Buchanan steps down as PPBSO president after three terms

The Pipers & Pipe Band Society of Ontario will elect a new president at its annual general meeting on January 30th after incumbent Chris Buchanan said that he does not plan to stand again if nominated for the role.

Buchanan has been president of the organization since 2015 when he took over from Duncan MacRae, who declined a nomination from the floor. Buchanan had served as vice-president of the organization under MacRae.

“Over the past year my career demands have significantly increased and having now taken on a new role with greater responsibilities,” Buchanan said in a statement. “It’s impossible for me to properly dedicate the time and attention that the PPBSO needs to guide us through the upcoming year and beyond.”

The association elects executive leaders to two-year terms. A board of directors comprising elected leaders from the five branches of the organization, and a Music Committee of appointed pipers and drummers set the agenda and rules.

All elected and appointed roles in the organization are voluntary.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your support in my five years as president,” Buchanan continued. “It’s truly been an honour and a privilege to serve, and I look forward to continuing to help with the PPBSO with other projects over the coming years as time allows.”

The current vice-president of the PPBSO is Charlie MacDonald, who has held various executive positions for the last several decades and served briefly as president in the 2010s.

The PPBSO typically has a base of about 1,200 individual members and approximately 60 pipe bands. Unlike many associations, all members of bands must be a paid-up individual member. With no pipe band competitions being held in 2020, and the 2021 season also in doubt, it is not known how many paid memberships have been recorded or the status of the organization’s finances.

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