We are both sorry to be leaving the Clan this Spring and have made very good friends. Jim will be nearby, working in the local garage in Blair Atholl.
Ginnie is hoping to retire and see more of her family and grandson.

With our very best wishes, Ginnie and Jim.

 

Secretary: Carol Paterson

Shop manager: Ruaidhri Brannan (Rory)

 

 

Born in Dundee and moved to USA after the 2nd World War, following her first marriage.

A long time member of Clan Donnachaidh Society, she came back to Scotland in 1977 for the International Gathering. Shortly after that she was elected to the Council and began her work encouraging US branches and helped to form new ones, including the split of the California Branch into North and South branches. She served as secretary of the North California Branch touring, with the clan tent, to many of the Games throughout the country until her health forced her to retire.

She was instrumental in founding the Atholl Rannoch Society which enabled members of both Clan Donnachaidh and Clan Murray in the USA to make tax-deductible donations, which were dispersed internationally. She was also involved in the formation of the Dr. Dan Reid Memorial Solo Piping Competition in memory of Dan Reid, a branch member. This competition is held annually in San Francisco and the current chairman of the trustis Ozzie Reid.

 In 1991 Marj was elected Vice Chairman of the Society. During the following years she flew to Scotland for almost every Council meeting.

When the Constitution was revised in 1993 it was decided to include the position of International Vice Chairman and Marj was elected to that post.  In 2002 she retired.

 

She died peacefully in her sleep on 29 May 2010.

If you would like to make a memorial donation, her favorite charities were, Dr. Dan Reid Memorial Solo Piping Competition. Donations should be made out to, St. Andrew's Foundation DRM and mail to the address below:

Ozzie Reid, Chairman
P.O. Box 2432, Alameda, CA. 94501-9998

A California 501c3 non-profit foundation and Piping Trust.

 

 

The Clan Donnachaidh Society has entered a period of diminishing memberships and financial stress. It’s not the first time and probably won’t be the last. The Society was created in Perthshire in 1823 as a local organization and was active until 1842. Resurrected in 1893, it slumbered again at the onset of WWI in 1914. In 1950 it was resurrected anew as an international society with thousands of members around the world.

The Society is once again on the downward slope of a cycle, due partly to international financial stress and partly to a lack of inspired leadership. We have no control over international ebbs and flows but we can seek out those among our ranks with the energy and demonstrated ability to turn our fortunes around. Happily, we have one such person.

Christy Lange is the Secretary of the Clan Donnachaidh Florida Branch. She is the dedicated officer who manages communications within the branch, publishes four newspapers per year, and her enthusiastic spirit has become a hallmark of the Florida branch. Due to her efforts and those of the Board of Directors, the branch has received “Best Clan Tent” awards and “Honored Clan” status at recent Central Florida, Sarasota and Ocala Highland Games, and the branch has recruited 122 new participants in the Clan Donnachaidh Youth Membership program…21% of the total.

Due to her record of achievements and demonstrated dedication to Clan Donnachaidh, Christy has been named acting Overseas Vice Chairperson by Andrew Duncan, Society Chairman, with formal approval to follow at the AGM in September. Establishing contacts with our many branches is high on her list of priorities, as is soliciting new Society memberships from the 1378 (and growing) participants in the Society’s DNA, Youth Membership, and Genealogy programs. I will be available to help Christy as needed.

I ask each branch to welcome Christy and offer your full support.

Bill Robertson
Past International Vice Chairman

 

 

I am greatly honored to have been asked to take on the position of International Vice Chairperson...as we all work together to help our Clan Society grow...... read more

 

 

 

There was a significant majority in favour of the largest sett and Janet Washington will now have it made up.

                click on buttons below to see large view of samples:

                                                                              
Reduced by              Reduced by               Original size
25%                             50%                              100%   

 A professional dressmaker comments that, although a small sett looks attractive close up, from a distance it can create a very ‘busy’ effect; it tends to look more like a check and so less Scottish; and it can look more like a children’s pattern.

Commissioning of the tartan:

A professional dressmaker comments that, although a small sett looks attractive close up, from a distance it can create a very ‘busy’ effect; it tends to look more like a check and so less Scottish; and it can look more like a children’s pattern.

The sett for the new polycotton for Modern Robertson Hunting tartan has been received in three sizes, printed on card with samples of the cotton attached.

The colours in the scans provided are not a perfect match with the real colours
A scan has been made of each sample and an electronic copy has been requested from the manufacturer. Unfortunately none of these fully reflects the vivid colours of the card copy and cotton samples. It appears the manufacturer usually checks tartan colours against recommended sources.

The pdf scans are too light. The GIF images sent by the manufacturer, which are the right size when viewed at 150% in Microsoft photo manager, are also too light and do not reflect the right quality of colour when viewed on screen. A better result may be obtained by printing.

It has not been able to adjust the scan colours to match the card and cotton samples. The green is a deep emerald and has a quality not reflected in the scan on screen. The blue is a deep marine blue, and the red is scarlet. The colours are not the muted colours of the ancient Robertson Hunting tartan. They look more like colours sometimes seen in silk.

 

1. We now have 2 new articles on Clan Donnachaidh surnames and The Robertsons of Muirton. See our DNA page to find these articles.

2. This special notice to the website. This is a special deal for the 12 marker Y-DNA test that Stephanie got from FTDNA after she met with them in Scotland this summer. We have until the end of November on this special price. We will make this order at the end of the month. We already have ordered 10 kits on this offer from FTDNA. These kits are for Scotland where we are working to gain more participants.

People donate through the FTDNA general fund site for the Donnachaidh DNA Project. Below is the site address and information.

Use this link to access the FTDNA general fund site.

http://www.familytreedna.com/group-general-fund-contribution.aspx

Select 'D' in the left box and then 'Donnachaidh' in the right box. You can then enter the payment information. Or you can call FTDNA at 713-868-1438. You can also direct the donation as you like.

FTDNA also has their holiday sale on until Dec. 31st for the 37 and 67 marker test and mtdna test. It would be good also to note this separately. The holiday 37 marker price is $119.00 for the Donnachaidh Project.