Heather Wright/The Independent

Catriona Henderson remembers bringing her daughter to Petrolia to dance at the annual St. Andrew’s Society Dinner.

“I was at the door because it was all men, and obviously couldn’t go in,”

This year Henderson is not only making it past the door, she’ll be sitting at the head table as the first woman to hold the role of president in the 152 year-old organization.

St. Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland and in late November, Scottish communities around the world gather to celebrate their heritage. The tradition lives on in six communities in Canada, including Petrolia, where the men who came to strike it rich in the oil fields gathered yearly at the men-only event.

But in the last five years, women have become part of the annual tradition. Henderson became one of the women invited to serve on the society which organizes the annual event where people celebrate with with traditional Scottish fare, bagpipe music, Highland dancing and the recitation of Robert Burns’ poetry.

“I was asked a few years ago to be involved in the executive there, and they have welcomed me with open arms. It’s just been fantastic, and they want change, and they don’t want it just to be men. The executive that are there, that are running St Andrews society now want women involved in younger people, and it’s great,” says Henderson.

It’s also been an opportunity for her to become more aware of her roots. Henderson came to Canada from Scotland after marriage in 1986. She loves living here, but her children drew her closer to her own heritage.

“When we moved here, my oldest son played the bagpipes, and he got involved with the Sarnia-Lambton Pipe Band. And then my other two, since they had to go to pipe band practice anyway, ended up taking up the drums. And my daughter is a highland dancer, so that culture just stayed very strong in them.”

Henderson says she encouraged more “Canadian” traditions, but soon saw the value of her children’s interests.

“My Scottish heritage is probably more important to me now than ever before. And growing up in Scotland, my dad didn’t wear a kilt – none of that happened. And in fact, it was when my children…started wearing a kilt and being involved in the pipe band, my dad’s like, ‘it’s time I got a kilt.’

“I think it is important that we don’t forget where we came from, but we do have to embrace where we have moved to, and I think that’s one thing St Andrew’s Society does do, and does do well. It celebrates Scotland and where we came from, but it celebrates Canada and the land that we came to, and how all that is embraced.”

Henderson is proud to be the first female president of the St. Andrew’s Society in Petrolia.

“I have two sons and a daughter, and it’s exciting to see the St Andrew Society move forward and say, ‘we’re not doing this anymore.’ It’s it’s just time to move on. And if you talked to my children, with my sons and my daughter, they would say, yes, it’s time.”