clan associations

[dadgad]

I'm an associate member of clan MacLaren through scouting, and just joined clan MacKay via a connection through my mother (a McKee).

[SteveB]

Paul.

Most, but unfortunately not all, the family named societies recognize each other and welcome members of each others society across the national boundaries.

When the Clan MacNeil associations get together at Barra, Scotland next year, the fact that I am a member of the U.S. based organisation is not a factor. We will be coming together to honour our Clan Chief (only one!) although there are several clan society presidents. (Alba, Canada, U.S., Australia, etc.)

This is common in all but a very few clan associations. There are several reasons that this has become practical. First is the finances would be a nightmare if all dues and disbursements were to be funneled in GBP through a treasurer in Scotland. Setting up events in the U.S. would take forever in terms of paying for tent space and putting together the gatherings. In some of the clan associations, a portion of the dues collected in the (outside Scotland) association is forwarded to the main association (usually based in Scotland), and as such, one is a member of the Clan association in total as well as the more local organisation.

The hope is to keep alive the ties of the early clans, and the history of Scotland.

[Jack Daw]

I'm a lifer for the Clan MacIntyre Association (CMA) and The Clan Buchanan Society International, Inc. (BSI). I'm also a current member of Clan Davidson Society. I've gone to two BSI Annual General Meetings (AGMs) and one MacIntyre AGM. I man a tent (convene) for CMA at four Highland games each year.

[HeathBar]

I am the vice president of Clan Barclay International. I have been an active member for about nine years. I get out of it exactly what I put into it, a lot. I've met new friends and family from all over the world. I get to help people try to find some information about their family history. I've been able to attend highland games in seven different states.

[Paul]

Paul,

I can't answer for all the clans, but this assumption certainly does not apply to the Elliots.

The Elliots have one clan society, created in 1977 by Sir Arthur Eliott, 11th Baronet of Stobs and Laird of Redheugh, the Clan's late hereditary Chief, and headquartered at Redheugh in Scotland.

The Clan Elliot Society has branches in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

We join our national branch, but that also includes membership in the international clan society.

That sounds just about right.
I've heard a lot of stories of random "clan members" starting societies with no given authority from the "main clan" body... I've heard of the continental clans e.g. North American getting quite a membership going and then a lot of conflict is caused between these societies and the main society because no approval was given initially.

[Livingston]

Paul, Our Chief invited members of the forum at www.clanlivingstone.info to start the associtation. He then worked with us to set it up. There was already an ANZAC association set up and the plan is to, at some time in the future, have the one we just set up as the "headquarters" and other associations in various regions. That way we can do as StevB and Sir William indicate, be the guide for all clan related activities.

[EagleJCS]

Member of the Clan Scott Society. Joined mainly because of my interest in my heritage. (I didn't grow up knowing about my Scottish heritage - I had no idea there was a Clan Scott! My family's been in the US for over 200 years and some information has been lost along the way.)

I hope to eventually be able to find out - either through the Society or on my own - specifically where & when my Scott ancestors came over.

[Cynthia]

I'm still researching my two (as of now) known names in my tree: Grant and MacNeil. I'm not ready to join anything yet, but I hope to in the future.

[Bugbear]

For me, it's more that if you stretch the rubber band too far, two-hundred years plus, it snaps.

Also, it leaves out all the other parts of the tree, for example, the German branch et al which make up the vast majority of the tree.

[ctbuchanan]

I belong to the Clan Buchanan Society International Inc. We don't have a chief so the Society keeps things going for the Clan. I am Region 1 - New England Commissioner and 2nd Vice President. I enjoy very much convening the Clan tent at various highland events and we have a very loyal group here in New England.