"In the heart of the Tar Heel state -- situated in the Capitol County of Wake, is a band which virtually appeared from nowhere and in short order has established themselves as a serious Public Safety Band..."  - FirePiper

As, we imagine, with many pipe bands, the formation of the Wake & District Public Safety Pipes and Drums resulted from a fortuitous alignment of existing resources and nascent desires.
 

On May 6, 2006, while attending the dedication of the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Raleigh, Officer Brady (that day performing with the Charlotte Fire Department pipe band) met Assistant Chief Crawford. A series of meetings were held, which concluded with an agreement to form a new band that would incorporate both the “Clayton contingent” and the public safety community from Wake County and the surrounding areas. A date was picked for an organizational meeting. Chief Kirkwood sent a letter of invitation to 65 public safety agency heads in the east-central region of North Carolina, soliciting participation of pipers, drummers, and those interested in learning.

...on June 8, 2006, an organizational meeting was held at the EMS Training Center in the Wake Commons Business Park. Some 50 law enforcement officers, firefighters, and paramedics, and public safety supporters attended.  Experienced players began “tuning up” and students were provided information about obtaining practice chanters, drum sticks, and practice pads.  A regular schedule of Wednesday – Thursday practice sessions was established, based at the Wake County EMS Training Center on Carya Drive in Raleigh...

On July 9, another letter went out to the public safety chief officers, inviting them to engage the band for ceremonial occasions within their agencies.  It didn’t take long! Since then, the band or small ensembles have performed at numerous events.

Meanwhile, there was business to be done. Articles of Incorporation for a not-for-profit corporation were filed with the North Carolina Secretary of State’s Office on August 17, 2006, and the band began it’s “legal” life. Bank accounts were opened, and the need for funds became readily apparent.

A date was set for the band’s first official fund-raising event, “the Tartan Ball,” which would be held on November 18, 2006.  An event committee, headed by Garner Firefighter and Tenor Drummer Mike Bishop, assisted by Raleigh Fire Lieutenant Jason Lane and Firefighter Lloyd Johnson, geared up and got to work. The event was held at the Raleigh Fireman’s Club on Bay Leaf Church Road, and saw a capacity crowd of over 250 fans, friends, and family.  A great time was had, with Irish and Scottish Dancers, a ceilidh band, and of course the Pipes and Drums. This event netted $3,200, which will go right toward outfitting more band members with Black Stewart band kilts, as well as adding a couple of more drums to the mix...

2007 was a year of great growth for the band!!!

With a little money in the bank at the end of the first Tartan Ball, we began a serious effort to acquire Black Stewart kilts and accessories for all band members.  In the meantime, the pipe corps and the drum corps continued to grow and improve. 

We established some firm relationships in the public safety community.  We were “center stage” for three North Carolina State Highway Patrol graduation ceremonies and one promotion ceremony.  The Highway Patrol does their ceremonies in a big way, filling Dorton Arena at the state fairgrounds with troopers, friends, families, and a vehicular history of the Highway Patrol.  The band “marches in” the recruits, and “marches out” the newly sworn-in troopers. 

The Raleigh Fire Department conducted several promotion ceremonies this year.  Those to be promoted were marched into the council chambers at City Hall, and a newly established RFD tradition now has the duty piper march the participants back to Fire Station #1 for a reception after the official ceremonies.  RFD also held a huge “retiree reunion” at the Keeter Fire Training Center, where the band entertained hundreds of firefighters, active and retired, and their families.  In appreciation for our support, the Raleigh Professional Firefighters Association (IAFF) donated funds to purchase a new bass drum, which is watermarked with the RFD logo behind the band name.

We participated in two major parades.  The first, the Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day parade, saw us teamed with a tri-service color guard (Raleigh Police, Raleigh Fire Department, and Wake County EMS), was followed by some on-the-street performances in Moore Square and at Tir No Nog.  The second was a joint effort with the Charlotte Fire Department Pipe Band, where we led the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial parade. 

In May of 2007 we were officially awarded 501(c)(3) not-for-profit status by the Internal Revenue Service. 

