CLAN MACLEOD GREAT LAKES REGION NEWSLETTER
To all of my fellow Great Lakes Clan MacLeod members, I hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and looking forward to an exciting 2008.
Allow me to introduce myself… I am Bob McLeod, the new VP of the Great Lakes Region. My predecessor, John N. MacLeod, is now the vice-president of the Clan MacLeod Society USA and his wife Judy is the recording secretary. John did such a good job in building membership in this region that we now have more members than any of the other 12 regions! Thanks for doing such a good job John.
2008 promises to be another exciting year in this region. Clan MacLeod will be adding the Columbus, Indiana Scottish Festival in September to the list of games where we have a clan tent. Enclosed is a list of all the Great Lakes games where the clan will be represented. Stop by for a visit.
However, I would like to point out that there is a whole lot more to clan membership than attending highland games and receiving our publications! There are other opportunities during the course of the year to celebrate our Scottish culture.
Have you ever been to a Burns Supper? If not, you are missing out on a real treat! These are held throughout the world around the birthday of Scotland’s most famous son, Robert Burns. They are usually held during the last half of January. Here in the Chicago area, society members usually attend two or three of the suppers. It is a great opportunity to get together with fellow clan members for a very enjoyable Scottish event. Piping, poetry, dancing, and of course… Haggis! I have also enclosed a list of suppers that I have been able to locate in this region. I am sure there must be many more. Consider reserving a MacLeod table and introduce your friends and family to real culture.
If you are of Scottish descent you probably like to travel and save money. After all, the Scots did spread out across the globe and civilize the modern world! And as you know the MacLeod motto is “Hold Fast” (to our money). Well, did you know there are two great affordable travel opportunities each year?
Every summer we have an Annual General Meeting, a North American Gathering, or Parliament in Scotland. This past summer, we had an AGM in the Denver area. We get group rates in the hotel and had side trips in to the Rocky Mountains as well as attending the Highland Ranch games. Next summer, we will have a NAG in Ottawa Canada, that nation’s capital. In 2010 we return to Dunvegan, Scotland for Parliament. Again, group rates and friends to enjoy the sights with, especially the side trip to see the MacLeod’s Ardvreck Castle in Loch Assynt.
The first weekend of December every year we have a mid-year meeting and participate in the Alexandria, VA Christmas Walk. It’s the largest Scottish parade in the country. We get a great rate at a hotel that has a free shuttle to Reagan National Airport where you can catch the Metro train in to Washington D.C.. With the Metro, you can quickly and inexpensively visit all the tourist sights of Washington. It is a great opportunity for you and the kids or grandkids to see the national monuments as well as being able to meet and socialize with clan members from all over the country.
I would recommend that you visit our website, http://www.macleodgreatlakes.org/ on a regular basis. It is constantly changing with listings of upcoming events as well as photos of past events. It also has links to other MacLeod sites as well as contact information for your regional officers. Have you started working on your genealogy yet? Link to the USA site and you will find a very helpful genealogical page to help you get started.
As the games season approaches, I would encourage you to email or call your state commissioner about the games in your area. We can always use help at our tent and it’s a good way for you get to know more about the society and to become acquainted with other clan members in your area. Don’t forget, this is your society, get the most out of it by participating.
We all benefit from a strong society so instead of buying Uncle Angus another tie for his birthday, why not consider getting him a membership in the society? It’s inexpensive and unique. A tie would just hang in the closet while every time a publication arrives in the mail he will think of you.
“Hold Fast”
Robert J. (Bob) McLeod
RVP – Great Lakes Region
(630) 852-0775
