Clan Membership, are you an active member of your clan?

I'm a member of the "House of Gordon" Clan in several states, why we are titled differently I don't know but that is how our clan is always stated. Unfortunately I don't have alot of free time in the last year to be active. Hoping that will change in 2008.
Annabelle

What are the requirements for joining a clan?
Do you have to have proof that your ancestors were actually there? Like with the DAR organization? My great grandmother on my mothers side was a Harper. I've found out that Harper is a sept of Clan Buchanan. Now what?

Hi cylassie- we had a great time conveneing the Clan Henderson tent at the Fresno Highland games this year- here's a pic-



I'm the big guy on the right in the Great Kilt, my wife next to me, daughter, son, daughter, daughter, and son-in-law.
I would certainly encourage you to become a convener for the clan!

leenie-Usually you have to have a name connection with a clan either through birth, marriage, or adoption. No other proof is usually required.

My husband and I are active members of Clan Donald. We are also members of Clan Uisdean that falls under Clan Donald. Clan Uisdean is much smaller and came from the Isle of Skye. I also have House of Gordon. My daughters can also add Clan Baird and are double Gordons through my 1st husband.
My daughter that is very active with me in Clan events wears the Isle of Skye tartan as she loves the colors.
I love getting the clan newsletters. I have volunteered at booths at the Southeast Florida Games as well as helping out at Grandfather Mountain. If you don't have games near you, save your money and go to Grandfather Mountain, NC. People come from all over the world and we camp for many nights. What a great time.
Our volunteers bring food items and have lunch at the tent. We always have lots left over.
This year our booth had a beautiful sword donated and sold raffle tickets for it at the booth. It really went over big and I know a profit was made. The same sword will go to all Florida Games and the winner at the end of the season. It will be mailed to the winner. It was easy to pick out the warrior types and sell tickets to them. Tickets were $1 or 6 for $5.00. We mostly sold $5 tickets.

http://www.homecomingscotland.com/

2009 Reunion - We have already paid for our tickets through Clan Donald and will be marching in the parade with them and sit with their reserved area. Most of the clans have signed up already. It is on the site.

For those that are not sure (or cannot prove) Clan ties, check into New World Celts (www.newworldcelts.org) For Celts or those of Celtic mind.

Our Mission:

To promote awareness of the outstanding contributions and history of the Celtic Peoples in the formation and continuance of the New World.

To provide a forum for the exchange and promotion of Celtic cultural information between the Celtic Associations of the New World; To act as liaison for coordination of and assistance to these Organizations.

To provide a vehicle for charitable donations to promote Celtic culture in the New World in the areas of Cultural awareness, music, dance, athletics, re-enactments, and other areas deemed appropriate by the International Board of Directors.

To support all Celtic cultural non-political, non-religious, non-racist organizations that espouse the same high ideals as ours, regardless of whether they are Scot, Irish, Galician, Manx, Welsh, Breton, or Cornish.

To perpetuate Celtic Culture and history in the New World.

To provide a fraternal atmosphere for members.

I'll certainly check out those sites!

As far as membership in a clan association for me? It is really hard...because my family tree goes back very strongly into several - Campbell, Stewart, McDonald, Douglas, Munro, Ross, de Brus, MacKenzie, Fraser, Graham, Comyn, Baliol, (WAY back there!), to name just a few (and some of these are on both my mom's and my dad's side!) The list goes on and on...and for hundreds of years longer that we've been in America (some since the 1600s.). I'd feel that if I decided to join one I'd be disrespecting the others, know what I mean? The blood of all of them pumps through my veins!

So, I'm a member of the Celtic Heritage Society, usually volunteer in some compacity for our annual Celtic Fest, when I can, and attend whether I'm volunteering or not. My teenaged son enjoys going to these things and it brings his own pride to the surface, knowing he IS of that ilk and not just a "wishiwas wannabe".

I'm a member of Clan Thompson and I have been active since I joined in September. We never had a Clan Society before, so I was glad to see them at our recent Highland Games. We've been told that the Thompsons are a sept of Campbell or related to MacTavish, and a few of them are, but only a relative few highlanders who lived near Argyll. The vast majority of Thompsons in Scotland were lowlanders, living in the border areas, especially the Middle Marches of both Scotland and England. So now we're working to re-establish our name as one of the official clans with the Lord Lyon in Scotland.

Here's our tartan

Hello gwenlee,
I don't have anything to say about my clan at the moment. I guess its pretty fair. I do have an image for you in regards to your own clan. Enjoy.

Aye,
Thomas

I am unaware of these things, but I would love to see if they have any. Can anyone send me more information on this please?

What kind of info are you looking for. Clan or tartan? I noticed you had posted that you have Irish heritage. Most Irish tartans tend to go with the counties rather than a family name. However some Irish family names do have ties to scottish clans. Ex: My great grandmother was a Kelly. Irish surname (actually she was from Cornwall) but the Kelly's are considered a sept of Clan MacDonald. It can get a bit confusing at times but it tends to sort itself out. Each clan also have their own requirements for joining. There is also a German tartan if you like. I'm also part German so its on my wish list along with the Clan Italia tartan. Good luck finding your info!

I don't know anything about clan membership or clans anything. I am more interested in what it is at the current moment. I am interested in the German and Irish at the moment.

Clan is kind of another term for families. Each family or clan has its own motto, tartan (what we call plaid) pattern and various other symbols. Most people assocaite the word "clans" with Scotland. Ireland and other countries really don't have much of a clan system. Thus you will also find tartans of counties, states, and even countries. Did you know that Wal-Mart has its own tartan pattern? The whole family tartan thing really took off in 17th century. There are also families that may not have their own tartan but associate themselves or are in alliance with a family that does. These families are called Septs. For instance, a person with the last name of Kelly would be a Sept of the McDonald clan. Check to see if there is a clan with your last name or an ancestors last name and that would most likly be the clan you owuld belong to. The rest of membership formalities is decided on by each clan.
I may be wrong on a few things and there are others here who are more knowledgable than I who can help out. Here is a website that may may be of some help

http://www.electricscotland.com/

I will check it out, thanks.

It is well worth the effort. Just a study of the clans and their history is interesting reading containing everything found in a good novel today, from romance to murder. For the most part the clans were not a genteel lot.

Should you decide to search, I wish you good luck!

Slàinte,    

Patch