Welcome to the Saint Andrew’s Society of Jacksonville
Based in Northeast Florida, we are a non-profit society with a mission to educate and share Scottish culture, heritage and history with our community. We strive to promote Scottish events in our local communities and serve our local communities in beneficial ways, which includes promoting kirkins, evensongs, Scottish music and dance, highland games, as well as other events and community engagements which promote our local communities, American heritage, and military families.
OBJECTIVES OF THE ST. ANDREW’S SOCIETY
The Society is a social, cultural, educational, and benevolent organization. Its principal objectives are: To dispense charitable and educational assistance to Scots, lineal descendants of Scots, and to their spouses and children. To extend educational assistance to Scots and their spouses and children. To study and perpetuate Scottish traditions and culture, including Scotland’s history, heraldry, pageantry, music, literature, language, crafts, and all the arts of Scotland. Promote friendly association between its members and the Scottish community at large.
SAINT ANDREW
Very little is really known about Saint Andrew himself. He was thought to have been a fisherman in Galilee (now part of Israel), along with his elder brother Simon Peter (Saint Peter). Both became apostles of Jesus Christ, founder of the Christian religion. Saint Andrew is said to have been responsible for spreading the tenets of the Christian religion through Asia Minor and Greece. Tradition suggests that Saint Andrew was put to death by the Romans in Patras, Southern Greece by being pinned to a cross (crucified). The diagonal shape of this cross is said to be the basis for the Cross of Saint Andrew which appears on the Scottish flag. Early Scots claimed to possess relics of the apostle, including an arm bone, signifying his readiness to protect them. This was explained by a fable relating that Saint Regulus had removed relics of Andrew from Constantinople and brought them to what is now Saint Andrews in Fife, Scotland. Another tale tells of Angus, King of the Picts (730-761) battling against the Scots of Dalriada, the Angles of Northumbria, and the Britons of Strathclyde. Legend holds that in one his campaigns, Angus had a vision of the cross of Saint Andrew in the sky. He may well have been the founder of the monastery at Saint Andrews. The saltire, or cross of Saint Andrew, became the Scottish national emblem in 750 AD and much later was adopted as the foundation for the Union Jack.
Contact Us
To contact us, you may write to:
The St. Andrew’s Society of Jacksonville is a 501 (c) 3. Non-Profit Organization. Contributions to the Society, including membership dues, are tax deductible. 100% of the funds contributed go to the regular business of the organization including but not limited to storage and transport of educational materials; presenting and supporting Scottish cultural and educational events; and scholarships to dancers, pipers, and students of Scottish history and culture. Contributions may be earmarked to the scholarship fund if desired.
Donation of goods to be sold at auction to benefit the Society are tax deductible on the basis of the actual cost of the item donated. Donors who purchase items at a charity auction may claim a charitable contribution deduction for the excess of the purchase price paid for an item over its fair market value.
Fee charged for attendance at events sponsored by the St. Andrew’s Society of Jacksonville, including Burns’ suppers, are not tax deductible, being reimbursement for goods and services acquired by the Society on behalf of the attendee.