We’re a couple of days after the Virginia Scottish Games and I think I’m finally recovered. What a fantastic weekend! Hosting the Clan Leask USA tent at the games was a ton of fun and from other clans to Leasks I’d never met we got to meet a lot of new people!
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- Getting dressed for the occassion! Jay Leask pins the weathered Leask tartan to his daughter Andromache.
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- German student interview with Mac Leask
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- Scottish Stormtrooper with Mac Leask
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- Jay Leask, his wife Antares, and their daughter Andromache
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- Lieske and Malcom families
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- Clan Leask USA during VASG Clans Parade
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- Leask family photo: Mac, Phoebe, Antares, Andromache, and Jay
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- Jay Leask, his father Mac Leask, his uncles William and Walter Leask, and daughter Andromache Leask.
In total we had 26 guests spend time at the tent, 14 of which were completely new friends to Clan Leask. Four of those attended specifically to learn more about our histroy based on the postcard sent out prior to the games! We met a Polish Lieske who saw the similarity with Liesk and wanted to learn more about potential connection; a Lesh of German ancestry, curious about the Y-DNA links; and a young Stewart who was walking around the clans asking about their history learning about other Scottish clans. At least four visitors said they would consider participating in the Leask Y-DNA study.
In addition there were, of course, the other clan tents. MacTavish was the honored clan but a few familiars were in attendance including Sinclair and Hay with whom the Leasks have direct connections and alliances.
John McPherson Leask II, Mac, was interviewed a German student who was interviewing individuals with Scottish heritage to find out what family and clan meant to them and how their Scottish heratige fit into their life. She also asked about our opinion on the vote coming up on September 18th, to which we very carefully acknowledged that we do not know all the facts and won’t be directly affected by the results. Mac Leask, lead researcher for Clan Leask USA, told her that the decision belonged with the Scots who live in Scotland and will have to live with the result, whatever it is.
I’m very proud of our prepartion leading into the games. Clan Leask USA was represented by two three foot by five foot banners showing all thirteen spellings of Leask. We had two clan members in kilts wearing Leask tartan and two women and a child wearing Leask sashes – all Leask tartan reprsented at this games was the Weathered tartan, not the ancient registered with the Scottish Register of Tartans. Our table was lined with the Leask tartan and we had a number of brochures to hand out. We also had a photo album of my parents and my visit to Scotland from 2001.
We had three borchures to share: Potential Origin Stories, Documented History (here, here, and here), and an update on the Y-DNA study (links go to content pulled from the brochure and shared on this site).
Overall I am very pleased to have had the oportunity to represent the Leasks at a Scottish Games and look forward to doing so again soon – we hope to participate at the Virginia Scottish Games again in 2015 as well as, potentially, games in New Hampshire or Georgia in the coming years. If there’s a games near you we should consider let us know!