Clan tent suggestions needed

[McMurdo]

Ron Abbott There are games going back quite a long way in Scotland, thats where the tradition comes from.
The Braemar Gathering:
http://www.braemargathering.org/
Harpenden:
http://www.harpenden-lions.co.uk/highland-gathering
Here is a list of other Highland gatherings in Scotland:
http://www.shga.co.uk/visitor-events.php

I have hosted a tent before, what we did was to have homemade shortbread for the visitors to our tent, it was a huge hit and brought many more people to our tent. Of course the woman selling shortbread was none to pleased with us as ours was better and it was free. Nonetheless it did help with traffic through our tent.

[Ron Abbott]

I'm well aware of that.

What I was getting at is the whole tent and clan thing. That's the sort of thing where I would suggest there is a huge difference. On one side of the pond it's all kitsch and "hey I'm MacGregor from Illinois", with tartan everywhere and people wanting to connect with what they perceive as their roots.

And on the other side of the pond. It's more a case of, "where's the fish n' chips van...and/or where's the beer tent".
Clans? That's a sort of thing for Americans, Canadians et. al. For many the only 'clans' of interest are Rangers, Celtic, Hearts or whomever.

p.s.....love your shortbread but can you put it away for now as I'm supposed to be on a diet and the missus just might come in and see me munching away.....?

[MacKenzie]

Ron, why do you wear a kilt? From your posts it seems that you're put off by it.

[Chas]

I think Ron makes a good point, maybe without knowing it. All things in life come down to 'time and place'. We all know that the jacket that is ideal at noon at the County Show, will feel a little out of place that evening in the local city at the opera.

Likewise, what works on one side of the country, falls flat on the other. The visitors in a farming area might well be happy with pictures of highland cattle, whereas the urban visitors are more at home with pictures of icon buildings.

The important thing is to cater for the visitor expectations - and be willing to learn from experiences - both good and bad. If we wish to project an air of authority, then we must dress accordingly. A shirt, tie and jacket gives a professional impression. Whereas a crumpled T shirt with a "witty" slogan does not.

First impressions count for everything. The world's best and safest airline pilot arriving wearing a fur-coat and flip flops will do nothing to instil confidence in the nervous first time flyer.

If a person projects an air of being an expert who knows what he is talking about - he becomes an expert.

[Jock Scot]

I don't see the Scots on the forum rushing to advise what is displayed in their clan tent/s at the games held throughout Scotland......

This a very much a new world thing!
The last Games I visited....two years ago was when back home on holiday. The Lochearnhead Games.

The MacGregors, McLarens and MacNabs were there with the MacGregor's sons wearing their blazers and brigade of guards regimental ties. The range rovers were parked next to them, and the only tents I saw were either for the traders, the showground tinkers or for the clan chiefs having their fancy picnics.

Highland Games are of little interest for me, but Ron does paint a fair picture of a Games in Scotland, some may be a tad more grand, but assorted Clan tents are not a feature at any Games that I have ever been to.There may be a "Host Clan" tent though, where a Games is held in MacOnion territory for example, then they will have a tent. We have a Highland Games in Inverness in a few weeks time where some sort of "World Championship" is involved and as I intend to go this year, I shall be interested to see if a more "colonial" style of games happens.

[Jock Scot]

I'm well aware of that.

What I was getting at is the whole tent and clan thing. That's the sort of thing where I would suggest there is a huge difference. On one side of the pond it's all kitsch and "hey I'm MacGregor from Illinois", with tartan everywhere and people wanting to connect with what they perceive as their roots.

And on the other side of the pond. It's more a case of, "where's the fish n' chips van...and/or where's the beer tent".
Clans? That's a sort of thing for Americans, Canadians et. al. For many the only 'clans' of interest are Rangers, Celtic, Hearts or whomever.

p.s.....love your shortbread but can you put it away for now as I'm supposed to be on a diet and the missus just might come in and see me munching away.....?

This is how I percieve things too, I am not a football, rugby, shinty, golf fan either, I am a fan of shortbread though! I think the difference between Highland Games styles--------I am not saying that one style is any more right, or wrong than the other------is that the Scots (on the whole) are living the "Scottish lifestyle"for real, they know who they are, they are unconciously surrounded by their history, traditions and culture and have sorted out most of the fairytale bullsh@t that many outwith Scotland are struggling with.The tourist industry for the last 150 years have not helped there, I am afraid. The Scots don't need to pretend at playing at being a Scot, or be "weekend Scots", or "pocket Scots", they are living it for real 24/7. They can hear bagpipes any day if they want to find it, they are surrounded by tartan and "Clanism"(is that a word?) its old hat to us. If we want to wear the kilt------assuming we own one-----we can at the appropriate moment, we dont have to invent a reason to wear the kilt we just do it when we feel the time is right. These daily influences and many more things that the Scots are probably unaware of, are the some of the reasons that our style of games are not the same as those outwith Scotland.