Individual band members enjoyed some success in competition.  Grayson Cave placed first (in a field of 11 competitors) in Grade IV at the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association indoor solo piping competition held in Cary.   At the Williamsburg, VA Scottish Festival,  Nyssa Cave took first place in Grade IV snare, Sterling Cave placed first in Grade III snare 2/4 March, Grayson Cave placed second  in Grade IV Sr 6/8 March (playing above Grade level indicated) and  Matthew Kent rounding out the quartet of members taking second place in Grade IV snare.

In between these, we handled a bevy of “onesies and twosies” and “MIMOs” (march in, march out), smaller events handled by ensembles, including fire station christenings, fire recruit graduations, retirements, remembrances, Law Enforcement Memorial Day, and the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service in Chapel Hill.  We also performed for Wake County Sheriff Donnie Harrison’s very impressive swearing in ceremony following his re-election in November.

On November 17, under the able leadership of Pipers Jason Lane and Lloyd Johnson (RFD), and Tenor Drummer Mike Bishop (Garner FD), the second annual Tartan Ball was a huge success.  Our upgraded venue at the Raleigh Sheraton was filled to the brim, and our coffers were once again refilled to continue our band outfitting effort!  Nice going, guys.  A great time was had by all!

2008 was one amazing year!!!

The Wake & District Public Safety Pipes & Drums has a simple - yet noble mission: to honor our fallen brothers in public safety when needed and to spread the love of bagpipe and drum music whenever possible. In 2008, the band traveled across the great state of North Carolina, as well as the nation, to accomplish that mission and it was done so admirably. Allow us to share our wonderful year with you.

The District began 2008 in fine fashion with our debut in Raleigh's First Night festivities and a concert in the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. A true show of force by our band members made for a memorable night, as two shows were given to capacity audiences. The band was invited once again to participate in the Capital City's St. Patrick's Day events, giving us the chance to reach young and old alike with a fun day of Irish celebration.

It was a year of many firsts for our group, one of which was the band's first year on the competition field. With the arrival of spring comes the highland games season, and a smaller competition contingent of the District traveled across the southeastern U.S., at the players' expense, to show our friends in the pipe band world that a public safety pipe band can indeed be taken seriously in the realm of competition. Our group garnered two first place awards at the Loch Norman and Gatlinburg Highland Games, as well as a third place finish at Richmond. Individuals in the band, such as Nyssa Cave, Sterling Cave and Alan Armstrong gained recognition for outstanding achievement in their respective fields, further solidifying the presence of the District.
 

The band spent time reaching out into our communities participating in events such as the annual Robert Burns night, held at our home away from home, Tir na nOg Irish Pub in Raleigh. We shared the spirit of the pipes and drums at Cary Academy's International days, and the Greenville International Festival and Pirate Days parade. We revisited our friends in Selma for Railroad days and again at their annual Christmas parade. The band also had the pleasure of opening for some of Irish and Celtic music's most celebrated artists, such as the Old Blind Dogs of Scotland, and Seven Nations. As you can see, it isn't all work and no play with us.

Wake & District also continued our tradition of honoring our military brothers in 2008, participating in the Salute to the Troops parade in Raleigh and through our participation with our family at Tir na nOg in raising money for phone cards and other provisions for our troops overseas. Another special example was the honor of playing at the grave marking ceremony for a long dead hero, patriot James O'Kelley. One of our own, band chaplain Paul Ormond, spent the year away from us, serving his country in Georgia as a US Army Chaplain, and all the while, honoring himself and his brethren by playing his pipes for dedication ceremonies for fallen soldiers in the war on terror. We long for his return and strive to uphold his example.

