Membership increases to 27 bands from the four Atlantic provinces. The competition season is expanded to include seven outdoor events and five indoor competitions. Nine workshops are also planned - two in each of four regions and a major workshop in the spring.

The Association acquires its crest thanks to Jack MacIsaac who commissions it and to Maureen Lonergan who makes adjustments to the original. The final draft is approved and is used on letterheads, etc. Fundraising remains a priority. The sale of record s continues slowly and a 50-50 draw us fairly successful. A 200 club draw is planned but it proves to be difficult to sell the tickets.

The Association orders medals which will have the new crest on them. The price quoted is $1.50 per medal plus the cost of the die. The price goes up a lot before the medals arrive and when they do, they are flawed and returned. A second die is made and when the bill arrives, the cost is now almost $3.50 per medal. The bill for 1000 medals is beyond the Association's capabilities to pay. SSANS (Scottish Societies Association of Nova Scotia) is formed and the Association is invited to join. The first year's dues are paid.

A summer series of 'knock-out' competitions is held at St. Ann's Gaelic College under the direction of Joan Smith, now director of summer school at the Gaelic College. A department of recreation grant is received in two installments totaling $2,200.00. This money is to help run the series of workshops planned for the year.

Medley competitions prove to be getting popular. Scott Williams circulates copies of the tune list for all bands that participated in the 1978 World Championships to give Nova Scotia bands an idea of how others structure their medleys. Drum Major Bob Mar is engaged to do a one-day workshop for Drum Majors.

Another workshop is held in the fall at the Gaelic College. It is a tremendous success. Instructors are Ed Neigh and Larry Willis from the Guelph Pipe Band in Ontario.

Novice Juvenile piping and Grade 4 drumming are added to the list of categories for competition. The Grade 4 events are also considered to be novice events and the prize winners for the season will be upgraded automatically in the fall. Open pipers are pleased to see a return to separate events for march and strathspey/reel. The still have to submit three choices, but no one is complaining after a summer of playing full sets. Doug Boyd and John Connolly are promoted to the Open Class.

There is a lot of controversy over the formation of the Atlantic Caledonia Pipe Band under the direction of Barry Ewen. It attracts many of the top pipers and drummers from across the Maritimes and other bands accuse the new band of robbing their members.