CAMERONS IN NORTH AMERICA

Clan Cameron Online launched "Am Camshron Bladier," otherwise known as The Clan Cameron Message Center, on January 1, 2001. One month into service the Message Center has proven to be a very useful forum for interaction between clansfolk worldwide. With its twenty-networked message boards, and the re-named and re-formatted chat room "Sir Ewen's Last Wolf Pub," we believe that the Clan Cameron Association is once again breaking new ground on the Net.
Each month we will be offering a new and hopefully intriguing question on our "Monthly Survey" board. In January we kicked off this series of questions by posing:

"Are Camerons, by nature, procrastinators?"

One Cameron shared the tale of her father, who has a tendency to start a good number of projects, but not complete them. According to the daughter, it seems that this gentleman comes from a long line of Cameron men who have acted in a similar fasion, with one ancestor responsible with working on Achnacarry in the early 1800s and leaving it unfinished. It should be noted, however, that this gent should not be held accountable for this specific instance of procrastination, since it was a decision by then-Lochiel that left Achnacarry in a state of "limbo" for a couple of decades.

Others related that once their Camerons are given a task, they are focused, diligent, and thorough. Numerous references were also made to the Camerons and their support of Bonnie Prince Charlie in 1745. It was noted that The Gentle Lochiel took his time before ultimately agreeing to "toss in his lot" with the Prince. This decision, whether attributed to indecision or perhaps careful consideration prior to action, is a wonderful example of just how difficult an issue this is to speculate upon. One respondent brought up the interesting point that if The Gentle Lochiel had made an instant decision, in lieu of consideration/procrastination, the Camerons may well have remained out of the Jacobite Uprising, which may not have even occurred without our clan's participation. There are always "what ifs" in any discussion like this.

A brief foray into genetics also occurred, and most parties seem to agree that while it is somewhat improbable to inherit a gene for procrastination from just your Cameron family line, there may well be a propensity for young, impressionable Cameron lads to mimic their father's behavior - the age old heredity vs. environment discussion. If these fathers in turn did the same by patterning after their fathers, and so on backward a number of generations, it may very well be that certain (but by no means not all) Cameron families do have marked procrastination. However, this may be said of any family line, Scottish or non-Scot. One Cameron stated their point quite well, posting "where do we draw the line between impulsiveness, indecision and procrastination? For some of us it takes just a little more time to think things out, and then act with decisiveness. I don't think we Camerons are any more guilty of procrastination than any other folks."

Of all responses, one clearly summed up the situation in the most concise and economical fashion - "Can I get back to you later with an answer?"

TRAGEDY OVER THE CAIRNGORMS

On Monday, March 26, two U.S. F-15C fighter jets crashed near the summit of 4,296-foot Ben Macdhui. Ben Macdhui is the tallest peak in the Cairngorms, which rise in the central Highlands of Scotland. RAF mountain rescue teams found remains of both planes, but initially only one of the two pilot's bodies, Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Hyvonen. The body of the second pilot, Captain Kirk Jones, was found on Friday, March 30, quieting speculation that he might have survived the crash. High winds, heavy snow and the threat of avalanches made the search quite perilous, according to British air force officials. Air accident investigators are still working at the crash sites, where a cordon has been set up to preserve evidence.

The two single-seat fighters were on a routine three-hour training sortie over Northern Scotland, departing from Lakenheath Air Base, 75 miles northeast of London. Weather in the Cairngorms for most of the afternoon had been cold and bright with good visibility and light southerly winds, but snow and sleet showers were beginning to develop in the mountains, where temperatures near the mountain peaks are about 21 degrees.

Although a spokeswoman at Lakenheath declined to speculate on the cause of the crash, there are reports that the two fighters may have gone down after touching in flight, approximately forty-five after leaving the air base.