The most humbling and yet the most meaningful part of our mission is that of honoring our fallen public safety brothers and sisters. We performed that part all too often in the last year. We were met with the first line of duty death in the Raleigh Fire Department in over 50 years, and others followed. Raleigh Fire paid a heavy price this year, as retired chiefs and firefighters, active duty firefighters, all brothers, were laid to rest. By year end, there would be eight in all. We participated in the line of duty death funeral of NC Highway Patrol Trooper A.J. Stocks. From the very beginnings of our band, the Patrol was one of the first organizations to call on us, and we have had the pleasure of remaining close friends with our brothers and sisters in black and grey. We honored firefighters from Bailey, Archer Lodge, Pine Level, 50/210, and Goldsboro Fire Departments, as they ended their tours of duty, laid to rest with respect and admiration. It is this part of our band's mission that weighs the heaviest on it's members, as they leave a small piece of themselves behind each time one of their brothers or sisters is honored in this way. While it has truly been a trying year, it has also been an honor in every sense, to serve in such a small way as ours.

For those of you familiar with our group, you know that as autumn wanes, our annual fundraiser, the Tartan Ball arrives to kick off the holiday season. On Friday November 7th, over 400 of our closest friends gathered in the ballroom of the Sheraton Downtown for a party like no other in the area. Once again, our tartan ball committee, led by piper Jason Lane and Tenor drummer Mike Bishop did not disappoint. 2008 brought many special guests into the fold, one of which was our master of ceremonies, Bob the Blade from 96 Rock. Our very special guests were our extended family from the north, The Pipes & Drums of the Emerald Society, Chicago Police Department, who put on a phenomenal show, out of love and respect for us, and we are most grateful for their help in making this Tartan Ball such a resounding success, raising over $13,000 for our group to purchase kilts, instruments and supplies. If you were there, thank you for your generosity. If you weren't there, we'll see you in 2009 on Friday, November 13th at 7pm at the Sheraton Downtown Raleigh. You won't regret it.

Much like our country is experiencing a change in it's administration, our band has met with the departure of two of our founding members and administrators. While Band Master Skip Kirkwood continues to serve in the pipe section our Band Manager, Tony Crawford decided to take a break from the band to spend time with his family. The District was first formed by them along with Pipe Major Joseph Brady and under their leadership, our group has grown to over 50 members strong. While it will be trying - we will move forward into what is sure to be a bright future of service and dedication to the mission, music and membership.

As is custom, every year we recognize outstanding service in our band and this year was no exception. Drum Sergeant Jamie McMillan awarded drummers Jacob Egan and Matthew Kent for their unwavering service during the past year. Pipe Major Joseph Brady recognized pipers Dee New and Chris Mogenson for their commitment to the District in 2008.

Finally, just as we began the year, the end of the year found us at Tir na nOg, celebrating New Year's Eve with pipes, drums and revelry, coming full circle for what has been one amazing year. It has been a year of remembrance and of vision, of sacrifice and celebration, of commitment and honor. As always, we are made humble by the reception that we continue to receive from all of you when we play, and we deeply thank our friends and supporters, as it is you that allow us to exist. It has been an incredible journey thus far, and we stand ready should we be needed...
 

2009 - Exhausted and Fulfilled

This, the last year of the decade, has been quite a year for The District. We have oftentimes stopped to look around and spoken amongst ourselves about how far the band has come and how much the band has changed. The group has been busy, as always, so allow us to share our year with you.

This year has mostly been just plain fun. We began the year in true District style, with New Years at Tir na nOg, and a favorite pastime of ours, the pub crawl. Those of you that are familiar with the band know that Tir na nOg Irish Pub in Raleigh is synonymous with the Wake and District. For St. Patrick's Day this year, the band actually had to split into mini-bands to cover all of the requests made of us. We made new friends down in North Myrtle Beach, SC by marching in their St. Patrick's Day parade to rave reviews from the parade judges and hundreds of attendees. We also rode the Tir na nOg float in the Raleigh parade and at the end of the day, the band came together again to play a myriad of locations around the capital city. The band opened for several musical groups throughout the year, such as the Belfast Boys and Albannach, providing a rousing primer for true fans of Irish music in the Triangle area. The District was even represented in the ever-popular arena of NASCAR, as our pipe major Joseph Brady joined an assembled group known as the Celtic Force Pipers to play the opening ceremony of the Coca-Cola 600 race, held each year during Memorial Day weekend in Charlotte, NC.

