Welcome to the St. Andrew's Society
We are a membership society for Scots in Manila, or anyone who has an affinity for Scotland
Events Calendar
Our Mission
Discover the rich heritage of the Manila St Andrews Society, where Scottish traditions meet Filipino warmth. Join us in celebrating the vibrant Scottish community in the heart of the Philippines.
The object of the society is to form in Manila a regularly constituted body of Scots, who, promote fellowship and co-operation amongst Scots in the Philippines and the community.
This shall be achieved by holding regular events for members and guests, including but not limited to arranging the celebration of St. Andrews day.
Constitution:
History
Explore the history of the society from its founding in 1879 to the current day.
St. Andrews of Manila first opened their doors in 1879, most of whose members belonged to the Manila Club. This was confirmed by one source and strongly inferred by a second.
First confirmed source was Gordon Weatherstone MacKay (1901-86)
His father, John Alexander Mackay (died 1924) first came to Manila in 1882, told him that the society was founded in 1879.
The Sunday Tribune 22 November 1925 was a secondary source which stated that the St. Andrew's ball would be held the following Friday at the Santa Ana cabaret and the society had celebrated this occasion every year for the previous 47 years.
47 years before 1925 dates the society to 1878 and not 1879.
This was explained, presumably by James MacLeod (c.1855-1926) who arrived in Manila and attended the 1925 ball, by the statement in the Sunday Tribune that the first known celebration by Scots in Manila in honour of St. Andrew was 1878 at MacLeod and Co's Mess, where now stands the Pacific building near the southwest corner of Escolta.
The 1925 Sunday Tribune, surely quoting James MacLeod described the affair as thus:
A soul-stirring haggis, which was accorded due honour, was a salient feature of the celebration. All the whiskey [sic] in Manila - 4 bottles of Glenlivet was secured for the occasion and were absorbed as it was the belief that whiskey would not keep long in the Tropics. A formal society was formed a few years later.
The statement that the society was formed a few years later can be attributed to either lazy newspaper reporting or to James MacLeod's poor memory, but it is not enough to put in doubt what John Mackay told to his son Gordon about the founding in 1879.
Co-incidentally, St. Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland is also (alias San Andres) one of the secondary Patron Saints of the city of Manila with St. Policarpio, St. Dominic and St. Francis of Assisi. The primary position is held by Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception as Patron Saint of the Philippines and therefore also of the city of Manila.
Previous Chieftains
2025 Mark Russell
2020 Neil Torrance
2019 Karen MacKenzie
2018 Lesley Blair
2017 Lesley Blair
2016 Roderick Air
2015 Roderick Air
2014 Hamilton MacLeod
2013 Hamilton MacLeod
2012 Hamilton MacLeod
2011 Hamilton Macleod
2010 Ian Meikle
2009 Hamish Moore
2008 Hamish Moore
2007 Hamish Moore
2006 Scott Fowler
2005 Scott Fowler
2004 John Milne
2003 John McCann
2002 David Wallace
2001 Heather McKerchar Price
2000 Heather McKerchar Price
1999 Heather McKerchar Price
1998 Alistair Knox/Seamus Gallagher
1997 Fiona Galloway
1996 Alan Caldwell
1995 Grant Gordon
1994 Eric Milne
1993 Martin Fraser
1992 David Wallace
1991 Eric Milne
1990 Percy Weatherall
1989 Alan Walkingshaw
1987 Ross Moodie
1986 Graeme Munro
1985 Ian Reid
1984 Malcolm Bell
1983 William MacDougall
1982 David Russell
1981 Kenneth Charles Stuart
1980 Victor Hawkins
1979 John Mathieson (Woccle) Cleland
1978 Robert Strachan MacDonald
1977 Alexander Benjamin Jeffs
1976 Robert Iain James Naylor
1974 Alexander T Brooks
1973 Alexander T Brooks
1972 Robert Walker Campbell
1971 Brian N M Murray/James Smillie
1969 James Kirk Steele
1968 James Omand MacDougall
1967 John Lieper Wood
1966 James F G Tait
1965 Ian P Bruce
1964 GCM (Jock) Grossett
1962 Alexander T Brooks
1961Mark Pringle
1960 Gordon Weatherstone MacKay
1958 Iain MacKerchar
1957 Robin F R Duncan
1949 Robert Orr Ferguson
1936 ECR Thomas
1930 Donald Marshall
1925 James Walter Cairns
As the Caledonian Club
1916 R D Ferguson
1911 John Thomas Babington MacAulay Macleod
1910 Alexander Yuill
1906 RS Menzies
1905 George Gilchrist
1903 George Gilchrist
Annual celebration 29 November 1958
Summary of the AGM minutes regarding the annual celebration:
The Polo Club advised that at the usual celebration that there would be new charges for such parties, based on the ball of the same scale and type of that held in previous years, would cost about 7.50 pesos more per head. the committee came to the conclusion that the charge for the Ball would have to be 30 pesos per ticket.
About the middle of October that year, the committee faced the prospect of 280 members and paid guests would attend rather than approx. 400 in previous years. Therefore, it was decided essential to cut costs.
It had already been decided to offer a very simple hot dish. This was largely due to many people attending previous balls did not bother with the meal. In previous years so much food had not been consumed but the cost had been charged to the Society as the Polo Club could not absorb it.
The decorations appropriation was severely cut, dispensing with the castle entrance. The ladies on the committee in spite of this @did a grand job and we feel the decorations were fully adequate and set the proper atmosphere'.
Mr D J Thompson devised a scheme to control the flow of whisky and cigarettes which eliminated leakage and cut costs.
Due to smaller number at the Ball there were a reduced number of waiters and cut down on overtime charges which had been a heavy item in previous years.
There was a generous donation of 400 pesos from the Reel Club which paid for the piper and the balance of 104.60 pesos would be carried forward in the accounts.
The end result was that the Ball would cost 22.84 pesos per ticket rather than 28 pesos. Ticket price was adjusted to 25 pesos and therefore, refunded 5 pesos per ticket to the hosts. The Benevolent Fund benefitted by 692.95 pesos.
The committee agreed that in spite of the greatly increased costs, the Society can still have its annual celebration on a reasonable basis.
The Society replaced all the Scotch Whisky consumed and charged the celebration with the replacing cost, leaving the Society with 62 cases valued at original purchase price. There is, therefore, sufficient Scotch for a further 6 celebrations.