TARTAN DAY

April 6th will be celebrated across international boundaries as Tartan Day. There are celebrations planned for this year in major cities, some in conjunction with the Clan Cameron Association. Not many know that this holiday, originally convened in Nova Scotia, was first promoted by members of Clan Cameron Nova Scotia. To our insightful kin within that branch, we tip our cyber tams! While still a youthful holiday in the U.S., Tartan Day is growing in terms of being celebrated throughout the country. I still remember reading a transcript from the White House's Daily Briefing on April 6, 1998, the first year that National Tartan Day was celebrated in the U.S. When BBC Scotland asked former President Clinton's Press Secretary, Mike McCurry, for comments on the National Tartan Day, his response was a disappointing "National what?" It is hoped that the Bush Administration improves upon this...

CLAN CAMERON NORTH AMERICA CENSUS

For the first time the Association in North America has undertaken a membership census for all its chapters and branches. When all the heads were counted, a total of 2,637 clansfolk were tallied. North American Commissioner Donald J. Cameron indicates that this census will now take place on an annual basis.

CAMERICANA - A RECENT ACQUISITION

In conjunction with his ongoing book project, The Camerons in America, the Clan Cameron Association's Northern U.S. President, Tom Cameron has been gathering what he would like to believe are significant items dealing with Camerons in the U.S. and Canada. Recently, he participated in a NASA live auction via the Internet, and came away with a true prize: the actual NASA space shuttle flight suit worn by astronaut Kenneth D. Cameron in April, 1993, where he acted as mission commander of STS-56 on board the orbiter Discovery, which was the second Spacelab ATLAS mission.

The suit itself is in wonderful condition, and will be photographed for inclusion in the book project, and perhaps eventual donation to the Clan Cameron Museum at Achnacarry. Tom's collection of items has been growing in recent months, and now also includes the kilt broach pin worn by the piper of the Canadian Cameron Highlanders Regiment, the very same pin worn as this gentleman piped the Camerons into battle during WWI. Other odds and ends have come his way as well, such as an original Edison Cylinder recording, circa 1910, of the tune March of the Cameron Men, which is thought to be one of the earliest documented recordings of this song. For those interested in hearing this recording, Tom is working on having it transferred to compact disk, and plans on offering it via the main website to other Camerons.

As part of the Camerons in America book project, Tom is now actively seeking early photographs, newsletters and souvenirs of the Clan Cameron Association in North America, for inclusion into the chapter dealing with the Association. One highly sought after item would be a posed photograph of Lochiel and Mickey Mouse, taken during our chief's visit to Florida a decade or so ago. Anyone having such a picture, or any other interesting North American Branch documentation, is asked to contact Tom, at: tcam1@aol.com

NATIONAL FAMILY HISTORY MONTH IN THE U.S.

On September 26th, due to the efforts of numerous genealogical organizations and individuals within the United States, Family History Month began its long journey towards becoming a government sanctioned event.

Senate Resolution 160 was introduced to the floor by Utah Republican Senator Orrin G. Hatch, being co-sponsored by fellow Utah Senator Robert Bennett, to annually designate October in the aforementioned manner. By unanimous consent the Senate approved this legislation; S.R. 160 had an impressive number of co-sponsors, eighty-four. Senator Hatch had the following comments for his colleagues:

"Millions of Americans are researching the history of their families. Experts say that in the United States, genealogy is now the second most popular hobby next to gardening. It is believed that more that 80 million Americans are currently actively searching for more information about their ancestors. It is only natural that we want to find out more about our ancestors. What better way to bring families closer together than by discovering more about the story of their own family? Like it or not, who we are today is in large part, a product of our ancestors. With the advent of the Internet, there has been an explosion of interest in family history. Last month alone, more than 14 million Americans used the Internet to research their family history. Genealogy Internet sites are some of the most popular sites on the World Wide Web. My church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has family history information on nearly 500 million individuals on its family history web site at http://www.familysearch.com. Essentially, we are all immigrants to this country. Our ancestors came from different parts of the globe. By searching for our roots, we come closer together as a human family. Researching ancestry is a very important component of identity. It can lead to long-sought-after family reunions or allow for life saving medical treatments that only genetic links will allow. For all of these reasons, I encourage people across this nation to find out more about where they came from."

Hatch and his fellow Senators have encouraged President Bush to issue a proclamation for the American people to observe the month of October with events, ceremonies and genealogically-based activities. The President is expected to sign the bill shortly.