A November rite of passage for the District was observed once again, as the Fourth Annual Tartan Ball was held at the Downtown Sheraton in Raleigh and just like every year so far, this year eclipsed all previous years. Each year key members of the group continue to step up and make this event a success. A great time was had by all, and much needed funds were raised to help keep this animal we call the District alive and kicking. We helped to spread holiday cheer this year, marching in Christmas parades in Wake Forest and Selma, and finished out the year playing New Year's Eve at First Light Wake Forest and finally, as we have ended every year so far, back at home in Tir na nOg. It seems that every year, new doors continue to open for the band, and we look forward to what the future brings.

For the second consecutive year, the Wake and District Public Safety Pipes and Drums entered the field of competition here in the southeast and did not embarrass ourselves. Taking a close 2nd at Loch Norman, First place finishes at Gatlinburg, Greenville and Richmond, a Second place finish at Charleston and wrapping it all in a First place finish at Stone Mountain Highland Games, the District shared the top ranking in Grade 5 for the southern branch of the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA), and finished overall in 6th place out of 117 competing pipe bands.

As was the case last year, several of our members also competed as individuals, bringing home top awards in both piping and drumming. Our own Dr. Alan Armstrong even became somewhat of a celebrity after a very successful year competing in the demanding Piob category and finishing 2nd overall out of 131 players. Thanks so much to the competing members of the District for helping us all walk a little taller. We are proud of you all.

An important part of our mission involves giving back to the community that gives so much to us. This year we helped play along with charities such as the Tir na nOg 8K fun run for Multiple Sclerosis and the Outback Steakhouse Golf Tournament to benefit Muscular Dystrophy. We also shared time with some of the most precious kids we have ever been honored to meet, over at the Governor Morehead School for the Blind, in Raleigh. These kids delighted as we provided a feast for the senses, and they gave more back to us than we could ever give to them. The band also participated in the first annual Wake Forest Irish Fest, promoting the fine heritage behind so much of the music that we play.

As most of you are aware, the Wake and District is a public safety pipe band is committed to serving our brothers and sisters within the public safety community. We performed that mission this year with pride while we played as fire recruits walked the aisle and graduated academies in Raleigh and Wake Forest, and as law enforcement recruits graduated from BLET programs across the Triangle area. The group was honored to be a part of celebrating the arrival of the South Atlantic Fire Expo to the Capital city this year. We also performed this part of our mission with respect and with heavy hearts as we participated in both the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial events in Raleigh and the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend in Emmetsburg, Maryland. The band was honored and humbled over and over this year as we were called upon to help honor such dignitaries as former NC governor Bob Scott and former NC Insurance Commissioner Jim Long. As always, our thanks goes out to our brothers in the North Carolina State Highway Patrol for continuing to call upon us as we stand shoulder to shoulder in honor of the fallen.

The state of North Carolina paid a heavy toll this year in the public safety community. Law enforcement officers from Lenoir County, Vance County, Winston Salem and too many other areas paid the ultimate sacrifice this year. Firefighters from across this great state gave all they had to give for their communities. We thank them and their families for their service.

This year was also a year of both joy and sadness for the District. As is the case most years, far too many lives that were close to us were cut short this year. Some were close friends, like Joe Burke, Gary Ragland and Flip Kissinger. Some were even family.

We had one of our beloved members, Pipe Sergeant Bud Barber, move across the country to continue his career. As with any group, some members have gone, but new ones have arrived, bringing with them hope for the future of this band. We also helped one of our own pipers get married in true District fashion, beginning a new journey in his life, as well as adding another spouse to the band (if she only knew).

As 2009 draws to a close, we find ourselves both exhausted and fulfilled. We have once again epitomized our mission statement, whether promoting the heritage of our music, or honoring those who have given their lives in service to us all. As always, we thank all of you that continue to keep up with us, all of you that continue to give your time and money, so we can do what we love so much to do. Thank you so very much. See you in 2010!

