Guidelines
For the Establishment, Constitution and Operation
of Clan Cameron Association North America
Revised May 2000
Clan Cameron Association North America
shall be comprised of all those of Scottish descent who bear the name of
Cameron, or one of the septs, and those who are interested in the study
of and celebration of their heritage. The Clan Cameron Association
North America shall be collective to be used hereinafter to encompass
all interested Cameron Clansfolk; it does not signify the existence of a
structured central organization.
The aims of the Association shall be
cultural and educational, promoting friendship among the North Americans
who enjoy a distant kinship, encouraging, through education, the
perpetuation in North America of the history, music and folklore of
their forebears.
The Association shall be non-political
and non-profit. Clan members owe their political allegiance solely to
their own Nation and shall not, using the name of the Association, take
part in any political activity involving the internal affairs of any
Nation.
The Commissioner
for the Association shall be appointed by The
Cameron of Lochiel and shall serve at his pleasure as his
representative in North America in all matters pertaining to the Clan
Cameron Association North America.
I. ORGANIZATION
The organizations which serve The Clan
Cameron Association North America shall consist of regional Clan Cameron
Associations established on the authority of The Cameron of Lochiel,
hereditary Chief and Captain of Clan Cameron. These Regional
Associations shall be named:
Clan
Cameron Association Canada
Clan
Cameron Association South-Central U.S.
Clan
Cameron Association Western U.S.
Clan
Cameron Association Rocky Mountain U.S.
Clan Cameron Association Midwestern
U.S.
Clan Cameron Association
Northeastern U.S.
Clan Cameron Association
Southeastern U.S.
Additional regional Associations may
be established, as required, on the authority of The Cameron of Lochiel.
The President for each of the regional
Associations shall be appointed by The Cameron of Lochiel and shall be
responsible to him for the supervision of the Branches/Chapters which
comprise his Association; they shall hold office at the pleasure of The
Cameron of Lochiel. Day to day administration decisions regarding
the Association shall be the prerogative of the President who shall
report on a regular basis to the Commissioner of Clan Cameron
Association North America.
Each Regional Clan Cameron Association
shall consist of such Branches as are approved, from time to time, by
the Chief of the Clan on the advice of his Commissioner. The
Branches of the Association shall operate independently, being
responsible for their own legal and financial integrity, in keeping with
their own Nation's laws including State and Local laws. Regional
and Branch Presidents shall have the right to appoint a small number of
Clan Association members to help, from time to time, with the work of
the Branch/Chapter. Reasonable expenses incurred in Branch/Chapter
business may be reimbursed on a mutually agreeable basis.
Before a group may apply for Branch
status, it must previously have been a Chapter. Presidents of
Branches, with the consent of their Regional President, shall have the
authority to establish Chapters in areas within his/her jurisdiction.
They may, at their discretion, appoint a Convenor who will oversee the
formation and organization of a group of interested individuals.
The Convenor's position will expire when the new Chapter achieves Branch
status. The chapter must then satisfy the following criteria
before applying for Branch status:
* Must be in existence for two years
or more
* Have twenty-five dues paying and active members
* Proof of a published newsletter at least three times each year
* Be financially sound and independent
* Have established approved by-laws
The Branch President, in conjunction
with the Regional President, shall appoint the Chapter's President,
Secretary and Treasurer. These officers shall be elected upon
receiving Branch status.
Upon satisfying the above criteria,
the Chapter shall prepare a petition to The Cameron of Lochiel which
shall be forwarded to the Regional President who will, in turn, forward
it to the Commissioner. The Commissioner shall forward it to The
Cameron of Lochiel with his recommendation for approval. After
receiving the Chief's approval, the Chapter shall be granted full Branch
status with all the rights and privileges pertaining thereto.
Each Branch shall hold an annual
meeting at which time the financial and other pertinent reports shall be
presented and executive officers elected for the ensuing year.