AMERICA ONLINE EXPLORES SCOTTISH KILTS

Many Camerons who use the America Online (AOL) service were pleasantly surprised on Friday, August 17th to see a headline photo of three gents in kilts on their welcome/start-up page. It seems that AOL was examining the issue of "Men in Skirts," as they so thoughtfully called it! While the headline was insensitive to many of Scots descent, the survey they conducted was of great interest.

The final results were as follows:

QUESTION #1: Should men include skirts in their wardrobe?

(A) Yes, everyone should wear whatever they want.
Votes: 27628 - 46% of respondents
(B) No, men should wear pants or shorts.
Votes: 20525 - 34% of respondents
(C) Only if they were very masculine-looking skirts.
Votes: 10811 - 18% of respondents

QUESTION #2: Would you ever wear a skirt?

(A) Maybe I'd don a kilt in Scotland.
Votes: 13735 - 37% of respondents
(B) No chance.
Votes: 11729 - 31% of respondents
(C) Sure. Women wear pants all the time.
Votes: 7704 - 20% of respondents
(D) I already do.
Votes: 3792 - 10% of respondents

QUESTION #3: Women, what do you think of men in skirts?

(A) Kilts are great, but forget about the rest.
Votes: 16404 - 36% of respondents
(B) Makes no difference. A good man is a good man.
Votes: 13062 - 28% of respondents
(C) It's just not attractive.
Votes: 10009 - 22% of respondents
(D) They're all very cool and very sexy.
Votes: 5728 - 12% of respondents

KILT POCKETS?
July 28, 2000

True Highlanders are rubbishing an Edinburgh man's design of kilts with special pockets for mobile phones. Howie Nicholsby' a "2lst Century Kilt Range" offers "modern" Highland dress for clubbers to carry items like mobile phones, water bottles and packs of cigarettes in kilt pockets and pouches. But Highlanders like Rob Cameron, former assistant rector of the 1200 pupil Lochaber High School in Fort William is totally bemused by the idea. "Hasn't Howie heard of kilt belts and the fact that mobile phones can be clipped on to them?", he asks. "And as for carrying other items - that's what the sporran is for. Tap a local man's sporran up here in Lochaber and you'll probably hear a very satisfying gurgle - from the sporran flask which contains his medicinal dram or two of whisky." But Howie Nicholsby insists, "By putting mobile phone pockets in, makes kilts practical in the new millennium," he reckons. Rob Cameron, who has worn the kilt for 60 of 65 years - and who also carries a mobile phone - remains unimpressed. "Howie should join the Sporran Legion"

FIVE YEARS AND COUNTING - THE "CYBER CAIRN"

On November 1, 1996 the Electronic "Chapter" of the Clan Cameron Association (Clan Cameron Online would achieve chartered branch status in mid-2000) launched its website on the Internet. The website followed upon the success of the Online Newsletters, which had already been in existence for a full year, and an online membership which dated back to May of 1995. Since the "launch" of that very elementary website in 1996, Clan Cameron Online has broken past the 100,000 visitor/hit plateau, and has grown and developed to meet the needs of the "Cyber-Camerons" who call it their home on the Net.

As we celebrate our fifth anniversary, special thanks must go out to the various "Internet Contacts" which have been established over the years. Anyone ever wishing to get in contact with their local chapter or branch knows who these dedicated Camerons are, for they answer queries and assist their local clansfolk whenever the call for assistance is made.

Clan Cameron Online recently broke free of "cyber-space," sponsoring the first ever Clan Cameron Ben Nevis Ascent on August 2nd. As the Electronic Branch of the Association, we have attempted to find unique and entertaining venues from which to explore Cameron heritage, often off-line as well as on-line. One idea was recently fielded, which has special merit, and would celebrate our 5th anniversary here in cyber space. As many know, a Cameron Cairn was recently dedicated upon the grounds of Achnacarry, with clansfolk bringing and sending stones to be included within this lasting marker. The variant of this idea proposes the creation of a Clan Cameron "Cyber Cairn," which would be placed upon the website. This Cyber Cairn would be the first of its kind, either on the Internet or off-line. While the mere name "Cyber Cairn" points toward a graphical image-only creation, this cairn will be the real thing, an actual stone cairn, but on a very small scale.

