How far back is too far?

[Wareyin]

Are you joining a clan, or a clan society? In my experience, a society will be happy to have you based on claimed ancestry alone. I never had to show genealogy or paperwork of any kind. I don't know how one would join a clan, as until last year my clan had been armigerous, with no chief and to the best of my knowledge no way to apply or join. It's probably different across the pond, but as you are in the USA like me, your experience should be close.