In 1837, the “Sons of St. Andrew” decided to become a formally 
     
     constituted society. Through correspondence with the Highland Society 
     
     of London, under the leadership of instigator R.C. MacDonald, the 
     
     group was made an affiliated branch of that society and named the 
     
     Highland Society of Prince Edward Island. The Island club did not have 
     
     its own constitution. It adopted, with some amendments, that of the 
     
     head branch. Basically, the members’ primary intentions were to act as 
     
     receptionists for newly-emigrated Scots, to help them adapt to Island life 
     
     and laws, and to provide them with information on obtaining land in the 
     
     colony and a list of the natural resources. The society also decided to 
     
     monitor the quality of education being directed at Scottish children, and 
     
     to take action to alleviate any problems in instructional programs. By the 
     
     end of their first meetings their purpose and future direction were clear: 
     
    
   
   
    
     We think this movement will be of vast benefit to strangers 
     
     visiting this Island, for the purpose of settling. It is intended 
     
     as the foundation of an incipient Land Office, where every 
     
     species of information may be obtained by persons who may 
     
     have lately emigrated to this Island, and who are ignorant of 
     
     the resources of this fertile and healthy Colony. We trust that 
     
     landholders will take advantage of the offer thus thrown out 
     
     by the Highland Society, and convey to the members of the 
     
     committee such information as may be useful. We understand 
     
     that the Society is turning its attention to facilitate 
     
     Education in this Colony, by importing a useful rudimental 
     
     class of books from the Edinburgh Educational Society, and 
     
     have remitted funds for that purpose. ‘7 
     
    
   
   
    
     The club’s desire to uphold a stringently high level of education for 
     
     their youth was founded in the Scots’ history: 
     
    
   
   
    
     Scotland once had the reputation of being the best-educated 
     
     nation in Europe. This reputation was deserved, especially in 
     
     the eighteenth century, because the Scots’ respect for learn- 
     
     ing, which dated back to the pre-Reformation era, had led 
     
     the Church and the Burghs to establish schools on a scale 
     
     which, in proportion to population, exceeded that of any 
     
     other European nation, and most certainly far exceeded that 
     
     of her richer neighbour." 
     
    
   
   
    
     The Scots’ fervour for academic achievement was based on the feeling 
     
     that education is “an expression...to inculcate that proud spirit in the 
     
    
   
   
    
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