At this time we would like to call upon clansfolk from throughout the world to each send along one small stone here to our main address (Clan Cameron Online, P.O. Box 745, Plainfield, IL 60544, USA). The stones should be somewhere between 1/2" and 1" in size, and clansfolk should include a note indicating from whom the stone was sent, along with their hometown, state/province/shire, and country. We will be compiling these stones into a small cairn (not a bonsai garden, but a bonsai cairn), and posting photos of its progress on regular intervals upon the website, along with the participant's names. A miniature plaque will also be included within this project, with similar wording as the cairn at Achnacarry.

Please help us create this Cyber Cairn, to mark our fifth anniversary here on the Net in a unique fashion - Scots love to build things with rocks, both on and off-line!

TWO CAMERON REGIONS TWINNED

On Sunday, August 5th, the North of Scotland Region of Clan Cameron Scotland, and the Northern U.S. Region of Clan Cameron North America were "twinned" to one another. The respective regional presidents, Sonia Cameron-Jacks and Thomas A. Cameron, had been discussing the possibility of forming such a cooperative venture for a few months prior to the Gathering, and with their handshake agreement, the arrangement was finalized.

It is hoped that the twinning of the two regions will lead to frequent cultural exchanges, intercommunication, and friendship between members

NORTHERN U.S. RALLY - AN UPDATE

Plans are still being formulated for the Clan Cameron Northern U.S. Rally, taking place over the June 21-22 weekend of 2002 at the Ohio Scottish Games. It is hoped that by early 2002 additional details may be available, such as specially planned events and also word of the Honored Guest for the games.

One event is being planned, which will be a direct benefit to the Association. As part of the Rally, an auction of Cameron and Scottish items will be taking place. Proceeds will go directly toward "kicking off" the Northern U.S. Region's Clan Cameron College & University Outreach Program, which will purchase copies of The History of Clan Cameron and donate them to college/university libraries, as to encourage younger kinsfolk to take a greater interest in their proud heritage. Details on the exact date and time of the auction are still pending, but donations have already begun to arrive.

Just within the last few days noted author Diana Gabaldon, who has penned the very popular Outlander series of novels, gifted us with an auction item: a personally inscribed hard cover copy of her latest novel, The Fiery Cross. Diana has featured Camerons prominently in her works, and inscribed the book as follows: "To a proud member of Clan Cameron - Aonaibh Ri Cheile! Diana Gabaldon."

Our hope is to bring many such one of a kind items to the Northern U.S. Rally, where the auction will be just one of many reasons to visit the Ohio Scottish Games.

MARTIN KINSWOMAN EXONERATED AFTER 300+ YEARS

Susannah Martin, hanged in 1692 during the Salem witch trials, can finally rest in peace. On Halloween Day, Massachusetts Acting Governor Jane Swift signed into law a bill officially exonerating Martin and four others executed during the hysteria. "The governor thought that Halloween was an appropriate day to sign this bill," said Shawn Feddeman, a spokeswoman for Swift. Descendants of some of the accused witches pushed for the bill as the state of Massachusetts never acknowledged the injustice. In addition to Martin, Bridget Bishop, Alice Parker, Margaret Scott, and Wilmot Redd were also exonerated. Twenty men and women were hanged, crushed to death, or left to die in prison during the trials, fueled by the dark isolation of colonial Massachusetts, a deep belief in the supernatural, and political feuds. Martin, accused of "sundry acts of witchcraft," proclaimed her innocence during her trial and laughed defiantly at her accusers. Ten days later, she was hanged. By the end of May 1692, 200 accused witches were in jail. The largest group of accused witches was hanged in September 1692. The trials ended in May 1693, when Governor William Phips pardoned all remaining suspects. In 1711, the legislature issued a general amnesty that exonerated all but six of the accused witches. In 1957 the state legislature passed a resolution exonerating Ann Pudeator, who was hanged. This bill finishes the job, said Paul Tirone, who sponsored the bill.