Quote Originally Posted by SlackerDrummer View Post
Out of curiosity, Kyle, what is the ratio of Scots to foreigners at the Annual Gathering? I know these type of events attract a large number of Americans and others of Scottish descent.
Honestly, it depends on the year. There are approxiamtely 1,600 Americans who have regular or life memberships with the Clan Macpherson Association, so there are definitely more members of the clan in the U.S., than in any other branch of the association. There are many Americans who hold leadership positions within the clan and are indeed considered official roles, therefore, many of these clansmen and clanswomen attend the annual rally and gathering every year.

There are many Americans and Canadians who attend the rally and gathering every other year, or every couple of years. The gathering is not exclusively fun and games, though us Macphersons are indeed a lively bunch, we also hold our annual general meeting at the Newtonmore town hall on the morning before the clan march onto the Newtonmmore games field named, The Eilan. I try to attend the gathering and AGM in Scotland every year, however their are obvious constraints such as finances and other issues that sometimes arise, which prevent me from attending.

To really answer your question, I would say on average, on any given year during the first weekend in August when our rally and gathering are held, there are probably about 40-50% clan members who are American, with the rest being from our Scotland branch, the England and Wales branch, the Canadian branch, and the Australian branch. In any rate, we are all "cousins" and have a wonderful time enjoying one another's company (with many of us reuniting every year) through song, dance, drink, and good Highland fare!

Cordially,