2010 - Little Did We Know...

2010 has been a tumultuous year in many ways. Some of us have experienced the joy of new life, the exhilaration and relief of beginning a new job, or gaining advancement in a present career. Our country has definitely been on a roller coaster ride this year in terms of economics, politics and religion. Others of us have dealt with the self-inspection and growth that comes with personal loss. Well, the District has been on a roller coaster ride of its own and as always it has been a great one. We began the year at our traditional resting place, Tir na nOg Irish Pub in downtown Raleigh. Fun and revelry were had by all as the now familiar ring of the pipes echoed throughout the pub, reminding everyone that old acquaintances should never be forgotten. Little did we know of the events of the year to come.

As most folks involved in public safety will tell you, we are all blessed to have two families; our loved ones that raised us and wait for us to return home safely, and our brothers and sisters on the job that watch our backs, keep us safe and help us to return home to our other family. Likewise, our group serves two families. One is the community that we live and work in. These are the people that call on us to play for some of their happiest occasions and their most heartbreaking ones as well. We are sincerely humbled when allowed to honor these times and we hope that you will continue to call on us whenever we can help you in our small way. The other family we serve is of course our public safety family. There is no greater duty than to help out our fellow police officers, firefighters, paramedics and telecommunicators, whether it is to celebrate a graduation or promotion, or to honor the memory of loved ones lost. This remains our mission: to serve these two families as one. The District has endeavored since it’s beginning to honor both of these families and this year hopefully has been no exception.

The band did our part to help out with several community events this past year, including the St. Paddy’s Day 8K Run in Raleigh and the Night Out Against Crime in Wilson, NC. An opportunity to educate and spread the joy of the pipes came to us through an invitation to play at the International Food Festival hosted by St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Smithfield. The reception was warm and the spectators had as much fun as the band. Later in the year, the band was able to celebrate the first snow of the season while participating in the Christmas tree lighting ceremony for the Flowers Plantation community in Clayton, NC this past December.

As is often the case, the Wake and District Public Safety Pipes and Drums were called on to perform as opening acts for artists coming to the triangle, such as the Tannahill Weavers, one of the worlds foremost performers of traditional Scottish music. It is always good fun to meet artists from around the world and make new friends that appreciate such a loud instrument as ours!

A perennial right of passage for any self-respecting pipe and drum band is the participation in events surrounding that day of all days, St. Patrick’s Day. The District is no exception and what a time it was. Once again, we travelled to see our friends to the south, as the town of North Myrtle Beach is blessed with a large Irish community and a great pub in Flynn’s Irish Tavern. As was the case last year, we were blown away by the thousands that turned out on a great sunny parade day to greet us with smiles and cheers as we did our very best not to disappoint. We have made good friends in the owner and staff at Flynn’s and look forward to seeing them again soon. Back in our home town, the band made the rounds in downtown Raleigh on their St. Paddy’s pub crawl. If you have not been with us on this occasion, we highly recommend you check it out this year. It is great fun and a chance to see and talk with us in a more ‘relaxed’ state of mind.

The District was able to serve our public safety family many times throughout the past year. We played in graduation and promotion ceremonies for our comrades in the NC State Highway Patrol, as well as the Raleigh Police Department. Our friends at the Raleigh Fire Department celebrated the graduation of the 36th Raleigh Fire Academy as the sound of bagpipes and drums filled the Raleigh Civic and Convention Center (no small task). One of the fastest growing departments in the Wake County area, the Garner Fire Department graduated an academy and promoted several officers, including our own band manager, Mike Bishop, to the rank of Captain. There were also several opportunities throughout the year to serve our brothers and sisters in Raleigh Fire through promotional ceremonies at City Hall. We continue to be honored by the dedication of the Raleigh Fire Department towards our efforts and thank them for their constant support and encouragement.

