A Statement from Clan MacKinnon Society – September 20, 2019
The Board of Directors of Clan MacKinnon Society has become aware of several new MacKinnon groups that have just been established in Germany, France, Scotland, and other countries. These groups go by the name “Clan MacKinnon Limited” and are active on Facebook and Twitter. Statements disparaging Clan MacKinnon Society and its volunteer leaders have been made on these various social media outlets. We would like to make the following statement in response to these inaccurate, ill-informed, and confusing accusations.
Clan MacKinnon Society was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1891. Society enrollment markedly declined in the 1960s as the membership aged, and, sadly, in 1975 it closed its books in the United Kingdom. Around this time, however, N. Joann MacKinnon Osborne was granted permission to establish a Clan MacKinnon Society in the United States by Neil MacKinnon of MacKinnon, then Chief of the Clan. By 1982, Clan MacKinnon Society of North America boasted some 57 members. During a meeting attended by the Representative of the Chief in Pleasanton, California in 2005, the spirit of Clan MacKinnon Society of North America was reaffirmed. Today Clan MacKinnon Society is a recognized non-profit organization in the United States with more than 300 members from all over the world.
Our Society is directed by an elected Board of Directors who are all volunteers with day jobs, families, and other commitments. However, we meet once per month by teleconference to discuss Society matters, develop goals for the future, and plan fun and exciting events like our next Clan Gathering and General Meeting coming up in Colorado Springs, Colorado in June 2020.
The Society is funded by a small annual membership fee and donations to help offset expenses such as: maintaining the Society’s website (themackinnon.com), ancillary costs related to holding our biennial General Meetings, mailings to members, the awarding of annual scholarships for those pursuing Scottish-related activities, stipends to supplement clan tent fees that our members incur at Highland games, and donations to other non-profits that support MacKinnon and Scottish culture.
We encourage and promote MacKinnon pride by seeking out individuals we call “Commissioners” who have a desire to foster MacKinnon camaraderie in their local communities through hosting social and cultural events and activities. Commissioners act as representatives of the Society in their local regions and agree to adhere to the bylaws of Clan MacKinnon Society while doing so.
With respect to the Chief of Clan MacKinnon: The Board of Directors/Clan MacKinnon Society supports Madam Anne Gunhild MacKinnon of MacKinnon because she is the chief that has been identified by the Court of the Lord Lyon in Scotland. While some have suggested that Madam Anne has not been as active as other clan chiefs, we are pleased that she identified a formal Representative and that the Society maintains an open and collaborative line of communication with him. We know there are other individuals who are presently challenging the current chiefship with the Lord Lyon, and we support the rights of these individuals to do so. Should the Lord Lyon identify another rightful chief, we would certainly acknowledge that individual as chief at that time. We trust and respect that the application of Scottish Law will be according to current practice.
The Society has not and has never meant to act as the singular voice of the whole of Clan MacKinnon. No matter who our chief is, Clan MacKinnon exists in our hearts and the Society simply celebrates the heritage and history of this storied clan. The Society was established to bring MacKinnons together and connect them through shared ancestry, common goals, and fun events. We, as the Board of Directors of Clan MacKinnon Society, will continue to follow our mission, support our members, and connect MacKinnons worldwide.
Thank you! We hope you will be joining us in Colorado Springs, Colorado next summer!
Clan MacKinnon Society was established in Glasgow, Scotland in 1891. Society enrollment markedly declined in the 1960s as the membership aged, and, sadly, in 1975 it closed its books in the United Kingdom. Around this time, however, N. Joann MacKinnon Osborne was granted permission to establish a Clan MacKinnon Society in the United States by Neil MacKinnon of MacKinnon, then Chief of the Clan. By 1982, Clan MacKinnon Society of North America boasted some 57 members. During a meeting attended by the Representative of the Chief in Pleasanton, California in 2005, the spirit of Clan MacKinnon Society of North America was reaffirmed. Today Clan MacKinnon Society is a recognized non-profit organization in the United States with more than 300 members from all over the world.
Our Society is directed by an elected Board of Directors who are all volunteers with day jobs, families, and other commitments. However, we meet once per month by teleconference to discuss Society matters, develop goals for the future, and plan fun and exciting events like our next Clan Gathering and General Meeting coming up in Colorado Springs, Colorado in June 2020.
