The Historical Newsletters page has been updated with the release of archival B.C. Pipers’ Newsletters from 1961.
Besides the regular news of competitions and their results, interesting news of that year included:
- 5 grades of Bi-Monthlies started at 8 pm on Friday nights
- The first BCPA Life Memberships were awarded to Edmund Esson, Kenneth MacLeod, Roderick MacLeod, and Malcolm Nicholson at the Members’ Banquet in January. Biographies of the Life Members were printed in the Newsletter
- The Annual Gathering was held at the Seaforth Armoury on March 25 and judged by George Duncan of Detroit. His detailed report on the competition was printed in the Newsletter
- An article about piping in Spokane included mention of two junior bands in the area
- An article about the Seattle Pipers’ and Drummers’ Stag competition and banquet, sponsored by the Seattle, Keith Highlanders, Washington Scottish and Clan Gordon Pipe Bands, brought together many pipers and drummers across the Pacific Northwest
- Announcement on the inaugural Bellingham Highland Games on May 27. It was organized by Bill and Isla Paterson, who served as the Games Secretary
- The Vancouver Ladies Pipe Band Festival of highland dancing, singing, piping, and drumming spanned three days in March
- The April issue was the first Newsletter with the classic Newsletter coloured cover, letter-sized paper, and first to include a list of BCPA Officers, Newsletter Editor, and Table of Contents. It was 15 pages long.
- The inaugural issue of “The Highland Dancer” magazine, produced by Heather Duncan Jolley, was mentioned. Subscription was $2 for 6 bi-monthly issues.
- The first full page ad in the Newsletter (for the St. Andrews & Caledonian Society’s “Caledonian Games”) appeared in the June issue. Subsequent issues carried multiple pages of ads from various suppliers across North America and Scotland.
- A review of the new album by the Powell River Pipe Band. Price was $1.98.
- An announcement of the amalgamation in Scotland of the Seaforth Highlanders and Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders to create the Queen’s Own Highlanders. It was noted that Pipe Major Donald MacLeod, concerned about losing the traditions of the Seaforths, composed the piobaireachd “Cabar Feidh Gu Brach” (The Stag’s Head Forever) in tribute to past and present Seaforth Highlanders and it was reprinted in the Newsletter
- An article on Donald Sutherland of Oregon and the publication of his first book of pipe music
- The Military Searchlight Tattoo held at Empire Stadium over 8 nights in July involved almost 200 pipers and drummers, including three pipe bands from Ontario, and drew a total attendance of over 157,000 spectators. The Ontario bands also competed at the Caledonian Games
- PM Donald MacLeod provided his recent piobaireachd composition “Cronan Padruig Iain” for publication in the Newsletter
- Monthly articles from James Berry, Secretary-Treasurer of the Vancouver Island Pipers Society appear
- An article from the President of “The Pipers’ Society of Ontario” provided details of their structure and competitions
- BCPA sponsored a tune composing contest. There was an entry fee of $1 per tune submitted. The composer of the winning tune in each of three idiom categories would receive $10
- An article by the President of the BC Highland Dancing Association on the controversy over tempos for piping for highland dancing
