A Quarterly Publication of the International Clan Macfarlane Society, Inc. "For that is the mark of the Scots of all classes: that he stands in an attitude towards the past unthinkable to Englishmen, and remembers and cherishes the memory of his forebears, good or bad; and there burns alive in him a sense of identity with the dead even to the twentieth generation." -Robert Louis Stevenson Winter 2005 -2006 No. 94 Clan MacFarlane Society, Inc. Officers Michael R. MacFarlane, FSA Scot- Elizabeth Macfarlane" President Director of Genealogy 4916 Laurel Canyon Blvd 37 Mill Road Valley Village, CA 91607 USA Lloyd Harbor, NY 11743 USA (818) 980-2658 (631) 427-6152 presiden [email protected] [email protected] Brian J.W. Macfarlane- AJLandeck* Executive Vice President Director of Gatherings Bridge Cotrage 5611 Thistle Drive Main Street Prescott, AZ 86305 USA Carnock, Dunfermline (928) 778-5263 Fife, KY12 9JG Scotland [email protected] [email protected] Richard G. Kilby, FSA Scot * Kevin]. McFarlane, CPA, FSA Scot- Director of Membership Treasurer P.O. Box 285 P.O. Box 351205 Muskego, WI 53150 USA Westminster, CO 80035-1205 USA (262) 971-1284 (303) 466-8636 [email protected] Fax: (303) 484-3619 [email protected] Richard Landeck * Librarian ancy Mcl arland-Reeser- 1941 Fox Hollow Dr. East Secretary Auburndale, FL 33823 USA P.O.Box 44 (863) 967-6359 Freeport, Pennsylvania 16229 USA [email protected] 724-295-4333 [email protected] Past Presidents": Ian MacFarlane, 1973-1983 Rev. Christopher MacFarlane-Tuttle * Mary Thomas, 1983-1985 Chaplain John L. Harris, Jr. 1985-1988 P.O.Box 460084 Raymond McFarlin, 1988-1990 Escondido, CA 92046 USA Michael McFarlane, 1990-1995 (760) 580-8697 Richard A. Miller, 1995-1999 (888) 782-8129 [email protected] - Indicates a member of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors * Indicates a member of the Board of Kent Macfarlane, FSA SCOt- Directors Director of Heritage 802-1625 West 13th Avenue Vancouver, BC V6J 2G9 Canada (604) 731-0139 [email protected] MacFarlanes' Lantern 2 No. 94 Table of Contents President's Message Page 04 Vice President's UK Report Page 05 2006 AGM and World Gathering and Tour -Scotland Page 06 Membership Report Page 11 2005 AGM Minutes _.Page 12 From the Chaplain Page 13 Treasurer's Report Page 14 From the Lands' Down Under Page 16 News and Reports from the Field Page 16 Genealogy and DNA Study Report Page 18 Order of the Claymore Page 25 Battle Standard Appeal Page 29 The Clan MacFarlane Society, Inc., is an educational, secular, society formed to promote the perpetuation of Gaelic-Scottish culture, tradi- tions, customs, literature, and music. It is incorporated as a non-profit organization under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code (SOIc3). MacFarlanes' Lantern is a quarterly publication for study, research and the exchange of information among members of the Clan MacFarlane Society. It is normally published in the second week of March, June, September, and December. No items in this publication may be repro- duced without the express written consent of the Clan MacFarlane Society. Please write to the address below for details or to obtain per- rrussion. Letters and Contributions may be sent to: MacFarlanes' Lantern Michael R. MacFarlane, FSA Scot, President 4916 Laurel Canyon Blvd Valley Village, CA 91607 USA Email: [email protected] MacFarlanes'Lantern 3 No. 94 President's Page Michael R. MacFarlane,FSA Scot, President [email protected] Tha mi an dachas gu robh Nollaig Chridheil agaibh, agus gu'm bith cuideach am Bliadhna Mhath Ur dhuibh, Em bhearrais, shonais agus slainte, (I hope that you had a Merry Christmas and also that the New Year is full of prosperity, happiness and health for you) My how this year has flown by! Just about 8 months left until our Gathering in Scotland. I am really looking forward to this trip and spending time with our members from around the elobe. The final itinerary and pricing is published in this issue and deposits are due on March 15,2006. Special thanks once again to Laurie '-. McFarland-Jackson for all of her hard work and planning of what promises to be an ourstanding tour. We are still waiting to hear back from the planning committee from the Loch Lomond National park on the development that our proposed Heritage Centre will be part of. I have been assured that we will have some definite progress just after the new year. We are however progressing nicely on the claim we are making on Island I Vow.Our Solicitor is currently circulating the paperwork that needs to be filed, to all of the Trustees of Clan MacFarlane