2011 AGM

Welcome to the House of Gordon USA 2011 AGM!

Minutes of the Annual General Membership Meeting 2011 (AGM)– Read the report…

Treasurer’s Report — Read the report…

Membership Report — Awaiting report.

Communications Committee Report — This past year one of our top priorities was to find a way to cut our cost on publishing the annual, which in 2010 came to approximately $6.50 each. This year I was able to source a printer who offered us much more for our money! We were able to print our annual in full color, instead of color cover only as in the past, for $2.47 each which when the postage of $1.48 each was added made the total cost $3.95/annual bringing the cost to a much more reasonable amount of our operating budget. We do still need to consider cost cutting measures in this area as this still represents almost 40% of the national portion of the dues. A smaller sized booklet may be in order as well as the option for this to be delivered electronically to members who are willing to go for a greener option. Read More…

Scholarship Report — I would like to congratulate our 2011 Scholarship recipients, Azure Davis of Richmond, Virginia and Maria Taylor of Farmington, Michigan. These two fine young ladies are passionate about the Highland Dance and have worked hard to not only perfect their own skills but to also help others in their quest to become better dancers. This esprit de corps is in the best tradition of the clans and we are happy to be able to assist them in their efforts with $500.00 grants toward their instruction expenses.

Interest in our scholarship program is high and we found this year that we need to move the application window to a narrower time frame in order to have the announcements out before the main festival season begins. . Read More…

DNA Project & Fund Report — Our DNA Project currently has 314 participants and has found the haplogroups of the three major Clan branches differ: The Jock and Tam branch are Haplogroup I1, the Seton-Gordons are R1b and the Sir William Gordon (Kenmure) branch is I1d, as well as I1. The haplogroup identifies one’s ancestry thousands of years back. Those with Haplogroup I are generally descended from Scandinavians (read Viking raiders and settlers of the mid- and late Middle Ages). Haplogroup R1b is the most prominent haplogroup in Western Europe. Haplogroup I1d is a subgroup of Haplogroup I and identifies specifically Danish Viking ancestors. From this we are finding that those with direct male ancestry back to the progenitor of the clan are I1 or I1d indicating that they were Viking or more specifically Danish Viking, not Norman as has long been held. This is a very exciting revelation! Had the Gordon family been in England longer than we thought at the Dano-Saxon court or did they come with Edward the Confessor when he returned to England from Normandy as has long been thought? It may be that the Norman connection comes from the Seton line, not the Gordon! Food for thought in Scotland indeed. Read More…

Quartermaster Report —John Gordon
We currently have in on hand:
331 clan badge pins
60 yards (approx) of Gordon Modern poly-viscose tartan material

Merchandise Committee — We are looking for drop ship vendors for tee shirts and hats, and sourcing vendors for pins and are looking to partner with member Bonnie Linse’s son for some engravable items on demand, like name tags, glasses mugs, knives, trophies.

Book Committee– Lu Gordon has a source for printing a book on the Gordon Clan and she has begun a dialog regarding printing costs and all of the various parameters that encompasses, such as book size, number of pages, color verses color cover only and such. Jerry Vandenberg and Lois Todd have begun outlining the material for the book and working on putting together information, original photos, and art work and/or copyright free artwork for the rough draft. Geof Baker’s daughters will assist with original artwork for the cover. Our goal is to have this book at the Grandfather Mountain AGM in July 2012.