One of the things that unfortunately seems to be inherent in the public safety community is the untimely loss of members who report for duty every day to simply “do their jobs”. This year we saw friends and neighbors honor the memories of law enforcement officers from the NC Department of Motor Vehicles and the Greene County Sherriff’s Department. One very unusual and welcome occurrence took place in 2010. We played as Durham Fire Department honored the sudden loss of Brad Roberts and most recently, we continue to send our thoughts and prayers to our brothers in the Chicago Fire Department on the recent loss of two of their brothers. While North Carolina was spared this year, many of our nation’s fire departments were not as fortunate. We remember and honor them. The band was privileged to participate in events paying tribute to our public safety family during National Police Week, the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and closer to home, in the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend and Parade, our home event. We appreciate our friends in the NCFFF and thank them for their continued support. These are the events that our group was founded around and for. The need was seen by several, and acted upon by a small group of visionaries, to form this band for the purpose of honoring the fallen. It will continue to be our purpose and the source of our greatest pride and fulfillment.

One of the forces that drive us to perform better is simply the act of competing. Being challenged to play as well or better than your peers ignites a spirit to continue to improve and play well that remains with the player long after the competition. In 2010 the Wake and District once again entered the circle of competition. Taking firsts in Loch Norman and Scotland County, a second in Greenville, and a third in Stone Mountain, the District finished the year ranked 12th out of 117 bands in Grade 5. This lead the regulating organization known as the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA) to award the band an upgrade to now compete in Grade 4. We congratulate the competing members of the band on their continued commitment and hard work. They are a true source of pride for all of us. We also had several individual players compete and earn medals in individual competitions, especially among our drummers. The quality of their work does not go unnoticed and we thank them for their dedication.

As if we weren’t busy enough with two families, we here in the District are blessed to have yet another family, formed through the fulfillment of our mission. We have had quite a year ourselves. Along with his promotion, and I’m sure he would say more importantly, Mike Bishop, our band manager, became a daddy with the birth of twin boys, Ryne and Landon. Through a fortuitous connection, we were able to build a relationship with Ravenscroft School that resulted in new (to us) drums for the band. They have been a welcome addition to our group, often receiving compliments. We also were allowed to participate in a joyous occasion, the marriage of Tir na nOg owner and longtime District supporter Pete Pagano to his love, Katy Shea. Through the gift of song, our pipe major helped us wish our band mother, Annie Nice, safe home by writing and performing a tune written for her as she returned home to her native Ireland in search of peace and contentment after a difficult year of loss in her life. Annie, you are always in our hearts and never far away. To Pete, Annie, and the phenomenal staff of Tir na nOg, we say thank you, though it hardly seems enough. You have all taken us in and been our most loyal and devoted fans. We have bid farewell to a few of our members as they have moved on to other careers and pursuits, as well as welcomed in some new and fresh faces. To all of them we wish the best of luck in all they do.

Once again, we concluded the year with the skirl of the pipes ringing within the walls of our home pub, as well as a “New Beers Eve” gathering amongst band members. What a truly tremendous year it has been for our little band. One thing has been very different, however. If you are one of our more devoted fans, you may have noticed that in 2010 there was no “Tartan Ball”, our perennial November fundraising bash. Why did we break from tradition, you ask? Well, because we have something very special planned. In celebration of our fifth year together as a pipe and drum band, we will be hosting a fifth anniversary concert at the Progress Energy Center on January 8th, 2011, which happens to be sold out by the way. Hope you have your ticket! If not, we certainly hope to see you very soon in the coming year and wish you a very prosperous and blessed 2011. Band ready!

2011 - FOR OUR FALLEN is everything we stand for...

We here at the District wish all of you a very Happy New Year, along with all of the hope and anticipation that accompanies this time of renewal. As we do each year about this time, we like to share with you all what the past year has been like for us. So without further ado, here we go.

For most of our existence, we have saved our own special time of celebration for the fall of the year. In 2011, the band marked a special milestone, so we departed from this tradition in order to hold a Fifth Anniversary Concert at the Progress Energy Center in January. Helping us celebrate five years of service to our public safety community were the NCSU Pipe Band and World Champion Piper John Cairns. Both Irish and Scottish dance were well represented as well, as the pipes filled a sold out Fletcher Hall. From all of us in the band, we very humbly thank you all for your show of support. It is our happiness and our reason for being here.

