Advice Needed

[Pipersson]

MacKinnon writes about this very clearly in his marvellous book. Your future son-in-law would have to join your clan to have the right to wear your tartan. BUT....as we know there is no tartan police and if he desires to wear your family tartan I would consider this as a sign he wishes to be really close with his future family...
So lets get kilted!

Tom

[Tobus]

MacKinnon writes about this very clearly in his marvellous book. Your future son-in-law would have to join your clan to have the right to wear your tartan.

In this modern day and age, what exactly does it mean to "join a clan"? Are you talking about joining a clan society? That's not really the same thing. And the clans themselves don't really have membership rolls. So if one were to attempt to honour the sentiment, how exactly would this El Salvadoran fellow join the clan? I am coming up with a blank as to what that really means.

[Pipersson]

Good one...
Following Thompson one should address the Clan chief and ask for it.
In fact I joined the Macpherson Clan Association and am regarded as Clansman..
So there are different possibilities but also the different clans manage this "problem" differently.

[BCAC]

Good one...
Following Thompson one should address the Clan chief and ask for it.
In fact I joined the Macpherson Clan Association and am regarded as Clansman..
So there are different possibilities but also the different clans manage this "problem" differently.

So you didn't do what you're advising this person to do (ie ask the chief)?

Joining a clan association is very different from joining a clan. I didn't think it was possible to join a clan. You either are a MacOnion or you aren't.

I wouldn't bother. As a lot of people have said, this wedding is a good opportunity to "accept" him into the family (and the clan at the same time) with some sort of ceremony whereby you give him a garment made of "his new clan's" tartan.

[Wil]

This is a very interesting topic. But I do agree that you need to ask your clan chief.

[Pipersson]

As far as I understand the MacOnion or not by birth isn't completely correct.
You can't change it if you are a MacOnion or Mac Carrot but by decision and acceptance you can be a MacCarrot in MacOnion clan...
It was always possible to become allied to a clan and be regarded as equal clansman.
And as said it differs from clan to clan.
The Macphersons welcome their Clan Association members as equal clanspeople so becoming a member of the society is an official request to the Chief in representation.

I didn't advice anything.
Just wanted to show how different the official positions are.
In my opinion welcoming the guy to the family and let him wear the family tartan would be fine...

But after all it is an interesting topic with many contradictions....

[BCAC]

As far as I understand the MacOnion or not by birth isn't completely correct.
You can't change it if you are a MacOnion or Mac Carrot but by decision and acceptance you can be a MacCarrot in MacOnion clan...
It was always possible to become allied to a clan and be regarded as equal clansman.
And as said it differs from clan to clan.
The Macphersons welcome their Clan Association members as equal clanspeople so becoming a member of the society is an official request to the Chief in representation.

I didn't advice anything.
Just wanted to show how different the official positions are.
In my opinion welcoming the guy to the family and let him wear the family tartan would be fine...

But after all it is an interesting topic with many contradictions....

I must say that you explained your point of view very well. Especially for someone for whom English is not their mother tongue.

Well done, Tom.

[Pipersson]

@ BCAC: Thanks! (now I wanted to use a reddening smiley but couldn't find one...)

[Carlo]

In this modern day and age, what exactly does it mean to "join a clan"? Are you talking about joining a clan society? That's not really the same thing. And the clans themselves don't really have membership rolls. So if one were to attempt to honour the sentiment, how exactly would this El Salvadoran fellow join the clan? I am coming up with a blank as to what that really means.

The clan is a somewhat extended family, so the wedding for me would be enough to join the clan.
I don't think that any effort is needed there.

[Pipersson]

It is an interesting topic.

For clan membership is given through the paternal line a man who marries a woman of a different clan makes her joining his clan.
Marrying a clanswoman at first means nothing to the husband. Though he is free to join her clan. But that means leaving his own for - following MacKinnon - being member of two clans is impossible.
But for clan membership was never just a question of family bonds joining a clan should not be a problem as long as the clan is willing to accept entry from "foreigners".
The positions are very different from clan to clan. Some are very strict some are very open...
For the guy in question has no clan it might be a nice thing to give him the membership in his wife's clan as a kind of "morning gift"....

AND: All this is theory. In real live things seem to be less difficult to me.
Nobody would blame him if he wears his bride's family tartan I am sure

Tom