Going for The Gold

        Members of the Scotia-Glenville Pipe Band are leaving this Wednesday August 1st to compete in Scotland at the North Berwick Highland Games and The World Pipe Band Championships.         This is the band's third visit to "The World's".   They are strongly positioned to qualify for the Final Round and make the prize list.

     The band is comprised of local and regional talent, with some members travelling from New Jersey and Massachusetts in order to participate in this unique pipe band and represent the United States at “Bagpiping’s Olympics”.

     The band spent much of the winter and spring preparing with extra rehearsals, extra fundraising and extra competitions.  The won The Celtic Classic in Bethlehem, PA in September 2011, an invitational event comprised of select bands from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions.  Prize Money from that event helped to kick start fundraising efforts.  “You would be surprised what is needed to train, outfit and equip any pipe band, much less one that is attempting to win at The World’s” Connor said.  “In addition to travel and rooms, we needed to replace dated piping and drumming equipment as well as uniform parts.  All of our efforts and focus this year are preparing mentally, physically, musically and financially for this all-important trip,” Connor said. “I am so proud of all of them.”  Donations are appreciated to help the band pay for the trip to appear on Glasgow Green in August.

     In Scotland, the band will be able to compete against juvenile bands from around the world – a rarity on this side of the Atlantic. In the United States, there are few juvenile bands – whose members can only be 18 years old or younger – so on summer weekends these teenagers compete against adults head to head. The band finished 2011 in 3^rd Place in the overall standings. Currently they are undefeated.