The Caledonian Society of Arizona

Scots are a force for good the world over. Well they are, aren’t they? And ‘the world over’ includes the United States, a land filled with Scottish expats who are making a positive impact in their communities and the wider society.

Now a new Scottish-based online magazine wants to hear their stories. Positively Scottish is a not-for-profit venture launched recently in Glasgow which tells inspiring tales about Scotland and Scots, both at home and abroad.

Every two weeks an American expat is featured – and the magazine’s ‘foreign correspondent’ is Caledonian Society of Arizona member Iain Lundy, a journalist in Scotland since 1974 and now resident in Chandler.

He is keen to hear about anyone who fits the bill. Scots-born people who left their native land for a new life in America, and are now making a positive contribution to their adopted country. They can be doing anything from driving the school bus or running a local pet rescue service to volunteering as a firefighter or coaching the local school soccer team.

Successful academics, college sports stars, Highland dancers, Scottish singers, leading businesspeople, tireless charity workers – just as long as they emigrated from Scotland and are now settled in the States – are examples of the people Iain wants to hear about.

Among the people he has unearthed and profiled since Positively Scottish was launched are:

A basketball enthusiast originally from Dunfermline, Fife, who is now living in Virginia and teaching American kids how to play one of their Big 4 sports.
A mother and daughter from East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, now running a ‘tartan and haggis’ shop, and teaching Scottish country dancing in Cincinnati, Ohio.
A Glasgow woman who has opened a school in Texas to help autistic and ‘socially challenged’ children to integrate into society.
And a Greenock-born Scottish folk singer, now based in Pennsylvania, who has played at Highland Games and festivals in every US state except Alaska.

As its name suggests, Positively Scottish focuses entirely on positive or ‘good news’ stories, often featuring people who have conquered adversity. The concept is known as ‘solutions journalism’ and contrasts with the traditional image of media stories as ‘negative’.

Co-founder Calum Macdonald, who worked with Iain for many years in Scotland, said, “We’ll focus on how people and groups tackle issues in a fast-changing world, and present an alternative to a mainstream media which some readers say has become too reliant on a diet of conflict, disaster, and clickbait.

"The site will always be free to access, apolitical, and will not host any digital advertising, helping to make your reading experience as enjoyable as possible.

“Positively Scottish will include a mixture of long reads, interviews, and profiles of largely unsung heroes in areas such as social enterprise, charities, the environment, and grassroots arts and sport.”

The magazine is operated by a Community Interest Company (CIC) whose directors share decades of experience in journalism, web development, digital design and the charity sector. Funding for the initial phase will come from a personal legacy and the nature of the CIC means any external finance that can be brought in must be re-invested in journalism.

Iain Lundy can be contacted on ilundy@hotmail.com. He is keen to hear about people from any part of the US, not just Arizona.

Positively Scottish can be found at www.positivelyscottish.scot and is also on Facebook and Twitter.

So why not sign up for a daily dose of Scottish positivity and the chance to comment on the articles?