

The most important event of each year for the Murray Clan Society of North America is the Annual General Meeting (AGM).
An AGM is three distinct events – a meeting of the council; the AGM itself where clan members receive reports on the state of the organization from the President and other Society officers as well as serving as a means by members can give voice to their issues and concerns; the annual Clan Dinner at which we toast the haggis and enjoy a fine meal, entertainment, and one another’s company.
2012 Murray Clan Society AGM – May 19th
AGM Location:
Our Society AGM will occur at the 52nd Annual Colonial Highland Gathering, May 19, 2012, held at the Fair Hill Race Track in Fair Hill, MD. This is a wonderful, grassy venue in the middle of horse country for our Mid-Atlantic area. The games have piping, athletics and dancing competitions, plus a nice array of vendors selling food, Scottish attire and gifts. The massed bands playing at the opening and closing ceremonies is always a thrilling sight. More information about the Games and purchasing advanced entrance tickets can be gotten by calling (302)309-0032, or can be found on the internet at - http://fairhillscottishgames.org/index.html
Accommodations:
For those members requiring accommodations, the Society has arranged to set aside 20 rooms at the Embassy Suites in Newark, Delaware, which is a nice college town (University of Delaware) about 6 miles from the Games. The hotel will be a great place to enjoy all our Society activities. A Manager’s Reception will be held Friday and Saturday afternoons from 5:30 to 7pm and a hearty full breakfast will be available Saturday and Sunday mornings. Our Murray Clan Dinner will be held at the hotel Saturday evening.
Rides from the hotel to the Games can be provided upon request. Please contact one of the organizers listed below if you need to arrange transportation to the hotel.
Room rates total $133.92 (Room Rate 124.00 + 8% taxes) per night for Friday and Saturday nights based on double adult occupancy (18 years and older). Children under 18 years of age stay for free in the spacious rooms. To get the special room rates, tell the reservation desk you are attendees of the ”Clan Murray Room Block”. The cut-off date for getting the special rate is 4/27/2012. Here is the contact info for the hotel -
Embassy Suites Newark/Wilmington
654 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19713
(302)368-8000
http://embassysuites1.hilton.com/en_US/es/hotel/NEWDEES-Embassy-Suites-Newark-Wilmington-South-Delaware/index.do
Murray Clan Society Dinner:
The Murray Clan Society dinner will be held Saturday evening at the Embassy Suites. Two drinks tickets will be made available during the reception from 5:30 to 7pm. At 7pm, a very nice full-course buffet will be made available. The evening will include a haggis and the piping in, addressing and serving of the same. We will also have some nice items to raffle off as well as door prizes to win. The price will be $40.00 per person which includes the gratuity. We must let them know how many will attend by 5/7/2012. Please download the reservation form from here. Please make all checks out to “Murray Clan Society of North American ” and mail it to the address specified.
The Newark, Delaware Area:
Besides the very pretty and quaint houses, shops and eateries in Newark itself, there are a lot of nice things to see in the area. Longwood Gardens is just up Route 1 in southern Chester County, PA, as is the Brandywine River Museum and other spots related to N.C and Andrew Wyeth, and the historic Brandywine. You are also very close to DuPont country and such places as Winterthur and the Hagley Museum. The Amish country of PA is up and to the West and Philadelphia is up and to the East. And of course, there are shopping centers all over the place. A trip to any of these places could be arranged for Sunday if there is enough interest.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jane Murray, email: pa-com@clanmurray.org OR Gene Small, email: region3@clanmurray.org. Have a great and safe winter - hope to see everyone in May!
The Murray Clan Society of North America will be represented at the following events in 2012. The name preceeding the event is the host of the event.
Canada
British Columbia
Ted Leaker.
Comox Valley Highland Games 19 May http://www.cvhg.org/
Victoria Highland Games 20 May http://victoriahighlandgames.com/
British Columbia Highland Games 23 Jun http://www.bchighlandgames.com/
Ontario
Stan Fleming
Georgetown Highland Games 9 Jun http://www.georgetownhighlandgames.com/
Fergus Scottish Festival and Highland Games 10-12 Aug http://www.fergusscottishfestival.com/
United States
Connecticut
Evelyn Murray
Connecticut Scottish Games 6 Oct http://www.sasct.org/festival.html
Maine Highland Games 18 Aug http://www.mainehighlandgames.org/
Maryland
Michigan
Tom Murray
Rhode Island Scottish Highland Festival 9 Jun http://www.riscot.org/
Tennessee
Corky Murray
Gatlinburg Scottish Festival and Games 12-13 May http://www.gsfg.org/
Virginia
Douglas Murray
National Tartan Day Festival (w/) 2 Oct http://www.tartandaydc.org/
Virginia Scottish Games 1-2 Sep http://www.vascottishgames.org/
Tom Murray III
Williamsburg Celtic Festival 6-7 Oct http://www.wsfonline.org/
Meadow Highland Games 20-21 Oct http://www.meadowceltic.com/
Washington
Kathy Gildea
Pacific NW Scottish Highland Games and Clan Gathering 21-22 Jul http://www.sshga.org/
For further information check the following websites for other festivals and games. Then, contact the state commissioner ( see the Commissioners tab above ) to see whether they are planning to attend a specific festival. US Scots, Association of Scottish Games and Festivals, Keltic Nations schedule of North American events. Some of these sites also list Canadian and European festivals.
The following is from the Whitehouse website.
"National Tartan Day, 2008
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America
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Americans of Scottish descent have made enduring contributions to our Nation with their hard work, faith, and values. On National Tartan Day, we celebrate the spirit and character of Scottish Americans and recognize their many contributions to our culture and our way of life.
Scotland and the United States have long shared ties of family and friendship, and many of our country's most cherished customs and ideals first grew to maturity on Scotland's soil. The Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Declaration of Independence signed in 1320, embodied the Scots' strong dedication to liberty, and the Scots brought that tradition of freedom with them to the New World. Sons and daughters of many Scottish clans were among the first immigrants to settle in America, and their determination and optimism helped build our Nation's character. Several of our Founding Fathers were of Scottish descent, as have been many Presidents and Justices of the United States Supreme Court. Many Scottish Americans, such as Andrew Carnegie, were great philanthropists, founding and supporting numerous scientific, educational, and civic institutions. From the evocative sounds of the bagpipes to the great sport of golf, the Scots have also left an indelible mark on American culture.
National Tartan Day is an opportunity to celebrate all Americans who claim Scottish ancestry, and we are especially grateful for the service in our Armed Forces of Scottish Americans who have answered the call to protect our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 6, 2008, as National Tartan Day. I call upon all Americans to observe this day by celebrating the continued friendship between the people of Scotland and the United States and by recognizing the contributions of Scottish Americans to our Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.
GEORGE W. BUSH"