The Saint Andrew's Society of the State of New York is the oldest

charitable institution A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ch ...

in the state of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and is focused on helping Scots in the New York community.

History

The organization was founded in 1756 by Scottish founders in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

who were looking to "relieve the distressed." It was named for the patron saint of Scotland,

Saint Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Peter ...

. Past presidents of the society include

Philip Livingston Philip Livingston (January 15, 1716 – June 12, 1778) was an American merchant and statesman from New York City. He represented New York at the October 1774 First Continental Congress, where he favored imposing economic sanctions upon Great B ...

(the first president), William Alexander (the "

Earl of Stirling Earl of Stirling was a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created on 14 June 1633 for William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling, William Alexander, 1st Viscount of Stirling. He had already been created a Baronet, of Menstrie, Clackmannanshi ...

"),

Andrew Carnegie Andrew Carnegie (, ; November 25, 1835August 11, 1919) was a Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist. Carnegie led the expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century and became one of the richest Americans i ...

and

Ward Melville John Ward Melville (January 5, 1887 – June 5, 1977) was an American philanthropist and businessman active in the "Three Villages" in western Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. He donated 400 acres of land and money to establish Stony Broo ...

,. Past members include

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

Lewis Morris Lewis Morris (April 8, 1726 – January 22, 1798) was an American Founding Father, landowner, and developer from Morrisania, New York, presently part of Bronx County. He signed the U.S. Declaration of Independence as a delegate to the Continen ...

, the Rev.

John Witherspoon John Witherspoon (February 5, 1723 – November 15, 1794) was a Scottish-American Presbyterian minister, educator, farmer, slaveholder, and a Founding Father of the United States. Witherspoon embraced the concepts of Scottish common sense reali ...

, the Rev. Dr. David H. C. Read and

John Stewart Kennedy John Stewart Kennedy (January 4, 1830 – October 30, 1909) was a Scottish-born American businessman, financier and philanthropist. He was a member of the Jekyll Island Club (also known as The Millionaires' Club) on Jekyll Island, Georgia al ...

. In 1897, the organization revised its constitution to expand eligibility for membership to lineal descendant of a Scot, not just a son or grandson of a Scot. In 1966, more than 800 members and guests honored

, the patron saint with its 210th anniversary dinner at the

Waldorf Astoria The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schultz ...

hotel in Manhattan. In 1993, there were 980 members of the Society. In 2010, the constitution is again revised, this time allowing women to be admitted into membership in the society with Margaret "Peggy" Macmillan becoming the first woman to be admitted.

Leadership

Present day

The society still provides for needy Scots in New York City via its

almoner An almoner (} ' (alms), via the popular Latin '. History Christians have historically been encouraged to donate one-tenth of their income as a tithe to their church and additional offerings as needed for the poor. The first deacons, mentioned ...

s program and has a scholarship program that allows two Scots to attend graduate school in the USA and three American students of Scottish lineage to attend graduate school at a Scottish institution of higher learning. Social events for the Society include the Tartan Day parade in April and an annual banquet in November. The Society sponsors a Kirkin' o' the Tartan service during Tartan Week in April of each year. The Society offices are located on East 55th Street in Manhattan, which houses a collection of books about Scotland.

References

;Notes ;Sources

External links

*{{official website, http://www.standrewsny.org Charities based in New York City 1756 establishments in the Province of New York

History

Leadership

Present day

See also

References

External links