Since we are first and foremost a group of like-minded players that have formed this band in order to serve, let us tell you about some of the ways we accomplished the mission in 2011.

This year was quite a busy year of service towards our brothers and sisters in law enforcement. We circled up and played for events such as the Run For Our Heroes, and the Wake County Police Memorial ceremony. It was our honor and pleasure to be invited and participate in the National Law Enforcement Memorial in our nation’s capital in May of 2011. The band was well represented as hundreds of pipers and drummers upheld the brotherhood of the thin blue line. We also played for promotions, graduations and retirements for our brothers and sisters in several law enforcement agencies including the North Carolina Highway Patrol represented by one of our own.

Once again this year, we fulfilled our primary mission too many times, in honoring our fallen officers. Wake and District paid tribute to fallen brothers from all across North Carolina; deputies made the supreme sacrifice in Nash, Moore and Greene Counties. To our West, the word reached us from the Winston Salem Police Department of a fallen brother, and we responded to the best of our ability. As you can see here, our keepers gathered much too often this past year. From all of us here at the District, to the fallen and their families, we thank you, we honor you and we will not forget you.

Our band family is also made up of brothers representing the front lines of the fire service. We honored them as well this past year, in helping to pipe home Chief Ricky Barbour of the Wilson's Mills Volunteer Fire Department. Our nation's fire service was founded on the backs of volunteers and they continue to make up the majority of the fire service in our proud nation. Members of the band also travelled to the scenic mountains of Asheville, to pay tribute to the loss of Captain Jeff Bowen of the Asheville Fire Department as he was reverently laid to rest. Most recently, the brothers and sisters of the Raleigh Fire Department bid farewell to one of its own, as Captain Scott Nipper was tragically taken in December in an off duty car accident. We marched with distinction as the lead band in the North Carolina Fallen Firefighters Memorial Parade and ceremonies in the spring. Then, once again in the fall of the year, a group of our firefighting members made the trip to Emmetsburg, Maryland to the campus of the National Fire Academy to Honor Our Fallen at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend.

When we as police officers, firefighters, paramedics, tele-communicators and military veterans swear the oath of our respective agencies, we knowingly accept the heaviest of burdens; a burden that will stay with us throughout our lifetimes. It will visit us in the stillness of sleep, jarring us awake in the darkness. It will find us on those quiet, slow days at our station, when there is too much time to think. We, more than most, understand the frailty of life and the delicate nature of our own mortality. We are thankful for every day that we are able to do our jobs, to accomplish our calling, and while we do not welcome the demons that visit us from time to time, we live with them, not in fear of them. We do this so that others do not have to. It is by choice that we serve, and so it shall remain.

While our mission of honoring our fallen always comes first, there are always a few chances for us to "let our hair down" and have some fun - often while serving others in our own communities. 2011 was no exception, as we helped out our family at Tir na nOg Irish Pub in Raleigh with their annual Green Run. We travelled to Aberdeen, among the most prevalent Scottish areas of our already heavily Scottish Old North State to play in cultural events for some of the keepers of our state's proud Scottish heritage. We rang in Independence Day with the good people of Pinehurst. We celebrated the high holy day of St. Patrick with our old friends in the village of North Myrtle Beach, a group of great folks that we look forward to seeing each year. If you want to be a part of a great Irish community, follow us down to the beach this year for St. Paddy's Day. Not to leave out our own Triangle area, we quickly travelled back to Raleigh to pay homage to Saint Patrick at several local establishments well into the night.

