On April 6, 1320, weary of Edward I's subjugation of northern highlanders, a large group of Scots leaders drafted a missive of complaint and sent it to the pope, demanding that the Catholic leader stop supporting the English king. The letter, known as the Declaration of Arbroath, became a model of later statements of independence, including that of the United States.

It proclaimed, in part, “;For we fight not for glory nor for riches nor for honour, but only and alone for freedom, which no good man surrenders but with his life.”; Today, 689 years later, Scotland is still flirting with independence, and the date of April 6 has become known worldwide as “;Tartan Day,”; a celebration of all things Scots.

Last year the Hawaii Legislature designated April 6 as an officially recognized date - and also approved the creation of a Hawaii tartan design - and at 3 p.m. tomorrow members of the Caledonian Society of Hawaii will hold a rally at the state Capitol.

According to James Redmond of the CSH, “;Everyone is welcome to swell the tartan-clad crowd and to applaud the bagpipes, the resolution, and the contributions made by Scots to the flourishing of the state of Hawaii.”;

Visit www.scotsinhawaii.org.