“That the St. Andrew’s Society, feeling their deep obligation to the late T.D. McGee for his many acts of kindness, deem the present a suitable occasion to acknowledge the same, as well as their utter abhorrence of the dastardly deed by which the Dominion and the world have lost one of our most enlightened philanthropic and able statesmen, our national and benevolent societies a liberal contributor and a respected family its loving and affectionate head, desire to mingle their sympathy with the entire Dominion who mourn his death, and would offer the widow and bereaved family cordial and deep sympathy for their irreparable loss.”

Moved by Mr. McLennan, seconded by Mr. Burnett:

“That in order to show the appreciation of this society of Mr. McGee’s worth as a public man and a statesman, and their gratitude for the sympathy and assistance he extended to it on so many occasions, it was resolved that this society do attend his funeral in a body, wearing suitable mourning badges.”

In May, 1869, on the occasion of the departure from the city of the Seventy-eighth Highlanders, an address was presented to Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie and his men. The St. Andrew’s Society and the Caledonia Society, the latter having since its formation about 1855 been closely connected with the National Society, sent addresses to England on the happy marriage of Princess Louise Caroline Alberta with the Marquis of Lorne. On the occasion of the destruction of St. Patrick’s Hall by fire a resolution was passed on November 7th, sympathizing with St. Patrick’s Society.

In February, 1873, funeral of Sir George Etienne Cartier was attended by the body as a National Society. On November 2, 1876, a resolution was passed “that the annual procession on St. Andrew’s day be discontinued.”

The history of “St. Andrew’s Ball” may now be told:

In 1878 the presence of the new governor general, the son of MacCallain More, His Excellency, the Marquis of Lorne, and his royal consort, Princess Louise, was the occasion of a brilliant ball on St. Andrew’s day in the Windsor Hotel. As the annual St. Andrew’s ball has become one of the great social events of the city we may chronicle that the first quadrille was formed as follows:

The Scotch reel was then danced by His Excellency and Miss Ogilvie and afterwards with Miss McGibbon, while the Princess danced the reel with Mr. Ewan McLennan, the president. The ladies who had the honor of dancing with His Excellency were: Lady Macdonald, Miss Ogilvie, Miss Allan, Miss Greenshields, Miss Campbell, Miss McFarlane, Miss Robertson and Miss McGibbon.

In 1881 the Society adopted a revised constitution. In 1883 an address was presented to His Excellency, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Governor-General, on his first visit to Montreal. The year 1887 saw the completion of the purchase of the Gould property on Mountain Street from the Canadian Pacific Railway Company for $22,500, as the site of the new St. Andrew’s Home. The same year an address was presented for the Society to Queen Victoria on her Jubilee by the Reverend Dr. Barclay, who had the honour to be commanded to preach at Balmoral on June 12th. As Her Majesty was ill the petition was presented through the ordinary official channel. On September 28, 1893, an address of welcome was presented to the governor general, Lord Aberdeen, and Lady Aberdeen on the occasion of their first visit to the city. St. Andrew’s day, 1895, saw a return after twelve years to the banquet instead of the annual ball. In 1896 McDonald Campbell, the chairman of the charitable committee, died, having been preceded in 1895 by the decease of his wife. For over a quarter of a century these two had faithfully managed the “Home.” The annual ball was revived in 1896.