Each Branch shall report to its
Regional President, as of January 1, the full name, street addresses,
e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of all officers. It shall
also forward the same information for Chapters under their jurisdiction.
This report shall also contain the number of active and dues paying
families. The Regional President shall forward this same information to
the Commissioner.
II. MEMBERSHIP
There shall be two categories of
membership: (1) General, and (2) Honorary. The following policy
statement of the Lochiel family shall govern General Membership:
We (the Lochiel family) favour a
liberal policy towards membership of the Clan as those who are
"tenuous" but keen are often the most proactive and productive
and if they have chosen Clan Cameron then we would be happy to accept
them. In days gone past people took the name Cameron for all sorts
of reasons - protection for example - so we would not be changing from
that original ethos.
Honorary Membership may, from time to
time, be conferred upon a person who has furthered the interests of the
Branch/Chapter with his or her presence. Such honorary members
shall not pay dues and shall not be eligible to vote or hold office.
Honorary Membership may also be conferred ex-officio upon the Presidents
of other Branches/Chapters of Clan Associations. The Commissioner
of Clan Cameron Association North America shall be an honorary member of
all Branches and Chapters.
III. HERALDRY
A coat of arms is granted by The Lord
Lyon King of Arms on behalf of the Sovereign. Sir Donald Cameron
of Lochiel, Chief of Clan Cameron, was granted his armorial bearings
during the reign of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II. The coat of arms is a
pictorial representation of the achievement of Lochiel and his forebears
using ancient traditional symbolism. It is, in fact, a heraldic
signature.
The coat of arms, or any part thereof,
can be used only by the bearer to whom it was granted by the Lord Lyon
King of Arms. It may not be used by Clan Associations or
individual Clan members. In whole or in part, it belongs to Lochiel.
The authorized insignia for Clan
Associations and for Clan members is the
crest from the Chief's coat of arms, but it must be encircled by the
symbolic belt and buckle which denotes a follower of the Chief.
This crest consists of a sheaf of five arrows, encircled by the belt and
buckle, on which is printed the motto "Unite" usually in the
Gaelic "Aonaibh Ri Chéile." The arrows shall be colored
light brown with grey tips and white fletches; the ribbons (tying the
arrows together) shall be colored red and the torse (horizontal base)
shall be alternately red and yellow.
An alternative crest is the one
depicting an arm and dagger, also encircled by belt and buckle on which
the motto "For King and Country" is printed, sometimes in
Latin, sometimes in Gaelic. This is an ancient Clan symbol, not
registered with the Lord Lyon, but Lochiel has given permission for its
use.
Letterheads: Clan Associations and
Branches should use the five-arrow crest encircled and, immediately
below or adjacent, they must print their name. For example:
Grandfather Mountain Branch
Clan Cameron Association Southern U.S.
Individual Clan members may use the
same encircled crest on letterhead with the words "Member of Clan
Cameron" printed immediately below the crest. This is a
ruling of the Lord Lyon King of Arms. If notepaper is purchased
which does not have these words printed, its use is quite in order (in
view of the circumstances); however, if the letterhead is being custom
printed, adherence to this rule is appreciated in keeping with the
Association's concern for the preservation of traditional customs.
Personal Logos: No part of the Lochiel
coat of arms may be incorporated in a personally designed
"logo." This includes the commonly seem escutcheon
(shield). This shield is the central and probably the most
significant part of the Lochiel arms, dating back to the 14th century;
it consists of a shield, three bars gold on red.
In summary, the only official crests
for Clan use are the five arrow crest and the arm and dagger crest, each
encircled by belt and buckle and bearing the appropriate motto.
The preceding Guidelines were approved
at Clan Cameron Association North America's Regional Presidents Meeting,
on May 19, 2000 in Gatlinburg, Tennessee and modified to note two
additional regions on May 14, 2005. This document supersedes the
earlier Guidelines approved at a meeting of Clan Cameron Association
North America's Branch Presidents in Atlanta, Georgia on October 18,
1980. |