As a lot of you know I am very active with Clan Donnachaidh, and I am also active with Scottish Country Dancing. I hold a position with both of these organization, of course membership is always on the agenda.
So here is my question. When you join a Clan what do you expect from your membership? Are any of you active volunteers? I'm interested in your input and and I'd like to know what your Clan does for their member?
I joined Clan Cunningham USA 3 years ago and volunteer to host our Clan Tent at Games and Highland Festivals here in New England. I later was appointed the Regional Director for the New England/New York, a position I hold today. This year I plan to host a Clan Cunningham Tent at 6 regional festivals. This is a great way to learn about one Clan history and to meet fellow clan members.
Three months ago I was asked to join the Board of Directors as the national Membership Coordinator and if my involvement was not enough, my wife who a a degree in journalism is the Newsletter Editor.
I have also created a web-site for the New England/New York Region - http://webpages.charter.net/clancunningham...usane/home.html - which has a list of celtic, Scottish and Irish activities throughout the region along with links to other Cunningham web-sites.
I have enjoyed my involvement with Clan Cunningham USA. The only down side is unfortunately Clan Cunningham has two clan organizations here in the United States which can and has caused some confusions among our fellow clansman and women. Hopefully some day we the members of Clan Cunningham will be able to unite under one banner.
Yours, Steve
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C.S. Cunningham, Clan Cunningham USA - Membership Coordinator & New England/New York Region Director [email protected]
If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world. So let it be.
Card carrying member of Clan Macpherson, MacLachlan, and Clan Ewing in America.
I mainly belong for the Genealogical information available through the Clans. Get a newsletter from each one quarterly. I'm participating in Clan Ewing's DNA study, which will hopefully help clear up family relationships where the paper trail is vague or non-existent.
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MacE AKA Steve Ewing
I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. Job 19:25
"Non sibi sed patriae!"
Reviresco (I grow strong again) Clan MacEwen motto
Audaciter (Audacity) My Ewing Family Motto (descendants of Baron William Ewing of Glasgow, born about 1630)
"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Abraham Lincoln
"Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum." from "Epitoma Rei Militaris," by Vegetius
Well the question is good but can I inverse it? When you join a clan what is expect from you.Everyone cannot have important position in organisation and many have lot of obligation.How much involve in activities should you be to be consider active?
As you know or maybe not , I wish to join a clan but as an adherent member because for the moment I do not know if I have any scottish blood somewhere since I do not know the family of my father,I know so little about them.I have to write a letter to the chief and the council to explain why but I don't know how active they will expect from me .
I enjoy doing re-enactment.I play a women from Scotland in the 9th century.When I go to activities like the highland games I wear an old arisad made with a tartan.People are curious and ask a lot of questions and I also enjoy to answer.I know tartan are from a family which have an history.I personnally do not like people who take the name and the tartan from a family and ignore who they are.Well my point is I'm not part of the clan and in no manner I take the name of it but I explain to people it's more then a piece of fabric.Well I will stop there because I can write pages about this-more detail in old message in the Scotland forum.
As you are member of clan ,how do you feel or react when you see people wearing your tartan and have no idea of what it represent?And what did you expect from new member who join the clan and for adherent member?
I have been a member of Clan Armstrong for just over a year. I joined because of a pride in my Scottish heritage, and a hope to discover more about it. The clan newsletter is helpful and the contact with other clan members at festivals is both fun and interesting. So far, I haven't contributed anything other than membership dues. Hope to be more active in the future.
Card carrying member of Clan Macpherson, MacLachlan, and Clan Ewing in America.
I mainly belong for the Genealogical information available through the Clans. Get a newsletter from each one quarterly. I'm participating in Clan Ewing's DNA study, which will hopefully help clear up family relationships where the paper trail is vague or non-existent.
Can you forward me info on the Clan MacLachlan. I'm also from Clan MacEwan, but have not seen any clan tents at the games that I go to in Indiana.
