Mission
The purpose of Clan MacKinnon Society is to promote and foster the spirit of Clan MacKinnon, to provide a focal point and means for expressing MacKinnon sentiment, and to aid members in establishing and maintaining contact with each other and with others of Scottish heritage. Society membership encourages, promotes, educates, and supports the preservation of Scottish and MacKinnon history, tradition, and cultural activities.
The Society
Clan MacKinnon Society is headquartered in the United States with members from all over the world. We show fealty to the Chief of Clan MacKinnon in Great Britain, Madam Anne Gunhild MacKinnon of MacKinnon, who named Stephen MacKinnon (of Massachusetts, USA) her Representative.
Clan MacKinnon Society is led by a Board of Directors who meet on a monthly basis year-round via Zoom and in person every two years at a Society Gathering to discuss the direction and future of the Society. The Board is guided by a set of bylaws voted upon by our membership. To help advance our charitable and educational goals, Clan MacKinnon Society was granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in the United States. Learn more about the current leadership of Clan MacKinnon Society here.
Clan MacKinnon Society is led by a Board of Directors who meet on a monthly basis year-round via Zoom and in person every two years at a Society Gathering to discuss the direction and future of the Society. The Board is guided by a set of bylaws voted upon by our membership. To help advance our charitable and educational goals, Clan MacKinnon Society was granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in the United States. Learn more about the current leadership of Clan MacKinnon Society here.
By the Numbers
As of April 2021, we boast 366 household memberships (accounting for 683 people). We have members in 14 countries around the world, and 37 states in the USA. Countries where you can find the largest concentration of Clan MacKinnon Society members are: the USA, France, Belgium, Canada, and Germany. U.S. states with the largest concentration of members are: Washington State, California, Texas, Michigan, Tennessee, and Minnesota. Help us grow our membership worldwide! Become a member today!
Our Society History
On December 22, 1891, at a meeting held in Glasgow, Clan MacKinnon Society was born. Twenty-five clansmen were present at the first meeting. During the preliminary meetings the matter of who held the chiefship of the clan was raised. William Alexander MacKinnon of Kent, whose father had been recognized Chief of MacKinnon by the Lord Lyon in 1811, was declared by the Society to be the recognized Chief of the Clan.
The Society grew rapidly during the years around the turn of the century and sponsored events throughout the year. At its founding the purpose of the Clan MacKinnon Society was understood to be about fostering clan sentiment, hosting social events for members, providing assistance to deserving clansmen, encouraging education, collecting and preserving clan records and traditions, and supporting Celtic literature and Highland arts and industries.
For several years after World War II, Clan MacKinnon Society continued to enjoy considerable popularity and a vibrant membership. British society, however, began to change. Throughout the 1960s, enrollment markedly declined as the membership aged. In 1975, Clan MacKinnon Society in the United Kingdom closed its books.
As Clan MacKinnon Society in the United Kingdom was finalizing its affairs, Mrs. Joanne MacKinnon Osbourne and her brother, Clinton, began investigating the possible establishment of a society in the United States. Neil MacKinnon of MacKinnon, then Chief of the Clan, gave his permission to found a new society. By 1980 Clan MacKinnon Society of North America was constituted and two years later boasted some 57 members. The purpose of the North American society echoed that of its predecessor.
During a 2005 reorganization meeting in Pleasanton, California, the Representative of the Chief and some 20 clansmen gathered to affirm the spirit of the modern Clan MacKinnon Society and acknowledge its Scottish roots and heritage. The “of North America” was eventually dropped to better show inclusivity for the many international members who had joined over the years.
Clan MacKinnon Society is now striving to unite MacKinnons and their descendants worldwide in their ancient fellowship, to promote the spirit of clanship, and cultivate an understanding and appreciation for the culture and history of Scotland. Clan MacKinnon Society is eager to face the future. Join us! Become a member today!
The Society grew rapidly during the years around the turn of the century and sponsored events throughout the year. At its founding the purpose of the Clan MacKinnon Society was understood to be about fostering clan sentiment, hosting social events for members, providing assistance to deserving clansmen, encouraging education, collecting and preserving clan records and traditions, and supporting Celtic literature and Highland arts and industries.
For several years after World War II, Clan MacKinnon Society continued to enjoy considerable popularity and a vibrant membership. British society, however, began to change. Throughout the 1960s, enrollment markedly declined as the membership aged. In 1975, Clan MacKinnon Society in the United Kingdom closed its books.
As Clan MacKinnon Society in the United Kingdom was finalizing its affairs, Mrs. Joanne MacKinnon Osbourne and her brother, Clinton, began investigating the possible establishment of a society in the United States. Neil MacKinnon of MacKinnon, then Chief of the Clan, gave his permission to found a new society. By 1980 Clan MacKinnon Society of North America was constituted and two years later boasted some 57 members. The purpose of the North American society echoed that of its predecessor.
During a 2005 reorganization meeting in Pleasanton, California, the Representative of the Chief and some 20 clansmen gathered to affirm the spirit of the modern Clan MacKinnon Society and acknowledge its Scottish roots and heritage. The “of North America” was eventually dropped to better show inclusivity for the many international members who had joined over the years.
Clan MacKinnon Society is now striving to unite MacKinnons and their descendants worldwide in their ancient fellowship, to promote the spirit of clanship, and cultivate an understanding and appreciation for the culture and history of Scotland. Clan MacKinnon Society is eager to face the future. Join us! Become a member today!
Equity Statement
The Clan MacKinnon Society (CMS) is aware of a report that a MacKinnon forebear was engaged in the slave trade. We denounce this activity and any other form of racial discrimination in the strongest possible terms. The Society, through its policies and procedures, is committed to the creation and preservation of an equitable and inclusive environment.
For further historical context, the following links are provided:
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