Join a clan?

[David Thornton]

What is the protocal? What are the advantages? Which one? I have familial relationships to Cameron & Donald.
David

[Cawdorian]

Take a look at the websites for the clan societies, there are links to both societies on The Scottish Tartans Museum website at www.scottishtartans.org. The individulual clan societies have different membership requirements. Clan Donald's requirements are very complex.

[Mike1]

David, as Cawdorian has correctly pointed out, the process amounts to joining a clan society. We don't join families, we are born into them and no dues required. ;)

One of the biggest benefits to clan society membership can be the associations you will make with "cousins" that are also members of the society. Many societies help their members with genealogical research and some have even gone so far as to start DNA projects.

You will generally come to learn that society memberships are a bit of a North American phenomena. There are some that are enthused and excited to be able to swear fealty to a "clan chief", whereas there are many more that remember how their families were split apart by the actions of clan chiefs in Scotland during the Clearances.

It is a fact that the clan system that so many want to cling to was destroyed over 200 years ago.

I hold membership in a clan society, even though my family no longer has land holdings in Scotland and the recognized clan chief resides in Australia. Obviously, my motives for membership were for purposes of further research into my heritage. Which, sadly enough has been extremely limited.

Examine the societies that interest you and see what they have to offer their members and base your decision on that information.

[macwilkin]

I am the Vice President and Midwest Commissioner (just got the promotion a couple of weeks ago!) of the Clan Cumming Society of the USA. It's nice group to belong to, with the same goal of promoting the family heritage as well as meeting some nice folks with common ancestry and similar interests. I would encourage anyone to join and get involved, as volunteers are always needed to help at games, etc. It's a lot of fun.

Mike made some very valid points, although the Clan Society itself is actually a Scottish idea. The first Clan to have a society (that served as a mutual-aid and benefit society) was the Clan Buchanan Society in 1725. (Thanks to Archangel for the correction!) You'll also find them in other Commonwealth nations, such as Australia (as Mike mentioned), Canada, South Africa, etc.

Cheers,

Todd

[Archangel]

Mike made some very valid points, although the Clan Society itself is actually a Scottish idea. The first Clan to have a society (that served as a mutual-aid and benefit society) was the Clan Buchanan Society in the early 1800's. You'll also find them in other Commonwealth nations, such as Australia (as Mike mentioned), Canada, South Africa, etc.

Cheers,

Todd

Early 18thC, 1725, hate that hundreds/century thing.

[Cawdorian]

If you are interested in Genealogy, some of the Clan Societies have well qualified genealogists who will review your family tree information. When I joined the Clan Campbell Society, the Clan Genealogist reviewed the information I had gathered, made some corrections and supplied me quite a bit of additional information on some individuals. The information contained the text of two wills that I did not have, neither of these individuals were Campbells. They provided contact information with some other members who were descendants of the same line.

Clan Campbell also sends it's members "The Journal of the Clan Campbell Society" four times a year, it's a very informative magazine, this last quarter it contained 58 pages. Some of the other Clan Societies may have similar publications.

Most of the Clan Societies are set up as charities and allow anyone who is interested in the Clan or a Sept of the Clan to join, there are a few exceptions. Many do not require a family connection at all, just an interest in the history of the Clan.

My experience has been positive, but that may be because of my personal interests.