Joining A Clan?

[Gunnar]

Is it possible to join a clan if you aren't born into one?

[robthehiker]

Is it possible to join a clan if you aren't born into one?

You can join my clan. Yay, now we have TWO members.

[auld argonian]

Well, you're already a member of Xmarksthescot...a cyber-clan! ...and we do have our own tartan and clan badge...

I'm sure that several members will chime in on this topic. There are certainly precedents of Clans that welcome new members who are not necessarily connected by ancestry.

Best

AA

[george7]

It is possible. It requires very secretive selection boards that meet in dark caves. Once you are ACTUALLY a member of a Clan, you will then have to tattoo the Clan's crest onto the bottom of your foot. Then you will take an oath of allegiance, passing along all sorts of tourist shop styled clan t-shirts and framed tartan swatches to your descendants.

[vmac3205]

Is it possible to join a clan if you aren't born into one?

Hi Gunnar,

These guys are all pretty funny, but I am a serious minded person with much higher ideals and am therefore the better person to answer your question.

I don't know about other clans, but here is the membership criteria for Clan MacKenzie

ARTICLE III - MEMBERSHIP

Section 3.1 MEMBERS. All persons, regardless of age, sex, national origin, or religious belief, who express and profess a genuine interest in the purposes and objectives of the corporation, have a genuine love of the Scottish Heritage and Tradition with respect to the Clan MacKenzie, and who will work to uphold, promote, and encourage perpetuation of Scottish Tradition and Heritage, shall be eligible for membership.

So, the answer to your question, is yes, you can.

Victoria

[george7]

Thanks vmac. Clan MacKenzie is the official Clan of the Cincinnati Caledonian Society, a benevolent organization that promotes Scottish Heritage and Traditions.

[vmac3205]

Thanks vmac. Clan MacKenzie is the official Clan of the Cincinnati Caledonian Society, a benevolent organization that promotes Scottish Heritage and Traditions.

Do you know if any of those folks are coming to the AGM we are hosting at the Kelso, WA festival in mid-September?

[george7]

I learned to play pipes with the Caledonian Pipe Band. The society's URL is http://www.caledoniansociety.org/. That event doesn't appear on their public calender.

[gilmore]

Is it possible to join a clan if you aren't born into one?

Clans are one thing. Clan associations are another.

Clans were the way that society had come to be in Highland Scotland. They were headed by a chief to whom personal alliegiance was given by the clansmen, the members of the clan. The cheif decided whether to accept that alliegiance, and thus who was or was not a part of the clan.

The clans as viable, living entities are not longer extant, beginning in the mid to late 1700's.

Clan associations were organized by people whose ancestors belonged to clans, for the most part. They have different requirements for membership. Some limit membership to those who have the surname(s) of the clan. Some accept anyone. Some have different forms of membership for those who have provable descent from clan members, have the same or simlar surname(s), who are related by marriage, or who are not related at all. Most accept anyone who pays the membership fees.

[george7]

Did you say membership fees? Hmm.....