What features make a clan tent appealing and engaging

[masonpiper]

Nice topic and one I may be the heretic on, I am not a fan of most clan tents or the people that run them. This attitude was developed as a piper at highland games and gatherings all over the western US and some to the east. I like the games in the UK. they are more participant oriented, I remember at the Perth games, they had monster trucks in the arena and the culture was very cool.
In the US. I kept coming across the same 3 stereotypes at the clan tents, the joiners, the “can’t be bothered” and the interesting. The Joiners were worse than bad used car salesmen always pushing you to join the clan association and the St. Andrews and the Burn’s club and this and that, nice, but never really answering you questions until after you signed and then only until the next victim/member approaches. They were a small minority but very off putting and some even ignored you when they found out you were not a member of their clan. The interesting are as Chas said, unfortunately they seem to be very much the smallest minority. The largest group I have come across are the “can’t be bothered”, you approach their tent, because the joiner at the last one pointed them out to you as the correct one for you to join, and when you walk up there a 5 people sitting in the rear of the tent. They are chatting and having a grand old time, you are polite and wait for a break in the conversation, but it never happens, they look at you and go back to the conversation. Being polite, you say excuse me and ask about the clan, one of the members points to a brochure and says that’s the application if you want to join and then points to a flyer and says that’s the raffle we are having and goes back to talking with her friends. Meanwhile and guy gets up asks you are you from the lumptom or cumpton side of the clan, cuz if you are from the wrong one you need to go see that clan over there because that’s where you really belong and then he sits down and resumes the conversation.
All of that being said, it is usually the non-clan tents like, SAMS, St. Andrews, and Regional Associations that I have had consistent good interaction with across the nation. My wife who is very proud of her Clan and it’s history has been turned off by the staffing at various confederation booths around the nation, to the point she does not even go around the tent to see what is happening anymore, and it’s a shame.
I realize this is more of a rant and I do hope you can take some lesson from my experiences.
Peace all

[Thomas H]

Yes you are very right ( masonpiper ) I have seen this too - But please note we in the US
Are not all like that - But I have learned from others mistakes ,in order to do better .
I understand what you mean .
I am not sure we could get monster trucks in the smaller games - But was thinking of
Big foot going up stone mountain would be fun to watch LOL

[masonpiper]

True and I need to reemphasis that there are tents that do well. My first kilt was in Red Wallace, a band kilt in honor of Lew Wallace, a territorial governor of New Mexico. I was walking around at one of the western games and was accosted by the people from the Wallace tent. When they found out it was a band and not a family tartan, they still brought me into the tent, hoisted a dram, and at every games treated our band as honored guests and clan members, this is how I though clan tents should be. On the other side of the coin, I had a kilt that reflected my NFL team’s colors dramatically and loved wearing it to the pub for games. I wore it to a games and again was stopped by a member of that clan, who when they found out I was wearing it because it was in my team colors and I had NO relation to the clan, proceeded to chastise me all weekend and enlisted others from the clan tent to continue "my education" for all 3 days I was there. In the late 90s, when this happened I was a member of TECA and enjoyed working with people searching for a tartan, but this soured me on the whole enchilada, I still love my kilts and wear them all the time, but games are for friends, music and schlock now.

[Thomas H]

True and I need to reemphasis that there are tents that do well. My first kilt was in Red Wallace, a band kilt in honor of Lew Wallace, a territorial governor of New Mexico. I was walking around at one of the western games and was accosted by the people from the Wallace tent. When they found out it was a band and not a family tartan, they still brought me into the tent, hoisted a dram, and at every games treated our band as honored guests and clan members, this is how I though clan tents should be. On the other side of the coin, I had a kilt that reflected my NFL team’s colors dramatically and loved wearing it to the pub for games. I wore it to a games and again was stopped by a member of that clan, who when they found out I was wearing it because it was in my team colors and I had NO relation to the clan, proceeded to chastise me all weekend and enlisted others from the clan tent to continue "my education" for all 3 days I was there. In the late 90s, when this happened I was a member of TECA and enjoyed working with people searching for a tartan, but this soured me on the whole enchilada, I still love my kilts and wear them all the time, but games are for friends, music and schlock now.