One of the greatest things about being a part of this organization is that every year, we can count on making new friendships. We have been so honored to have met and been accepted by our friends at the USO. We participated in the very special celebrations surrounding the return of our state's World War II veterans from their day trips to Washington D.C. aboard the Triangle Flight of Honor. Five times this year, we were awed to stand among these men and women as they returned home to a crowd of thousands, holding signs, screaming, cheering and crying upon seeing the return of their special soldier from such a memorable day of reflection at the Nation's World War II Memorial. Some of these men and women made the trip still able to carry themselves, while others, no less proud, made the journey by wheelchair. No matter their physical condition, they all returned standing a little straighter, both proud and humbled at the same time. We are so very thankful to have been allowed to be a part of this and we look forward to our continued relationship with the good people of the USO. We also thank them for the invitation to play at the 7th Annual Salute to Freedom Gala, which allowed us to show off our brand new Class A band uniforms. We were sharp if I do say so myself. We also made new friends among the faculty and staff at Campbell University, one of our state's oldest private universities. Once again, there is a strong Scottish heritage involved with this institution, and the pipes were right at home there. We look forward to playing more music for the folks down in Buies Creek.

One of the highlights of our year was when we were given the honor of playing with the world renowned Irish artists known as the Chieftains. This group has almost single-handedly been the ambassador of Irish music to the world for the last 30 years. When their latest tour came to Raleigh looking for a pipe band to accompany them on stage, we were happy to oblige them. We hope to see them again soon. We also made a new friend this year in the form of Raleigh's newest mayor, Nancy McFarlane. Being of Scottish lineage herself, the pipes were a nice touch to her swearing in ceremony. We hope to see you again soon, Madam Mayor.

As with all families, we had some events occur among our own members this year. Two members of our drum line earned the distinction of becoming Eagle Scouts, an accomplishment that only 4 percent of scouts ever achieve. We applaud Jacob and Brian Egen for there hard work and dedication to the time honored tradition of scouting. We also witnessed our drum Sergeant, Jamie McMillan, fulfilling one of his most important goals of becoming a "Brew-Major" for Aviator Brewing Company right here in the Triangle. Congratulations to you, Jamie!  Like most families, we have grown a little over the past year. Some new students have arrived in both the drum and piping sections. Some more experienced members have travelled to us from other areas of the state because they wanted to become a part of what we do, and we welcome all of them. It is this growth that has helped us form a stronger friendship with the North Carolina Highway Patrol as they help us accommodate our growing family into the coming year. A special thank you to the Colonel and all the men in grey for your support of our efforts. 

Last year, we gave a proper send off to a very important member of our band family as she returned to her homeland of Ireland to pause and reflect on a life well lived and visited much too often with grief that no mother should ever have to bear. We missed her terribly and asked about her often, but respected her privacy and time away from us, while she was close to those whom she had grown to love while growing up and becoming a strong Irish woman. Well, thankfully, this year she decided to return to us and make her home here. Annie, we love you more than words can say and we are so happy to have you back among us once again. As we say in Carolina, "Take off your coat and stay a while." Whenever you are in Raleigh, drop in over at Tir na nOg Irish Pub and ask for Annie. If she is there, give her a hug and let her know the pipe band sent you. 

We rounded out our year with a wee Irish party at the nOg, known as a Ceili (kay-lee). Fun was certainly had as we celebrated the release of our first CD, and sold all kinds of band swag trying to raise a little funding so all these new members can have kilts (if they survive). We also have a yuletide charity that has been founded by one of our drummers, Patrick O'Leary, called Kids Need Christmas. This undertaking was also represented at our end of the year events in order to raise money so that the charity's mission can be accomplished.  New years Eve found us well represented back at Tir na nOg, the band's home if you couldn't tell by now. 

A huge thank you goes out to all of the folks that have supported us for the past five years.  Hopefully you will continue to spread the word about our little band of merry makers. We certainly could not accomplish all the good that we have done without the help of all our friends in the Triangle area. To all of the private companies that booked us to play for many special occasions over the past year, we thank you very much for your contact and we look forward to helping you in the future, should you need us. If you know us, keep coming out and seeing us. We love seeing familiar faces. If you just found us on the web and you are reading this, welcome! We hope that you will check the schedule and make one of our upcoming events. Who knows...you might even be a piper or drummer in the making. 

Thanks to everyone so much for all that you have done for us. We will continue to do all that we can for you. See you soon.