20 bands register with the Association this year. The Rules and Regulations governing competitions are revised and republished. Antigonish is selected as the site for the two major championships during the International Gathering of the Clans. The Pipe Band Championship will be held on Sunday and will be a medley event while the Nova Scotia Championship on Saturday continues to be a march, strathspey and reel event.

Pipe Major Bill Magennis returns to Nova Scotia after being away for ten years. He begins immediately to assist local bands and returns to his active role with the Association.

Scott Williams resigns as Antigonish Highland Games Tattoo Director after nine years. Ian MacKinnon takes over for 1983. The Association purchases a trophy in memory of Sandy Boyd and it is presented to the Antigonish Highland Society to be awarded annually at the games. The Fraser Holmes Memorial Pipe Band is formed in Pictou County.

A two phase development program is designed to promote piping and pipes bands in the province. Government is asked to help with funding and the Gaelic College is also asked to participate. The Association makes a financial committment, but the others do not. Progress is slow.

Barbara Stewart is elected President for the next term. Ian MacKinnon is named Pipe Major of the Year. The Gaelic Mod agrees to change its competitions to the weekend at the request of the Association. The Annual General Meeting is followed by a Ceilidh which features performances by some of our members and the Scotia Highland Dancers. It is hoped that this will become the practice in the future. Scott Williams begins a series of monthly articles on topics about piping. Six in all are distributed with the newsletters. Attempts to get similar articles about drumming are not successful.