Following the Second World War, many of the immigrants into Canada came from Scotland and brought with them their love of all things Scottish, including Scottish country dancing. Dr. Bob Smith, a keen dancer in Hamilton, along with several friends, decided to form a dancing group in 1951. They were fortunate to obtain the services of Miss Jean Matheson, a recently graduated Scottish country dancing teacher, who instructed this small gathering of people in the YWCA , Winston Hall staff house on Barton Street East.
The first class was held in September, 1951 in the staff house auditorium, supplied free of charge by the YWCA. After taking firm control of the class, which contained several dancers who had very firm ideas on how the dancing should be performed (some things never change) they started on their first dance, TRIUMPH, a most appropriate choice.
After several months the class had 30 (or so) enthusiastic dancers, and it was decided to form a properly constituted organization. Mrs. Ena Culm was the President, Mrs. Anne Burke the secretary, Mr. Hugh Mckellar the treasurer and Miss Jean Matheson as instructor. As time passed the group moved into more suitable premises and also spread their dancing wings to look beyond the Hamilton area. They found similar groups in Toronto and London and very soon exchange visits were taking place. As they gained in confidence under Miss Matheson guidance, a demonstration team was formed, that danced over a wide area including New York State. Affiliation with the RSCDS followed.
Then in 1954 the group received its charter as the first Canadian Branch of The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society.
"With Branch status, the Branch continued to grow at a rapid pace and the desire to hold a Weekend was strong. The first Weekend was held in the Hilltop Lodge in Erin in 1955. After several years in Erin, the Weekend moved to Prudhomme’s Garden Centre in Vineland in 1962. Following a major fire at the Garden Centre, the Branch relocated to the Park Motor Hotel in Niagara Falls, where they stayed for more than 25 years.
In 1957, the Branch held its first Annual Ball, when the Branch Chairman, Alex Martin, a keen musician, formed a Scottish Dance Orchestra, and provided the live music. In 1959, a newly formed band, Stan Hamilton and the Clansmen, played and this band continued to play at our functions on a regular basis until the band disbanded in the mid 1980’s. Other bands on the dance scene in the second half of the twentieth century were Ed Brydie and the Scottish Ramblers, Angus Mackinnon and the Scots Canadians, Don Bartlett and the Scotians, The Bobby Frew Four, Fred Moyes and his One Man Band and Bobby Brown and the Scottish Accent.
The Branch continued to grow at a steady pace in the 1960’s and changed its location on several occasions, finally it settled in MacNab Street Presbyterian Church, where it is at present. Branch membership peaked in the mid 1970’s when there were over 300 dancers attending the large variety of dance classes that the Branch was running, not only in Hamilton, but in Burlington, Dundas, Ancaster Millgrove and Grimsby. At this time the Branch had 19 active teachers.
The Branch currently has over 100 members who attend the six classes run by the Branch, and in addition to the Weekend and the Annual Ball, the Branch runs monthly dances and a Workshop.