Schlock is an English word of Yiddish origin meaning "something cheap, shoddy, or inferior

Ok well , that is the good and bad . But the OP was wanting to know What features make a clan tent appealing and engaging

Lets not sour them here . Let just have fun with Kilts

[masonpiper]

you are right, I am rightly chatised,.
I like the examples shown here, your's and Harold's, I do like the way you can walk in to Harold's, hard to do with any size, but it removes a barrier from the conversation. I would add a carpet, they are can be had cheap even in larger sizes and can hold down dust, wet and make your space very inviting

[Carl]

Well if you want a ton of people to stop by your tent for photo ops and that circus/yard sale feel you'll need a canopy or two with maybe some cardboard or plywood castle turrets for the corners, Christmas tree lights (Ooooh Shiny), a few folding tables, chairs, and a ice chest, a bundle of flags w/ poles & tartan table cloths, a pile of Scottish replica weapons, shields and/or targs, generic armor pieces too, some stereotypical pictures of castles/ thistle/ bagpippers/ Stonehenge (your average American wont know better)/ haggis/ etc., a caber (why not?), maybe a couple books and a boombox playing bagpipe music or enya, oh and a moving truck to carry all that cr*p and a couple hours to set it all up.

I remember one year on the East Coast I mistook my Clan's tent for one of those traveling weapons merchent tents that seem to stalk the Highland Games so much here in the U.S. lol.

Honestly the things I've always found most important is a nice large sign identifying wich Clan you are, a large readable list of Clan Sept Names, brochures with a brief history of the Clan, and friendly helpful knowledgeable folks that want to be there. Photo albums from trips to Scotland can be a nice touch too.

Theres already more than enough William Wallace Swords and Highlander Katanas in the merchant tents and being carried around by SCA & Ren Fair people. Give it a rest.

[David Thorpe]

Two things...

By far the most popular items we have used are a large "clan map" of Scotland, displayed on an easel outside the tent, a book of surname origins and a three-volume set of tartans with a color plate of each. People approach the map looking for their clan, we help them find the origin of the surname in question, and sometimes are able to show them what "their" tartan looks like. This process most often has nothing to do with our clan directly, but after some conversation they leave feeling like they have learned something about their heritage. I have enjoyed this process a great deal, over and over.

Secondly, something for the kids. In addition to the ink stamp for their "passport" that some Games provide, we have used a hobby horse that they can "ride", stuffed plush kilted dolls, coos and sheep that they can pick up, and a game with small molded models of various animals - red stag, Highland coos, Scot terriers, Shetland ponies, etc., displayed on a scenic Highland layout - all native to Scotland except one, which the kids are invited to identify (a German Shepherd dog for the older kids, and an elephant for the wee ones). Candy or cookies are another draw for them.

I have never viewed clan tent hosting as primarily a recruiting activity for our clan association. If a kinsman unfamiliar with and curious about the association happens by, we try to provide the information they want. They are made to feel welcome (as are all visitors) and invited, but never pushed, to join us if they wish.

Tables and displays are arranged for easy, open access along side walls, with lots of extra seating for those who wish to rest and/or visit for a while. A cooler of bottled water, and sometimes some light snacks are handy as well.

I would also add that I enjoy visiting the tents of others as well, meeting and visiting with the hosts, and often picking up some bit of history related to their clans.

[Wolfhound Jack]

Well, for what it's worth, I think this is a brilliant thread - both the anecdotes of the good and the rants of the bad are providing good insight.

[creagdhubh]

Two things...

By far the most popular items we have used are a large "clan map" of Scotland, displayed on an easel outside the tent, a book of surname origins and a three-volume set of tartans with a color plate of each. People approach the map looking for their clan, we help them find the origin of the surname in question, and sometimes are able to show them what "their" tartan looks like. This process most often has nothing to do with our clan directly, but after some conversation they leave feeling like they have learned something about their heritage. I have enjoyed this process a great deal, over and over.

Secondly, something for the kids. In addition to the ink stamp for their "passport" that some Games provide, we have used a hobby horse that they can "ride", stuffed plush kilted dolls, coos and sheep that they can pick up, and a game with small molded models of various animals - red stag, Highland coos, Scot terriers, Shetland ponies, etc., displayed on a scenic Highland layout - all native to Scotland except one, which the kids are invited to identify (a German Shepherd dog for the older kids, and an elephant for the wee ones). Candy or cookies are another draw for them.

I have never viewed clan tent hosting as primarily a recruiting activity for our clan association. If a kinsman unfamiliar with and curious about the association happens by, we try to provide the information they want. They are made to feel welcome (as are all visitors) and invited, but never pushed, to join us if they wish.

Tables and displays are arranged for easy, open access along side walls, with lots of extra seating for those who wish to rest and/or visit for a while. A cooler of bottled water, and sometimes some light snacks are handy as well.

I would also add that I enjoy visiting the tents of others as well, meeting and visiting with the hosts, and often picking up some bit of history related to their clans.

***

And I have been a guest at your tent (Clan MacTavish), David. Tis a fine one indeed!

Best wishes,