by Barry McNamara
“It’s Scots Day, baby (uh-huh, uh-huh)!”
That was the cry from nearly 30 members of the Fighting Scots Marching Band as they performed on the steps of the Huff Athletic Center during Monmouth College’s 10th annual Scots Day of Giving on April 15.
The band’s big sound and high energy served as the perfect celebratory complement to another record-breaking day, as Tartan Nation donors joined forces to raise $384,465 for the college, besting last year’s record total by nearly $34,000.
The Scots Day of Giving 10
In the spirit of the day’s theme, which was “What’s Your Tartan 10?,” here are the top 10 moments from the April 15 celebration.
1) Nine hundred eighty-four hearts’ devotion: In the end, that was the number of people throughout the day who made donations to the college. Jen Armstrong, Monmouth’s director of alumni engagement, commented on the tremendous fundraising and participation totals.
“Scots Day of Giving has now raised more than $2.5 million over the past 10 years,” she said. “Outside of cheering at Fighting Scots athletic events, this is the best way that Tartan Nation gets to show up and show their pride in Monmouth College.”
2) The official Tartan 10: The alumni office received plenty of Tartan 10 suggestions. In the end, they fell into the categories of community, beautiful campus, professors/coaches, Fighting Scots athletics, heritage, fine arts, Homecoming, Greek life, Scots Eve and academic opportunities.
3) A sample Tartan 10: Amanda Havens Pilger ’07 was one of the alumni who posted a personal Tartan 10, where her highlights included “meeting Joe Pilger, my college sweetheart,” as well as Pi Phi, Homecoming and midnight breakfast – “so fun to eat in the caf so late and be served by faculty and staff.”
4) Scots Day of Giving 1, Mother Nature 0: Earlier in the week, a forecast of hour after hour of rain threatened to put a damper on the big day but, in the end, that precipitation prediction was all wet. For most of the day, sunglasses were the necessary accessory, not umbrellas.
5) Tartan talk: Pilger also played a part in an example of the type of moment that makes Scots Day of Giving so special, spending more than an hour on the phone with Virginia Haun Mittauer ’50 of Alexandra, Virginia, a Pi Phi sister. Mittauer recalled her adviser, Sam Thompson, and his unique final exam style of writing a simple word or sentence on the chalkboard and having his students start writing. She recalled how, after World War II, campus was “swimming with men,” and that those military veterans had access to a $75 monthly stipend, making them especially attractive. Mittauer also shared that her husband worked on The Hill and for NASA, enabling her to meet the first seven astronauts.
6) A knockout shoutout: A new event this year was a basketball shooting competition, and Fernando Avila ’26 of Alpha, Illinois, emerged as the knockout winner. After receiving pies in the face at last year’s Scots Day, Dean Mark Willhardt and the Rev. Dr. John Huxtable, Monmouth’s chaplain, were among the faculty/staff competitors, with Huxtable advancing out of the semi-finals to participate in the six-shooter final. Those who predicted Willhardt advancing from the faculty/staff semi had their brackets busted.
7) A tartan ‘state’-ment: There are straggling states every year during Scots Day of Giving, with this year’s holdouts being spread around the country in Delaware, Mississippi and Alaska. But gifts from all 50 states came in eventually, unlocking several thousand more dollars toward the record-setting day. With a flair for the dramatic, Dave ’92 and Karen Seeman Hillis ’93 of Oxford, Mississippi, made a gift as the clock approached midnight, ensuring that the Magnolia State would be represented.
8) Getting the band back together, part I: “It’s a lot of fun,” said marching band director Eli Kelly ’24 of the band’s 15-minute jam session. “In the spring, we don’t get together so often, so it was good to be back together. The day cleared up, and the students were pretty excited, already talking about next year.”
That “being together” vibe was also felt around campus, as many faculty and staff were out and about along with the students, lifting spirits.
“I’ve noticed a lot of faculty/staff support this year,” said Hannah Maher, Monmouth’s vice president for development and college relations. “They’ve been around a lot throughout the day. That’s as busy as our call center has been in a quite a while.”
A student who stepped up in that category was Aiden Earley ’27 of Annawan, Illinois, who logged roughly six hours on the phone, a very noteworthy feat for a student volunteer.
9) Getting the band back together, part II: “When we play, you feel it … ensure our sound looks as strong as it feels.” That was part of a video appeal by marching band members for new uniforms, and their Huff Center performance also made a statement. It had the feel of “sing for your supper,” and the band even did that, too, voicing an impressive version of “A Flame of White and Crimson” at the end of their set. Next fall, those uniforms will be a reality, thanks in large part to a matching $50,000 gift from Marlyn Whitsitt Rinehart ’57, whom Kelly called personally to thank. Overall donations to the project totaled $68,003.
10) More worthy causes: Other targeted projects for this year’s Scots Day of Giving included the Monmouth Fund, the Fighting Scots Society ($47,100), the new Loyalty Scholarship ($37,357) and the Senior Class Gift ($28,899), which is a campus beautification project that will add color, character and school pride to a shared space on campus, incorporating elements that celebrate the spirit of the Fighting Scots.
