Best US Clan Society Ever!

[Cardinal]

Fellow X-Markers,

My clan society's president has had an untimely medical emergency, and I have consequently become my US clan society's interim president.

We are a small society, but I think there's room for growth. Regardless of whether we stay small or grow, I would like to put a plan into place to make us a great society for those members of our extended family who wish to participate. But how?

Many of you are members of established, active clan societies here in the US. I want to learn from you. Others are not members of any organized groups, but would be if the groups offered something worthwhile. I want to learn from you too!

I'm US-based, and thus am especially interested in US input, but anybody who has a "best practice" or "good idea" to share will add to my knowledge. With that in mind, here's what I'd like your thoughts on:

- What makes a good clan society? What do they do to make your dues worth paying? If you don't belong to a society, what would get you to join?

- What would a really good clan website and Facebook page offer, both members and interested observers?

- If you are a convener, how could a national clan society help your efforts?

- What could a national clan society do to make you interested in becoming a convener?

I'm interested in any thoughts you have to offer, whether or not they answer the prompts I've offered above.

Help me to build a great national organization for the US members of my clan!

Thanks,
Patrick

[bdkilted]

Patrick;
I noticed you are in San Antonio. I was just down there last weekend to check out your festival. Nice place with plenty of shade.
As to your questions.
I am a convener and the society can help us out by keeping us stocked with brochures, and other information to pass out to interested "family" that visit our tents. My sociey talked about updating the information for years but never did. So, I did it myself so I could print something to hand out. Of course that just prompted our president to have someone else do a new 4 color one after seeing mine. With that in mind, it would also be helpful to have a list of who was responsible for what. I've now run out of the 4 color brochures I was sent, and have no idea who to ask for more of them.

Our society offers a news letter every quarter. About 1/2 of it seems to be directed at internal interests and the other 1/2 towards information for all. I always keep my old copies and pass them out to those who are interested in joining the society. That way they can see the news letter is not a cheap black and white copy that is printed in someone's home computer, but a nice magazine format.

I used to the be the quartermaster for out socieity, and my goal was to find good quality, but affordable merchandise that we could sell at the tents to raise money, and to help our folks show clan pride. I know that some only look at the price, or profit margin an items brings, but I only wanted to sell items that would make it through the wash without shrinking or getting holes in it, so it could be worn over and over again.

I think one thing a clan society could do that would benefit all conveners is to produce a history book for the clan. In it give a general history of the founder of the clans, it's cheifs and what they did that was important for the clan, or Scotland. Also if a history of the different septs could be produced it would be valuable in recruiting. I know that when I am able to tell people the history of their name and how it is related to my clan, it really helps with recruitment. I just don't know all the sept histories, nor where to find them.

Hope this helps.

[Geoff Withnell]

I am fairly active in Highland Games, and in Davidson Clan activities. Most people in the USA interact with their clan society at the clan tent at the games. With this in mind, have a few chairs available, and some cool drinks (in much of the country during festival season even cool water would be appreciated) at hand. Make the clan tent a spot where the members can sit and take a moments break, and feel they belong. Debbie Davidson, our local covener, does a fantastic job at this. I am not sure how the national level of the clan association can help this, but it should be encouraged.