Katie Krell
editor@greenepublishing.com
You can be miles away from where you live and still feel at home. Bill and Ann McLeod, of Madison, experienced this feeling on their trip to Scotland for a meeting of the Clan MacLeod Society.
The Clan MacLeod Society, which is a Scottish Clan, is a group of Scottish kin. The roots of Clan MacLeod are in the Highlands and Islands of northwestern Scotland. The Clan MacLeod Society, USA and its sister societies provide a way for family to keep in touch. This particular family includes people of the name MacLeod (however spelled), families with names associated with the Clan MacLeod and MacLeod descendants under other family names. Each clan typically has its own tartan and crest. A tartan is a clan's specific pattern that they use for clothing, such as kilts. A clan's crest is a symbol of their family's name.
Bill McLeod is the president of the American Branch of the Society. He presides over 13 regions in the United States and attends meetings overseeing the affairs of the branch. Ann McLeod is the Vice President of the Southeast region of the US, as well as the Migration Director for the entire branch. She is the head of the Scottish Highland Games of the region and is in charge of historical research for all families and members in the clan.
The USA branch of the Clan MacLeod Society was founded in 1954 to allow clan members to be able to learn about their culture and genealogy and to help support charitable and educational activities. Through the Dunvegan Foundation, Clan MacLeod Society, USA, provides scholarships to members, supports the Ellen Payne Odom Genealogy Library and has started the Clan MacLeod Society Migration Project, an effort to tell the world about the migration of the clan.
In February, Bill and Ann McLeod attended one of the biannual meetings along with representatives of the 10 Clan MacLeod branches all across the globe. This meeting was held in Edinburgh, Scotland. Although the meetings only lasted one week, the McLeods came a week early and stayed a week late to enjoy the sights of Edinburgh. They enjoyed tours of the Edinburgh Museum of Scotland, St. Giles Kirk, the Rosslyn Chapel and Castle and many of the city's national art and portrait galleries. They also walked the Royal Mile, touring the Edinburgh Castle and the Holy Rood House.
Bill McLeod loved the trip, commenting that "the best part of the whole trip was the feeling of being at home."