Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival, September 9-12

[Michael Thompson]

Come join Clan Thompson at the Longs Peak Festival in Estes Park Colorado.

[Mary]

I wish, I wish, I wish!!!!

Take LOTS of pictures for the rest of us unlucky enough NOT to get to go!!!! 

[Parker Thomson]

Yo- Bro. The Fraser, CO Thomsons will be there!

[Barbara]

We wish too, Mary, that we could go.     Please do take lots of pictures for those of us who can't attend.

Barbara

[Michael Thompson]

Clan Thompson is having a great time at Estes Park Colorado. We've met dozens of Thom(p)sons at the clan tent, we had the biggest contingent ever in the parade through downtown Estes Park, including our own official clan piper, Sean Thompson. Lowell Thompson came by the tent after winning five of eight events in the athletic competition and was named first place overall at the games. We're seeing a level of interest here that may make the idea of a 2011 AGM in Colorado even more attractive.

Parker has lots of photos and video, but here's a sample for you now.



At the Thompson area in the clan tent: (from left) Michael Thompson, Parker Thompson, Lowell Thompson, Cody (I don't know his last name) Parks Thompson, Dan "Booner" Thompson.

[Mary]

Tom said "if they weren't named Thom(p)son, I'd think it was a rogue's gallery!" 

THANK YOU, Michael for the wonderful picture and info! Can't wait to see more! Congratulations Lowell - you "done good!"  Our own Colorado piper too.......I think I've died and gone to heaven!  Such a handsome group of men! Now I understand WHY there are so many Thom(p)sons! 

I think it's time to send out an email to the membership re: 2011 AGM and give them a vote for the location. To my knowledge, the only sites brought up for consideration at the 2010 AGM for next year's were: Alma, MI (we've never had a tent there and I doubt clan participation would be large), Glasgow, KY, Loch Norman, NC and Estes Park, CO.  We'll see what happens!

At any rate, we'll get an email out or else, put the query into the next newsletter.........

Mary

[Michael Thompson]

We're getting more and more Thompsons here in the West. Here's a photo from Parker (I think it was taken by his son-in-law Cody) of Clan Thompson marching in the parade through downtown Estes Park. It's one of the highlights of the festival. Our piper was drowning out the high school marching band behind us.  

[Michael Thompson]

Here's an interesting side note from the festival. While Lowell Thompson was visiting the clan tent to tell us about his triumphs in the games, a friend of mine who is a reporter for the local Celtic newspaper stopped by. I introduced them, and the reporter is going to interview Lowell about Scottish athletics and such for the next edition of the paper. Lowell is good about mentioning the clan, so we should feature prominently in there as well. I'll post something when I see the article.

[Michael Thompson]

I think it's time to send out an email to the membership re: 2011 AGM and give them a vote for the location. To my knowledge, the only sites brought up for consideration at the 2010 AGM for next year's were: Alma, MI (we've never had a tent there and I doubt clan participation would be large), Glasgow, KY, Loch Norman, NC and Estes Park, CO.  We'll see what happens!

Sounds like a good plan Mary. Booner should have the fifty new names we've gathered over the summer, which should be included in the mailing. Maybe not for voting, unless they're members, but to see if they'd come. Maybe we can get some of these new Colorado friends to pony up membership fees so they can vote to have the AGM here.

We had two major games in Colorado this year, Estes Park and Highlands Ranch, plus a smaller event called Tartan Day, and we had an encouraging amount of attendance at all of them. We're looking into another local festival at Elizabeth Colorado the third weekend in July. They've had a lot more clan attendance the last few years and might be a good venue as well.

[Mary]

Here's an interesting side note from the festival. While Lowell Thompson was visiting the clan tent to tell us about his triumphs in the games, a friend of mine who is a reporter for the local Celtic newspaper stopped by. I introduced them, and the reporter is going to interview Lowell about Scottish athletics and such for the next edition of the paper. Lowell is good about mentioning the clan, so we should feature prominently in there as well. I'll post something when I see the article.

Anything yet??

[Michael Thompson]

Just received it. Here is the article. The author is Rodger Hara and this will be published in the Celtic Connection, a monthly newspaper that circulates around the Rocky Mountain area.