The Society is funded by a small annual membership fee and donations to help offset expenses such as: maintaining the Society’s website (themackinnon.com), ancillary costs related to holding our biennial General Meetings, mailings to members, the awarding of annual scholarships for those pursuing Scottish-related activities, stipends to supplement clan tent fees that our members incur at Highland games, and donations to other non-profits that support MacKinnon and Scottish culture.
We encourage and promote MacKinnon pride by seeking out individuals we call “Commissioners” who have a desire to foster MacKinnon camaraderie in their local communities through hosting social and cultural events and activities. Commissioners act as representatives of the Society in their local regions and agree to adhere to the bylaws of Clan MacKinnon Society while doing so.
With respect to the Chief of Clan MacKinnon: The Board of Directors/Clan MacKinnon Society supports Madam Anne Gunhild MacKinnon of MacKinnon because she is the chief that has been identified by the Court of the Lord Lyon in Scotland. While some have suggested that Madam Anne has not been as active as other clan chiefs, we are pleased that she identified a formal Representative and that the Society maintains an open and collaborative line of communication with him. We know there are other individuals who are presently challenging the current chiefship with the Lord Lyon, and we support the rights of these individuals to do so. Should the Lord Lyon identify another rightful chief, we would certainly acknowledge that individual as chief at that time. We trust and respect that the application of Scottish Law will be according to current practice.
The Society has not and has never meant to act as the singular voice of the whole of Clan MacKinnon. No matter who our chief is, Clan MacKinnon exists in our hearts and the Society simply celebrates the heritage and history of this storied clan. The Society was established to bring MacKinnons together and connect them through shared ancestry, common goals, and fun events. We, as the Board of Directors of Clan MacKinnon Society, will continue to follow our mission, support our members, and connect MacKinnons worldwide.
Thank you! We hope you will be joining us in Colorado Springs, Colorado next summer!
Who We Are
Clan Chief |
Madam Anne Gunhild MacKinnon of MacKinnon |
Representative of the Chief |
Stephen MacKinnon |
Stephen MacKinnon, the Representative of the MacKinnon of MacKinnon, wife Susan, and daughter Caroline.
Board Chair |
John McKinnon | email |
Director & Vice Chair |
Neil MacKinnon |
Director |
Carl Johengen |
Director |
Lisa Lucas |
Director |
Jack MacKinnon |
Committee |
Chair |
Budget |
Kevin MacKinnon |
Fundraising |
Neil MacKinnon |
Scholarship |
Kay LaRue |
United States State/Region |
Commissioner |
Alaska |
Tom Hendrix |
Arizona |
Stephen Mills |
California |
Larry McKinnon |
Florida |
William D. Gillis |
Illinois |
Kevin McKinnon |
Kentucky |
Melinda Wiens |
Maine |
Stephen Barstow MacKinnon |
Massachusetts |
Stephen MacKinnon |
Michigan |
John McKinnon |
Minnesota |
Jack MacKinnon |
Nevada |
James Bennett |
New Hampshire |
John McKinnon |
New York (Upstate) |
Carl Johengen |
North Carolina |
James M. Kelly |
Oregon |
Melvin D. McKinnon |
Tennessee |
JW McKinney |
Texas |
Kevin MacKinnon |
Washington |
Daniel DuPont |
Wisconsin |
Tari Thompson |
International Country/Region |
Commissioner |
Australia |
Lynnsay Fryer |
Belgium, The Netherlands, & Luxembourg |
Marc André Frère |
Canada (Nova Scotia) |
John David MacKinnon |
Canada (Québec) |
Kathleen McKen |
Continental Europe & France |
Robert Amyot |
Southeast Asia |
E. Edwards McKinnon |
Sweden |
Staffan Nordström |
Switzerland |
Joachim Morgenthaler |
Become a Commissioner
Commissioners are responsible for spreading information about and excitement for Clan MacKinnon Society in their regions. They also set up and host clan tents at highland games and clan gatherings in their area. If you are interested in becoming a commissioner, contact us for information and resources like a clan tent planning manual and a MacKinnon banner you can display.
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