine Canadian cities as well as New York, Boston and Dublin. Each year, the Canadian cities vie for bragging rights as the Kilt Skate Capital of Canada.

With a new director on board, the SSO hopes to improve communication and coordination with other organizations planning to host kilt skates in their communities. In past years, SSO was able to secure funding from federal and provincial governments in Canada, as well as from the Scottish Government.

Sponsorship of this kind requires a commitment from the recipient to help convey the sponsor’s message. For the 2020 season, for example, the Scottish Government used the kilt skates to promote its #ScotlandIsNow brand. A Director of National Kilt Skate will help provide branding discipline among the organization receiving financial support.

Certainly, the 2021 kilt skate season will face unprecedented challenges. How will kilt skate activities fit in with COVID protocols?

“This situation makes coordination even more important,” says Don Cummer, SSO’s Director of the National Great Canadian Kilt Skate. “Over the past six years, a tightly knit national and international community has grown up among those organizations hosting kilt skates. We need to share ideas and best practices. If there’s a way for kilt skating to go ahead in a post-pandemic environment, we have to find the healthiest and most socially responsible path forward.”

As a first step, Cummer says, the Scottish Society of Ottawa can reach out to the kilt skate partners to let them know that SSO is still promoting kilt skating as a unique way to celebrate Scottish culture across Canada and around the world.

For further information, contact kiltskate@ottscot.ca.

Kilt Skate

Kilt Skate

Under the Kilt

Kilt Skate

Kilt Skate