Saltire Society
Scottish cultural organization
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The Saltire Society, also called Saltire Society Scotland (Scottish Gaelic: Cumann Crann na h-Alba) is a membership organisation which aims to promote the understanding of the culture and heritage of Scotland, founded in 1936. The society organises lectures and publishes pamphlets, and presents a series of awards in the fields of art, architecture, literature and history.[1]
History
The society was founded on 22 April 1936 in Glasgow, conceived by Andrew Dewar Gibb and George Malcolm Thomson,[2][3][4] at which time the annual subscription cost five shillings.[3] The society was "set up to promote and celebrate the uniqueness of Scottish culture and Scotland's heritage, and to reclaim Scotland's place as a distinct contributor to European and international culture".[5]
By the early 1950s, the society had almost 2000 members.[6] In 1954 they launched a literary magazine, The Scots Review, published three times a year.[7] In 1968 the society appointed their first full-time director, based at their headquarters at Gladstone's Land in Edinburgh.[8] In 2001, the Saltire Society's head, Scott Peake, stepped down after newspaper investigations revealed that he had fabricated parts of his biography, including his alleged Scottish upbringing.[9][10] In November 2012, ahead of the Scottish Independence referendum, the society looked to relaunch itself with a business plan that included lectures and debates centered around cultural issues.[11] Past presidents include Eric Linklater, architect Robert Matthew, architect Robert Hurd and literary scholar David Daiches.[12]
The Saltire Music Group was founded by composer Isobel Dunlop in 1950.[citation needed]
Description and activities
The Saltire Society is headquartered in Edinburgh, with branches in Aberdeen, Dumfries, Glasgow, Helensburgh, the Highlands, Kirriemuir, and New York City.[citation needed]
In June 2018, the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, Sally Mapstone, was appointed as president of the society.[13]
The society organises lectures and publishes pamphlets, and presents a series of awards in the fields of art, architecture, literature and history.[14]
Awards
The Saltire Awards is a collective name for a series of awards presented by the Saltire Society in recognition of contributions to Scotland's cultural heritage. These include:
- Scotland's National Book Awards, formerly known as the Saltire Society Literary Awards, "the oldest... awards for Scottish based authors in their home nation"[15]
- National Scottish Song Competition, established in 1980 to encourage young people to participate in traditional singing.[16]
- Arts and Crafts in Architecture Award[citation needed][17]
- Saltire Society Civil Engineering Awards, awarded in association with the Institution of Civil Engineers[18][19]
- Saltire Society Housing Design Awards[20]
- Andrew Fletcher of Saltoun Award, established in 1988, presented in recognition of "a significant contribution made to Scottish culture"[18]