Medinah Highlanders
Medinah Highlanders
Activated November, 1970. Judge Harry D. Strouse, Jr., First Chief and Pipe Major. Uniforms feature the Clan Macmillan tartan, which has the Shrine colors: red, green, yellow. Band plays for Ceremonials, parades, concerts.
It was late in the evening, early in the year 1970, when I stayed at Haling's Resort for a wee dram. The TV was showing "Tunes of Glory" with Alec Guinness, and featured bagpipe music throughout. The Major had just said "Piper, give us a tune" when I realized that I always wanted to play the pipes.
Shortly thereafter I had a practice chanter, reeds and an Army School of Piping Beginners Book. Ron Burlingame, a sixteen year old, from Arlington Heights was my teacher and I was off. As a Aide to Potentate Walter Dill, Betty and I spent three or four nights per week at official visits and functions, and Walter too became enthused with the idea of Medinah Highlanders. Thereafter, I carried our need for pipers and drummers throughout the Chicago Metropolitan area.
In the fall I received a letter from Walter Dill advising us that we were a unit of Medinah and would appear in the Fall Ceremonial. We discovered that the costumes we had rented were inappropriate and a friend at Seno's arranged nine plaid tuxedo jackets. We marched on the stage. When introduced as Medinah's newest unit we decided to play off the stage.
It was a sorry performance and an old Scot of Glenbrook Shrine Club met me at the foot of the ramp with tears in his eyes. "Harry" he said, "I love the pipes and they bring tears to my eyes, but never have I heard them played so badly."
We were undeterred, however, and continued to practice and recruit. We met at the Medinah Temple on Wednesdays and talked to most of the regular pipe bands in the Chicago Area. We were advised that it took seven to fifteen years for a piper to learn to play. Most Pipe Majors in Chicago said that we were wasting our time. Even pipers who were Masons refused their help and downplayed our efforts for the first ten years.
Jim Sim, of the Stock Yard Kiltie Band was intrigued with our idea. He volunteered to spend two nights per month helping us. His enthusiasm soon matched our own and he became a regular. His early efforts were one of the reasons that we persisted. He made us work to perfect our marching, drilling, drumming and piping.
For a period we had to decide on a tartan. The pipers wanted Hunting MacInnes and the drummers wanted Ancient MacMillan. The equal numbers of each group kept us from an agreement. It was finally decided by a coin toss. And the drummers won.
We succeeded because we were determined, and involved our wives and families in all our activities. We have come a long way, since 1970, and I hope that we will continue our pattern for success and our growth and involvement.
Please visit our Shrine; the Mighty Medinah.
| Home | Appearances | Bookings | Links |
| Gallery |
Please contact us with any
questions or comments.
This site designed and maintained by our Webmaster and Piper,
Glenn Bianchi
last updated February 11, 2000