[Nathan]

I have a little bit of experience and love to share.

Here are some photos of our tents (we do 3 10x10 tents put together).

Attachment 17468Attachment 17469Attachment 17470Attachment 17471Attachment 17472Attachment 17473Attachment 17474Attachment 17475Attachment 17476Attachment 17477

If you want, give me a pm and I'll answer any question that you may have to the best of my ability.

Clan Donald Missouri has the best display I've seen! Way to go, Chuck! I'm still taking notes a year later and really like the clan crested lawn chairs. One thing we're missing compared to some other clan tents is merch to sell. Around here, a lot of clan societies make more revenue selling hats and t-shirts etc... than they do selling memberships.

Some shots of my clan tent:




The experience of a diaspora community is always going to be different. I have Canadian friends who live abroad and form Canadian clubs and look for excuses to get together and do Canadian things like watch hockey etc... When you live in the midst of a place where everyone is Canadian, it makes no sense to make a big deal about it, but when you're a minority away from the homeland, it's different.

I'd say that I've gotten far more into the Scottish community since leaving Cape Breton as a way to connect with others and combat a certain degree of homesickness. Back home, most people are Highlanders, so nobody gives it a second thought. Nobody wears a kilt to a ceilidh, feis or mod except for some pipers or Highland dancers, but if they travel to the Antigonish Highland Games, the kilts will come out.

Clan tents provide a home base for people who are curious about their genealogy, clan history and kinship. A MacDonald living in Scotland could just pop over to a museum or castle or the Armadale centre on Skye to get his fill of this information but many North Americans will have to settle for talking to the enthusiast at the clan tent. C'est la vie.

[Father Bill]

Jock, Nathan, you both hit the nail square on with your last posts. It explains both sides of the difference - in Scotland it's not a big deal, it's just what is. Here with a massive Scottish percentage of the population, it seems to a lot of folks to be something that's missing from their lives - a gap, so it's a need that has re-created (with unfortunately, some misperceptions included).

[Ron Abbott]

Good photos! The cromach always get me. Why the cromach?

I always noted that Maj. Gen. Sir Athol Blair Alasdair MacCrumbly-Biscuit of MacCrumbly-Biscuit alays seems to have one at the highland games (along with a car blanket in the ancient MacCrumbly-Biscuit tartan over his shoulder).

I have to say that one of the things that surprises me is how people seem to look up to the clan chiefs. Although it's not always the case, has everyone forgotten about the likes of the clearances? The manner in which clan chiefs often treated the ordinary people of 'their clans'?

Do the majority really much have in common with the Fettes and Oxbridge educated clan chief? Of course that's not always the case but t does make me wonder.

MacKenzie asks why I wear a kilt. In fact, I wear one much less nowadays but that's just because I find it uncomfortable in the heat and humidity of where I live. But 30 years ago when still in Scotland I was playing in two pipe bands and also did solo piping work and I was wearing the kilt perhaps four or even times a week.

I also dropped out of the local St Andrews Society a long time ago. I couldn't be bothered with the , "oh yes I was born in London, but my mother's, aunt's, second sister's half cousin had a grandmother whose grandfather came from Berwick....hmm.....it was in Scotland then wasn't it?" type of person. Either that or it was someone who thought wearing a Rangers top and letting loose with bigoted rants was an appropriate way of showing one's Scottishness (change that for a Celtic top if it's your wish).

I also worked in two shops in The Lawnmarket when younger, mainly bagpipes but all sort of highland wear and even tourist tat was for sale.

I have to confess however that when I do return to Scotland these days, I love to do what I am sure many tourists do, because in some ways maybe that's what I have also become......visiting castles, etc. etc. However my main like back home is for the tranquility, a lack of polluted air and I love to do some fishing.

I'm anything but anti-kilt, I just like it worn in the right way and on the right occasion and I find it amusing to see some of the outfits out there....especially the ones with clan everything.....kiltpins, cap badges, tie clips, a signet ring, clan tie, tartan flashes etc. etc.
I would however confess that when I return to Sc

[Bluescelt]

Jock Scot, you may get a little more clan participation than you're used to at the Inverness games. I saw the newly formed AHCS (association of highland clans and societies) will be in attendance. They may have multiple clans involved but don't be too alarmed because I'm sure the Clan members will be Scots with a Scottish perspective.