As a member and an officer I get very frustrated with members who complain that we never do anything as an organization. They complain when newsletters come out late or because we are not at certain events. Yet these same people never volunteer for anything. Last year at a game we had some not too nice people yell at us. They had all sort of complaints some were justified some were not. But I think people forget that we are a volunteer group. No one gets paid, we pay for our own expenses of coming to the games and we take time out of our schedule to have gathering through out the year. I applaud all of you who take the time to participate. I think you will find that you can have wonderful time making new friend and perhaps learning a few new thing.
Now as to who wears our tartan. I have no problem with people who chose to wear it. There are a lot of people who don't have any Scottish ancestry but have a love for the culture/history. I know there are those who feel differently. But do you know that about 75 percent of those from a Scottish ancestry have no ties to a clan? But for you who feel uncomfortable wearing a tartan that is not yours check and see it your state has an offical tartan. I know that Georgia and Tenn. have a tartan, for you die hard southern rebels there is a Confederate Gray tartan. For a friend of mine I bought her Scotlands national tartan.
And if those aren't enough of a start for you let me know. I've got a few more at home.
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Senara-ism : Life is like a theatrical production only you get to be actor, director, and audience all at once. So break a leg, sit back and enjoy the show!
"When the waves are high and the light is dying, raise a glass and think of me..." -Gaelic Storm
Cha chòir dòrn a thoirt an aghaidh pòig. A kiss ought not to be met with a fist.
Thig crioch air an saoghal, ach mairidh gaol is ceòl. The world will pass away, but love and music last forever.
"I am a crazy, rabid squirrel! I want my cookies!" Hammy-Over the Hedge
We are proud members of the Clan Henderson Society of the United States and Canada. I joined in order to furthur my Clan name and indentify with my Scottish heritage. I had no expectations as far as active involvement goes, but we are currently considering representing the clan at the annual Fresno Highland Games. We contacted the regional director of our society and he assures us that the clan society would certainly endorse our representing the clan at any local events. He offered the use of materials he has available - brochures, banner, informational displays, etc. if we make the commitment. I'd certainly like to do it, but, money could be a problem. We're an agricultural family here in the SanJuaquin Valley, California, and we had a devestating freeze wipe out 50-60% of the citurs crop this year. So- that translates to tougher times as far as extras go this year. I am going to try to participate, though. We are excited about getting involved and the clan march at the games is so very cool! The local organizer tells us that she has been trying to get a Clan Henderson presence for years and is excited that we may be able to do it. We are currently trying to get together enough Henderson Ancient tartan to make a couple of great kilts to wear to the games. There are several hurdles we need to clear, but, we are very hopeful and, God willing, we will have a booth this year.
TandVH: I am sorry to hear about your crops. We too in Georgia have had a rough year in agriculture. This past spring we had a bad frost which wiped out most of the blueberry and peach crop, and now we are dealing with a drought. I have 2 horses and hay is a fortune.
I think it is great that you are interested in becoming active with your clan. When someone host a game for us the admission tickets are included and we provide what is needed such as banners and displays, tent, and cooler. We usually camp out to save money. But hosting a game isn't the only way you can help. We just love having people showing up at the games helping out at the tent, marching, helping with set up and breaking down.
But it isn't just the games. I love it when members are showing their pride in other activities such as dancing, playing in the band, or volunteering at varies games. There is a lot of work when it comes to putting on a game and volenteers are very important.
The Donnachaidhs of the South usually have at least one summer picnic, and campout, plus a Burns dinner.
Sadly there is no Irish or Scottish clan activity in my town. Even the local Italian festival is kind of blah. So if anybody wants to get something started up here in Northern Wisconsin/Upper MIch please do. Duluth, MN Scottish Organiztion and Marquette, MI Ren fair are the closet we have for anything.
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Unavoidably Detained by the World
"Irishness is not primary a question of birth or blood or language; it is the condition on being involved in the Irish situation, and usually of being mauled by it."-Conor Cruise O'Brien
Pour mouth to mouth
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