Things to ponder

Highland Games: Check the post on our clan subforum and see if you can get involved. As a minimum, try and visit MacTavish's Hut during the day (November 1) and leave a comment to mark the celebrations that we will hold there!

Clan Champion :We need a strong person for this. There might be a bit of a call on their time at short notice. I have asked Ragehammer if interested, as probably the strongest amongst us at present. I stand to be corrected on this, and Ragehammer has the right to say no.

Ragehammer has indeed had to decline attendance, waving his hammer towards his anvil as he did so. Who am I to argue! AND I've just been told that I can't substitute a Champion for myself in the Chieftain's fight. I gotta get me a sword somehow before the day!

Clan Membership: There are 14 of us at present, and I am expecting at least a couple more to join in next couple days. That puts us at the big end of the middle sized clans, or the small end of the big sized clans. This is a pretty good position to be in around November 1.

I would like all listed here on November 1 to be regarded equally as 'founding members'. I don't do this out of a love of titles, but for want of a title. The function of Founding Members would be to keep our clan healthy.

In terms of new members of our clan after November 1, I think the process for admission should be a little more involved than it has been until now. This is what I have thought (I'll give my reasons later, most important to get discussion going now):

1. To be considered for membership a person must be born or resident in scotland, or have been resident in Scotland when they joined MacTavish. They may not be a member of another recognised Scottish Clan (though may be related to one or more).

2. For a request for membership to be considered by the clan, they must be
a) nominated publicly (on subforum)
b) by at three clan members of who have each been a member for at least one month
(this requirement waived during November as none of us would yet qualify!),
c) at least one of the three must be a founding member.

3. The nomination would remain up on the forum for a week.
Members should feel free to post any objections or agreements there during this period.
a) If there are no unresolved objections, the person can be admitted then.
b) If there is at least one objection that is still held at the end of the week,
a poll will be held on forum for all intested in voting on the matter.
c) In the result of a tie, the chieftain has a casting vote.

4. Result is final (exception - chieftain may allow another application after at least another month has passed, provided all entry criteria met)

What do you think?

I've put a copy of the membership idea up on our subforum, please comment there.