Clan Memberships

[St. Amish]

I think we have a case where our posts were being typed around the same time. As I was not referring in any way to your original post. I'm sorry that you have had a bad experience with the Stewarts. I have friend who I think is in that society. I'll ask him if he has any contacts that might could help you out.

Meanwhile, my original point is missed entirely.

Some groups have high participation. People who want to volunteer and attend events will be happy to be with groups such as these.

Some groups don't. There are people who are perfectly okay with sending their money off, and getting a newsletter periodically.

I am not upset with the CSSA. They just do things differently than I would have expected. I will continue to pay my dues, and read my newsletters.

When we go to events, though, we are looking for more of the Gunn experience, volunteering, eating, joking, and catching up with the group.

Two different products, two different groups. You will run into both types, and innumerable variants between.

I would do as much research on the group as you can before plunking down your fees.

[Duncanofcolorado]

Meanwhile, my original point is missed entirely.

Some groups have high participation. People who want to volunteer and attend events will be happy to be with groups such as these.

Some groups don't. There are people who are perfectly okay with sending their money off, and getting a newsletter periodically.

I am not upset with the CSSA. They just do things differently than I would have expected. I will continue to pay my dues, and read my newsletters.

When we go to events, though, we are looking for more of the Gunn experience, volunteering, eating, joking, and catching up with the group.

Two different products, two different groups. You will run into both types, and innumerable variants between.

I would do as much research on the group as you can before plunking down your fees.

This is sort of what I was looking for. Different experiences that folks have with these organizations. Thanks for all your feedback. I will be doing research via their web site before I commit my time and money to any group.
I would have expected them to have a person at the Festival instead of a table with a sign in sheet though. Not an auspicious start.

[Duncanofcolorado]

The membership fees are broken up into 4 payments. They were something like $25, $20,
$15, and $30.

[HeathBar]

The membership fees are broken up into 4 payments. They were something like $25, $20,
$15, and $30.

I think that might be what the annual dues are for the month you join. They are prorated for your first year, then you pay the full amount at the next renewal time. Everyone's dues are usually due at the same time, not on the anniversary of the date you joined. At least that's how we do it.

[piperdbh]

My clan society's membership is $20/year. That gets 4 e-mail newsletters, lapel pins with the badge printed on them, a little piece of tartan to use as a bookmark, a membership directory, and a little notebook with the by-laws and such inside. It also gets you invited to the AGM, which moves from Games to Games. This past year, our regional convener offered me a Saturday parking pass to a nearby Games. The money also funds scholarships for members who want to study Celtic/Gaelic culture, language and/or arts, such as 'piping, dance, history, etc.

[jordanjm]

I would like to share my experience with my clan society. I joined the Clan MacGillivray Society, USA in 2005. I was reading through my first journal, and felt impressed to call the society president, and ask how can I help. He spoke to a few members of the board, and they asked me to be a Convener. Here I am almost 32, and I have a postion of responsibility in my association. I am the youngest convener in my association, and I am also developing a genealogy site for the association. I have tapped into a great family, and I hope to be associated with them for a long time. What did I have to do? I had to make 3 to 5 calls to find the right person to talk to, and put myself out there. I now have friends in other clans, as well because I worked at trying to help. It is great. I love being involved in my Clan Association.

[Sammac]

My experience with Clan Campbell has been fantastic. The group of people here in Michigan have been very friendly. When I stopped by the clan tent 2 years ago they immediatly invited me to march in the clan parade and to a lunch afterwards, lots of food, nice people. This led me to not only join up but to volunteer to help as well. Plan on helping even more this year.

[ForresterModern]

Clan Forrester is an association that has been around 30 or 40 years or so in some formaor another and has a relatively good organization in America---not even sure a branch exists in Scotland or England (we are a Border Clan). They have in that time developed two original tartans in Modern and Hunting designs, and developed a pretty well organized network in the southeaster US--Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia, the three most prevalent places where Forrester/Forster/Fosters migrated initially in the US when they arrived. They have a decent geneological service available, much about clan and damily history and background, a gift shop selling the tartans in raw yardage at a decent discount as well as some clan items like shirts and hats and pins, etc.., as well as some family specific publications like certain family branch histories and a liting of all documented Forrester/Foster/Forster/Vorsters by name and ship of arrival for over a hundred plus year period (a great help to find your original ancestor who imigrated and then try to trace backward from there into the old country). $50 a year gets you membership and some pins along with the quarterly mailings and occasional emailings and notifications of meetings and gatherings and highland events where the clan will be having a public presence in a clan tent. I have partaken of certain of the benefits and anticipate using more of them over the next few years as I extend my geneology back the las couple generations to the original Forrester in my line who came over, then hoefully trace roots and origin in the old country.

So for my $50 a year I thin it worthwhile, and I have not even been that involved in the one year since I joined.

Jeff

[ctbuchanan]

A am a V.P. and Regional Commissioner (New England) for the Clan Buchanan Society International, Inc. Our Society supports a genealogy library and prints a magazine several times a year. But I have always thought that the most tangible service we provide is our clan tent. We provide a tent at almost all the games here in New England (there are 2 we no longer have a convernor for) and have a rather large following from our clan. I also organize our participation in the NY Tartan Day Parade. To me it is the hospitality we provide to our members that keeps them involved. This year we are hosting the Clan's Annual General Meeting at the New Hampshire Highland Games in September, so if you are a Buchanan come on up.

[james.mccarson]

Some clans are higher, some are lower. Macpherson is currently $35 per year for a Regular membership. I joined back in 1985. It was I believe $25 a year.

I change to Life member in 2008 for $350.00, it is now $500.00.

The Scottish Branch of the Associations charge a fee to the US Associations. Since the US$ is weak against the British pound, the fees keep going up.

Like a societies, you get out what you put in.

For more local activities, might I suggest joining:

1) Scottish Society
2) St. Andrews Society (Most only allow men, not women)

Yours Aye,

Jim