First-Time Attendee Guide
Welcome!
If this is your first Clan Campbell Society Annual General Meeting, welcome.
The Annual General Meeting, often called the AGM, is the yearly gathering where members of the Clan Campbell Society of North America and the Clan Campbell Education Foundation come together to hear updates, review Society business, recognize volunteer efforts, discuss future priorities, receive training, and connect with other members from across North America.
Each year, CCSNA plans the AGM around a destination location so members have the opportunity to experience a new part of North America while gathering with the Society. The location generally alternates between eastern and western regions from year to year to give members across the country a better chance to attend. We aim to pair the AGM with a new city, local culture, and often a nearby Highland Games or Scottish heritage event each year.
The business meeting is usually followed by an evening banquet, which gives members a more relaxed setting to enjoy fellowship together. The banquet often includes annual awards, music, haggis, and other fun social activities that help make the AGM weekend feel less like a formal meeting and more like a true Clan Campbell gathering.
We want the AGM weekend to be a chance to travel, connect, celebrate service, enjoy Scottish heritage, and strengthen the broader Clan Campbell community together.
A Simple First-Time Attendee Plan
If you are attending for the first time, here is an easy approach:
- Register for the AGM.
- Book your hotel room.
- Review the weekend schedule.
- Attend the business meeting.
- Introduce yourself to at least three people.
- Ask who your commissioner or regional contact is.
- Attend the Highland Games if your schedule allows.
- Follow up after the weekend with anyone you connected with.
That is enough for a successful first AGM.
Who Should Attend?
The AGM is for members who want to be more connected to the Society.
You should feel welcome attending if:
- You are a new member and want to learn how CCSNA works
- You are a longtime member who wants to reconnect
- You are interested in Campbell history, genealogy, or Scottish heritage
- You want to meet other Campbells and sept families
- You are curious about volunteer opportunities
- You serve as a commissioner, deputy commissioner, committee member, trustee, or officer
- You are attending the Highland Games and want to connect with the Society during the weekend
You do not need to know everyone before you come. The AGM is one of the easiest places to introduce yourself and meet other members.
What to Expect at the Business Meeting
The Business Meeting is designed to help members understand where the Society is today and where it is going next.
There are many items to review during the meeting, so we schedule ample time to hear from officers, committee chairs, commissioners, and CCEF leadership. The meeting regularly includes a working lunch so members can continue the discussion and fellowship without losing time from the agenda.
The meeting may include:
- Welcome and introductions
- CCSNA leadership updates
- CCEF updates
- Committee chair reports
- Commissioner and regional updates
- Membership and financial updates
- Recognition of volunteers and service
- Training or resource updates for members and commissioners
- Discussion of Society priorities
- Governance items and elections, if applicable
- Member questions and discussion
- Opportunities to meet officers, trustees, commissioners, committee chairs, and other members
The tone is businesslike but friendly. You are welcome to participate, ask questions, or simply listen and learn. You are not required to speak during the meeting. Many first-time attendees mostly listen, take notes, and meet people during breaks, lunch, or weekend activities.
Attire: Kilts, tartan, and Highland dress are welcome, but not required. Casual business attire is appropriate for the meeting.
What to Expect at the Awards Banquet
The AGM business meeting is usually followed by an evening banquet, which gives members a chance to relax, enjoy fellowship, and celebrate the people who help carry the Society forward.
The banquet is one of the more social parts of the AGM weekend. While the business meeting focuses on reports, updates, and Society priorities, the banquet is more about connection, tradition, and recognition. Members gather for dinner, conversation, music, annual awards, and Scottish cultural elements such as an Address to the Haggis.
For first-time attendees, the banquet is a good opportunity to meet other members in a less formal setting. You may hear stories from past Society events, meet officers and commissioners, learn more about volunteer service, and see members recognized for their contributions to the Clan Campbell community.
The exact program may vary from year to year, but the banquet commonly includes:
- Dinner and fellowship
- Recognition of annual award recipients
- Volunteer and service acknowledgments
- Music or Scottish entertainment
- Haggis or a traditional haggis presentation
- Toasts, remarks, or short presentations
- Time to socialize with other members
- Installation of new officers and/or trustees
Kilts, tartan, and Highland dress are welcome at the banquet and many attendees wear full formal Scottish attire if you are looking for a reason to get dressed up.
The banquet helps close the formal meeting day on a more celebratory note. It is where the AGM weekend often shifts from Society business to shared heritage, friendship, and fun.
Can My Spouse or Family Attend?
Yes. Family members are welcome at many AGM weekend activities. When registering, please review the options carefully so each person is signed up for the correct meals, meetings, banquets, or activities.
