by Potia
DruidCon – a short history
In 2002 Ann Rankin and I went to a
Druid Forum in Birmingham organized by members of the Druid Network.
We couldn’t stay for the whole day and on the way back to Glasgow
we talked about what we had seen and heard. Although we had not been
there for the whole day we had greatly enjoyed ourselves and felt we
could do something similar for Glasgow. The seeds for DruidCon were
sown in that conversation.
We talked to members of Caer Clud, a
Druid group in Glasgow that we had founded, and to others in the
Glasgow pagan community about our ideas. Everyone was very
enthusiastic so we started to plan our first conference.
The first DruidCon was held in August
2003 and it was a successful day. We were exhausted by it though and
at that stage were not sure if we would do another one. Over the
next couple of months we received lots of positive feedback on the
day and lots of inquiries about when the next one would be. We gave
in to pressure and started to organize DruidCon for the next year.
From that time DruidCon became an annual event in Glasgow until the
last one held on September 8th 2007.
Organising conferences every year is
hard work even though it is very rewarding and Ann and I need a break
for several reasons. Many people seem to think that I have organized
DruidCon by myself and nothing could be further from the truth. I am
simply the one that does the most talking and most emailing.
DruidCon would never have been started without Ann’s work but Ann
does not really like to talk in front of large groups and I don’t
mind it at all so I became the obvious spokeswoman. DruidCon would
also not have been half the success it has been without the help,
support and encouragement of members of Caer Clud over the years. In
particular Ann and I would like to thank Kenneth McGowan and Siusaidh
and Piet Kennedy – I don’t think we could have done it without
you!
DruidCon has brought together Druids
and others from all over Scotland and from further away as well. We
have had speakers from England, Eire, Wales, Holland, France,
America, New Zealand and, of course, Scotland. We have had
representatives from several different Druid groups and Orders as
well as presenters from revivalist and reconstructionist approaches.
We have also had Pagan, Heathen and Christian speakers and attendees.
Profits from each year have gone to
charity and DruidCon has raised £141.72
for Maggie’s
Centre (http://www.maggiescentres.org),
£685.76 for
Scottish
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
(http://www.scottishspca.org/),
£100 for Boscastle Witchcraft Museum Fund
(http://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/),
£469.64 for Friends of the River Kelvin (FORK) and £300
for Multiple Sclerosis Society Scotland.
Sadly the last DruidCon (2007) made a loss so the conference itself
will not be sending funds to charity although Caer Clud will be as it
closes its bank account.
As I write this there are no plans to
run another DruidCon in Glasgow BUT members of the team and others in
Glasgow are planning to run a conference with a more general
approach, PaganCon, in Glasgow on Saturday 30th August
2008 using the venue we used for all except the last conference. I
hope it is a rousing success!