Profile of Lowell Thompson

Cecil Rhodes founded the De Beers diamond company and had a country, a dog and a scholarship program named for him.  The scholarships annually go to college students in 14 countries for their “…literary and scholastic attainments; energy to use one's talents to the full, as exemplified by fondness for and success in sports; truth, courage, devotion to duty; sympathy for and protection of the weak; kindliness, unselfishness and fellowship and moral force of character and instincts to lead, and to take an interest in one's fellow beings.”

While not a college student, Lowell Thompson meets all of those standards and could be considered a person worthy of such an award. 

Originally from Michigan, Lowell came to Colorado as an Army mortar specialist.  In that role at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, he became an instructor for reservists and members of the National Guard who were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.  After his three year enlistment, he loved Colorado so much that he stayed.

When he was 11 years old, his parents had taken him to the Alma Highland Festival and Games, held annually since 1967 on the campus of Alma College in central Michigan.  There, he was exposed for the first time to his Scottish heritage and immediately captivated by the pipe bands, their kilts, the pageantry and especially the Highland Games.  He said that to him, the athletes were like “…mythical beasts and creatures with their size and strength.”

That interest stayed with him after high school and the Army and in 2002, took him to the Longs Peak Scottish Irish Highland Festival where he competed, without training or preparation, for the first time in the Games.  He described it as an ugly day with pouring rain and an even uglier performance but for his results in the weight over bar event, where he beat the then-world’s champion.  That outcome convinced him that with his natural gifts, focus and determination, he could become a successful competitor.  At those games, he also caught the eye of Wayne Staggs (President of Rocky Mountain Scottish Athletics – “RMSA” - and world champion last year in his age group) who saw his potential and became his mentor and coach.

Lowell’s dedication and commitment have been such that since his initial event, he has become one of only twelve men invited from a national field of over 100 in his weight class to compete in the National Games in Kansas City for the last seven years, finishing fourth twice (2007 and 2008) and never lower than tenth, took third in the World Master Championships at this year’s Rocky Mountain Scottish Festival’s Highland Games (for which he won the handsome Claymore he’s holding in the picture) and took first place at the Windsor and Estes Park Games.


Photo by Rodger Hara

The win at Estes Park was poignant as it followed the death of his father by only a few months.  One of his best days was in competition at the Alma Games in 2008 where he won the caber toss in front of his father, who had inspired his love of his heritage and its culture and supported his lifelong interest in athletics of all kinds.
A man of many other talents, Lowell is an artist, singer, songwriter, drummer, keyboardist, inventor and student of the physics and physiological aspects of the Games – the radius of throw, multiplier of force, breathing, footwork and choreography of motion.  The visualization of action is part of his routine – as he put it, “It’s committing things to muscle memory – like learning to tie your shoes in the dark – where the mental image manifests itself in your mind before your body takes the action.”  Usually competing in seven of the nine events that comprise the Games, like a professional football player, he spends a lot of time in watching video of himself and others to learn how to move more efficiently and effectively.  During the season – April to September, he trains weekly with Wayne and the other RMSA members in an Arvada city park.  In the off season, he trains in his home gym and in the mountains near his home.

In competition, he proudly wears the tartan of Clan Thompson, finds deep satisfaction in the spiritual rewards he gets from the blood link with other Thompsons around the world and embraces the diversity of the backgrounds and ethnicities of new competitors that is taking place. He plans on competing until the universe and his body tell him it’s time to quit.  To learn more about Highland Games, you can go to the North American Scottish Games Athletics site, http://www.nasgaweb.com or the Rocky Mountain Scottish Athletics site, http://www.rmsa.org.

[Mary]

GREAT article! And a lot about Lowell I didn't know!

Thanks so much, Michael, for posting it for us Thoms........

Mary

[Thomas Thompson]

Hello All
   I think it's time for every Thom(p)son to offer a heart felt "THANK YOU" to all of our members who hosted and worked at our Clan Thom(p)son tents this year. It takes time, money, and dedication to involve yourself in a project that offers no worldly rewards. Without the efforts of these outstanding men and women our heritage would continue to languish and sink into history's oblivion. Their efforts are instrumental in offering a reconnection to our shared past and source for personal family genealogical links.
  I for one say Thank you.
Tom

[Barbara]

I say a big Thank You! too, to all the members who work all the Clan tents and do such a wonderful job.

Thanks Michael for posting the photos and the newspaper article about our very own Lowell.  Good on you Lowell! as our Aussie family would say. You make us proud. 

Barbara

[Parker Thomson]

Video from the Estes Park Longs Peak Highland Games.  Merry Christmas!  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g30ZOptx3gc