Heritage Trust, for our signatures so we can proceed with our claim on the island. I arn including some pictures of the recent damage to the castle ruins. We need to do everything we can to regain ownership of this Island to prevent further vandalism. The casde on I VOW was originally builr by our l-ith Chief Andrew, the Hero of the Battle of Langside where he was awarded the Crest and Motto that our clansmen around the world still indentify with to this very day. The vandalism to such important parts of our heritage are an insult to every member of our clan and our ancestors. The Clan MacFarlane Society will do everything in it's power to see that our heritage is given the proper respect that it deserves. Thank you very much to all that have submitted journal entries that have visited the island previously.These will be a great help when making our case that our membership uses the island. If you have visited Island I Vow in the past, please create a journal entry detailing your visit and send it to me at presidenrrs'macfar- lane.org. We are also making good progress with our appeal to raise funding for the preservation work on our Clan's Battle Standard. We have raised over $1,500 to date and we hope to present a check for the full amount to the Museum in Edinburgh in July during the tour. We will be contacting the National Museum of Scodand shortly and are hoping to arrange a private visit to see the Standard in Edinburgh for alJ those on the trip. Please keep the donations coming in for the Battle Standard Project as well as the Heritage Centre Project. Our success is depending on you. MacFarlanes' Lantern 4 No. 94 Vice President's UK Report Brian J.W Macfarlane, Executive Vice President [email protected] Just a message to let you know I'm still alive and kicking. In fact Sheena and I have become grandparents for the first time on 9th November when Shaun Aidan Kane was born. He, untorrunareley for him looks just like his Macfarlane grandfather. We can all but hope age changes him, thankfully it certainly worked that way with his mother Claire:) Our youngest daughter Fiona is also expecting on Christmas Eve so hopefully Santa will bring us a granddaughter safe and well too. My wife Sheena and I attended the Cowal Highland Games and ran the clan tent with our good friends and fellow members Ken and Linda Macfarlane from Lanarkshire, Scodand and Glenn and Nicole Miller from CA, USA on the 27th August. This really helps to show the international flavour of this society. A great time was had by all and a great deal of interest shown, We welcomed 2 new members. My personal thanks to both couples. I have designed a Silver "Clan MacFarlane" pendant which we have had made with the help of Michael MacFarlane our Pres idem. These are being used as part of the donation package we have put rogerhcr to fund the restoration of the MacFarlane Bau.le SlallJarJ which is in Scotland's National Museum.We need approx £l5,OOOI$25,OOOUS for this very worthwhile cause. There wouldri'r be a great deal of point in creating a museum if we have nothing to show in it so recendy we as a Society have been acquiring MacFarlane related arti- facts which we hope will take pride of place in our future Museum. Any of you who have anything interesting to offer in this regard please get in touch with either Michael or myself As I said in die meantime though we have acquired an Ancient document written in Latin on Vellum in the year 1462 from the Bishop of Glasgow, Andrew di Durisdeer. He had been asked to seek authorisation from Pope Pius II for the Consanguinious marriage (Both party's sharing the same Ancestor) of Gilbert MacAllan and Agnes MacFarlan. At that time only chiefs and their immediate families would have felt the need to go to those lengths rather than merely jumping the broom so to speak. It looks very much as if these two were probably first cousins (This wasn't allowed in Scodand right up until the last Century) and indeed descended from John our Srh Chief. I believe legend has it that Allan MacFarlane a son of a chief resettled in Aberdeenshire and his progeny adhered to the name MacAllan (son of Allan) from him. it would look like to me rhar Gilbert MacAllan would likely be his son.The exciting thing about this is it is probably the earliest documentary Froof that MacAllan is con- nected to MacFarlane by blood. We will be getting the tul Latin Text translated shortly to see it there is anymore interesting details therein. The condition of this 54.5 year old letter is remarkable. We can all be very proud that this society now owns this ancient Document.