Some portions of the weekend may be more business-focused, while others are better suited for family participation, fellowship, and Highland Games activities. Your Family members are welcome to join any part or all of the festivities, just make sure they are also registered for the AGM.
How Should I Prepare?
You do not need to do much to prepare, but the following can help:
- Register for the AGM before the deadline
- Book your hotel room before the room block deadline
- Review the weekend schedule
- Check whether Highland Games tickets must be purchased separately
- Bring any questions you have about the Society
- Introduce yourself when you arrive
- Be open to meeting members from different regions
If meeting materials, agendas, reports, or committee updates are posted before the AGM, you may review them in advance, but first-time attendees should not feel overwhelmed by them.
Why Attend in Person?
The AGM is where the Clan Campbell Society comes to life.
Newsletters, emails, and social media can keep you informed, but they cannot replace the experience of sitting across the table from other members, hearing their stories, sharing your own, and realizing that the Society is more than a name on a membership card.
In person, the AGM becomes a full weekend experience: a new destination city, a room full of Campbells and sept families, Society updates from the people doing the work, conversations over meals, awards, music, Highland Games, tartan, haggis, and the kind of connections that are hard to build from behind a screen.
For newer members, it is one of the easiest ways to feel like you actually belong. For longtime members, it is a chance to reconnect, celebrate the work being done, and help welcome the next wave of Campbell families into the Society.
Come for the meeting. Stay for the people, the stories, the heritage, and the weekend you will remember.
What Should I Expect Socially?
Expect a friendly environment with plenty of people willing to mentor or guide you through the community.
You will likely meet members from different states, regions, and backgrounds. Some attendees may be deeply involved in Society leadership, while others may be newer members who are still learning about their Campbell connection.
A good first step is simply introducing yourself:
“My name is _____ from _____. This is my first AGM and I am looking to meet more people in the Society.”
That is enough. Most members will be glad to help you feel included.
The AGM weekend is also a good place to ask about genealogy, local events, commissioner activities, Highland Games, volunteer opportunities, and ways to become more involved.
Here are a few good questions for first-time attendees:
- How did you first get involved with CCSNA?
- Who is my state or regional commissioner?
- Are there local events near me?
- How can I learn more about Campbell genealogy?
- What committees are active right now?
- What volunteer help does the Society need?
- How do members usually stay connected after the AGM?
- What should I make sure I do while I am here?
These are normal questions. You do not need to already know the answers.
What Should I Wear?
Casual business attire is appropriate for the business meeting. More formal Kilts and tartan attire are usually worn for the Banquet. Highland Games attire is very casual.
Kilts, tartan, and Highland dress are welcome for the events, but not required. Some members enjoy wearing Campbell tartan or Highland attire, especially during the Highland Games portion of the weekend, but you should not feel out of place if you attend in regular business-casual clothing.
For the Highland Games, comfortable walking shoes are strongly recommended.
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Other questions asked on occasion:
What Is the Difference Between the AGM and the Highland Games?
The AGM is the Society’s annual meeting.
The Highland Games are the Scottish cultural festival taking place during the same weekend.
Many members attend both. The AGM provides the formal Society gathering, while the Highland Games provide a more casual setting for clan tents, Scottish athletics, piping, dancing, vendors, food, music, and fellowship.
If you are new, attending both can give you a much better sense of the Society. The meeting helps you understand the organization, and the Games help you experience the broader Scottish cultural community.
Are Highland Games Tickets Included?
Usually, Highland Games tickets are a separate costs unless the AGM registration page specifically states otherwise.
Please review the event details carefully and purchase Highland Games tickets directly through the Games if needed.
What If I Am Still Learning About My Campbell Connection?
That is completely fine. Many members are still researching their family history, surname connection, sept relationship, or Scottish heritage. You do not need to arrive with a completed genealogy chart or a perfect understanding of Clan Campbell history.
The Society exists, in part, to help members explore that connection over time through history, genealogy, culture, fellowship, and service.
Is This Only for Campbells?
No. Clan Campbell includes Campbells, recognized sept families, descendants, spouses, family members, and others who are connected to or interested in the Clan Campbell tradition.
If you are part of the CCSNA community or exploring your connection to Clan Campbell, you are welcome.
Final Encouragement
If you are new, do not worry about knowing every name (we usually have nametags anyway), role, rule, or tradition before you arrive. We will guide you through the experience.
Come to listen. Come to learn. Come to receive training. Come to meet other members. Come to experience the Society in person.
The Clan Campbell Society is strongest when members move from interest to involvement, and the AGM is one of the best places to start.