2021 Samurai Awards at Broomhall

3rd of October 2021

Scottish samurai Awardees on the steps of Broomhall House — 2021 Samurai Awards at Broomhall House

It was a great day for our 2021 awards ceremony on Sunday third of October. Charles Lord Bruce once again graciously hosted us at his magnificent home, Broomhall House, near Dunfermline. The ancestral home of the Bruce family and an iconic and historical venue for our awards.

Recipients dressed for the occasion arrived in the sizeable gravelled driveway and made their way to the red carpet inside the main entrance of Broomhall.

Broomhall is a significant building in the history of Scottish architecture and one of Scotland’s grandest houses. It has been a private family home for more than 300 years and continues to be lived in, cherished and cared for by the family of King Robert the Bruce.

The house was home to the 8th Earl of Elgin, who guaranteed parliamentary democracy in Canada and later negotiated treaties with China and Japan, opening trade to visionaries like Thomas Blake Glover, later credited as modernising Japan.

There are many artefacts of historical interest in the Bruce family home at Broomhall, including the legendary original sword of King Robert The Bruce, who led Scotlands return to independence after his victory at the battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

Our awards were presented by Lord Charles Bruce, Dr. Jo Morrow, Lord Lyon King of Arms for Scotland, and our very own founding president, Ronnie Watt (9th dan) OBE ORS.

This year saw awardees enter into the OSS as Great Shoguns, Taishos, Cadets, and Hatamoto.

There were three recipients of the OSS Budo award and one ‘National Treasure’ given to people of historical significance.

The late Ranald MacDonald was recognised as an OSS National Treasure, with Frederick Stewart picking up his award on behalf of the Ranald MacDonald society and delivering a great speech.

Ranald MacDonald National treasure award picked up by Frederick Stewart

Letters Patent for the OSS

The Lord Lyon King of Arms presented the Order of The Scottish Samurai with official Letters Patent. A great honour for Ronnie to accept such prestigious recognition. In Scotland, Letters Patent recognises our excellent work by the Monarch through the Court of the Lord Lyon and a grant to display an official coat of arms approved by The Lyon court.

Arms are granted to a “virtuous and well-deserving person” or organisation….When a grant or matriculation is obtained, an illuminated parchment, narrating the pedigree as proved, is supplied to the Petitioner, and a recording is placed in the Public Register of All Arms and Bearings in Scotland.”

Albert Thomson gave us an update about his work on compiling an armorial register for the OSS. Something that we look forward to very much.

Letter Patent for the OSS Lord Lyon and Ronnie Watt — _{The Lord Lyon King of Arms for Scotland , Dr. Jo Morrow and Ronnie Watt (9th Dan) OBE ORS with the OSS Letters Patent.}

Music for Peace

A recording of music commissioned by the OSS to commemorate the anniversary of the 1945 bombings of Japan, was played to the attendees at the awards. “Hibakusha ( the survivors) ” You can read about the music by the OSS composer Charlie Abel and hear the music here https://charlieabel.com/home/record-archive/hibakusha/

The music is dedicated to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum and was presented by Charlie Abel.