How to start/build a Clan/Sept Association
(The term Clan will mean Clan/Sept throughtout)

1.  A Clan will need an Official Clan website.  This website should be the combined effort of members of the same Clan for the benefit and use of all Clan members.  If you have a Clan website already and no Official Clan website exists, simply change/add the designation of your website to an Official website.

2.  Next, designate the Clan as an Association.  Many Irish Families have Clan websites with much information about their individual Clan for all of its members.  These websites usually have mailing lists of other interested members that can be contacted to form the Association.

3.  As members of the Dalcassian Clan, a designated Official Clan Association (Ex: Clan McMahon Association) is needed to properly represent their members where a hereditary Chief does not exist (Ex: Clan O'Brien).

4.  Once a Clan Association has been designated, a representative from that Clan Association will be added to a Dalcassian Council.  These members representing their individual Clans will help guide all Dalcassian Clans and Septs in building their Associations and their Clans and Septs.

5.  Goals of the Clans are specified in the Goals section.

The following is an example of a Clan Articles of Association which may be used by any and all Irish families to designate an Official Clan Association.  This is only an example and may be modified to fit your Clans particular needs.  This draft is a suggested Articles of Association and may be adapted to suit the needs of any Association or Society.

The (Family Name) Clan

Articles of Association

Contents Introduction.

Article 1 Name of Association
Article 2 Aims and Objectives
Article 3 Officers
Article 4 President
Article 5 Membership
Article 6 Meetings
Article 7 Voting
Article 8 Honorary Membership
Article 9 Liability
Article 10 Association Property

Articles of Association

The Association is a perpetual hereditary association of people bearing the same surname, or having descended from an ancestor with that surname, or any of the variant spellings of the name (Family Name) (Variations) and other fine families.   The association is a non-profit organization, open to any and all individuals as set out in these Articles of Association, without regard to, race, color, creed, religious affiliation, age or gender.

Article 1

The name of this Association shall be The (Family Name) Clan, and shall include all surnames descended from our progenitor.

Article 2

The aim of the Association is to promote and foster all the interests of the (Family Name) Clan at home in Ireland, overseas and around the world.
To promote and foster kinship, friendship and camaraderie amongst all of the name and their descendants.
To establish and maintain an Executive Secretary Office, as a central point for communications for all members throughout the world.
To create communications amongst members by collecting, distributing, and publishing information about all aspects of the association.
To research and maintain an archive of materials relating to the (Family Name) Clan and their ancestors for the use of association members, including conducting, promoting or assisting research work into (Family Name) Clan History.
To develop and maintain a library and database for the use of Association members in tracing their ancestry and family history.
To identify, mark, and preserve the historical and archaeological sites, treasures, and events relating to the clan, including graves, castles, ancient sites and residences of ancestors.
To bring members together at periodic gatherings at the Ancestral Homelands in Ireland.
To publish An Annual Clan Journal, periodic newsletters, books, and other pertinent literature and create communication with the public, industry and governments, to inform and educate the same about the history, culture and traditions of the (Family Name) Clan.

Article 3

The Officers of the Association are the Executive Committee and should be elected from the membership.

Chairperson... The Chairperson shall be the presiding officer of the Executive Committee. In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson shall preside over the meeting.
Executive Secretary... The Executive Secretary shall be responsible for the keeping of Association membership records, notifying the membership and recording minutes of all meetings.   The Executive Secretary's office shall be the communication and coordination center for the Association, shall prepare and present a summary of Association activities at the Annual Meeting.
Treasurer... The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection, distribution and accounting of the Association funds and shall prepare and present a full account summary at the Annual Meeting.
Public Relations Officer...   The P.R.O. shall prepare or assist in the preparation and distribution of media notices and releases, as directed by the Executive Committee.
Association Historian...   The Association Historian shall be responsible for the research and preservation of the Association History.
Association Genealogist...   The Association Genealogists shall be responsible for the creation and maintenance of Family History records and assist members in tracing their ancestry.
The Executive Committee shall consist of the above Officers plus an additional 4 members elected at Annual Meeting making a total of 11.

Article 4

In some cases a "Blood-Line" Chieftain will be available to serve as Chief of the Name.   The majority of the members will elect an Association Chairperson/Chief. All registered members are invited to nominate persons for the office of Chairperson.  Only registered members may vote in election. Term of Office may be one year or as with a number of Clans, three years.

Article 5

Membership in the Association shall be open to all individuals who agree to abide by the Articles of Association Their will be "NO" annual membership fees.  Members with the (Family Name) surname (or variations) and descendents thereof, are already members by right of heritage. Membership is defined as an individual member or as a husband and wife and all children under the age of 18 years.   Such a membership shall have one vote.   Members "are" life members.   Such a membership shall have one vote.   All members will have full rights and privileges. All members of good standing may seek election to the Executive Committee.

Article 6

All meetings will be established by the Executive Committee.  
All Executive Officers and Committee shall be elected at the Annual Meeting.
All registered members may seek nomination to Executive committee and nomination must reach Executive secretary at least 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting to enable postal or proxy votes to be requested.  Only registered members may vote.
All nominations, motions, resolutions, referenda and/or other business to be acted upon, must be submitted to the Executive secretary at least 30 days prior to the Annual Meeting, to be prepared in an agenda. Any item of business submitted must include name and signature of a registered member.
Any proposed changes to the Articles of Association must be submitted for consideration and can only be voted on at the Annual Meeting.
Executive Committee meetings may be held at other times at the direction of Executive Chairperson.

Article 7

All registered members are entitled to vote on all items of business brought before the annual meeting and all matters submitted to the membership for vote by postal ballot.
Postal and proxy votes will be accepted if submitted in writing 14 days prior to meeting.
Voting for the Office of "Chairperson" will be by postal ballot of all registered members.
All motions, resolutions, referenda and/or other items of business properly submitted for the agenda will require a simple majority vote to pass.
Voting may be by a show of hands or in the case of elections to Executive Committee by a secret ballot at the direction of the Executive committee

Article 8

There are those individuals who by their actions, labors or deeds, contribute to the advancement of the goals of the Clan or family name.
The Clan may acknowledge such persons by conferring upon them such honors as committee deems fitting i.e. Meritorious Service Certificate.

Article 9

It is expressly agreed and understood that all Officers and members working for and assisting the Association in achieving it's goals and purposes, will make personal decisions and judgments that may, in hindsight, be detrimental to the interests of the Association or individual members.   It is a specific condition of membership that no member at any time, or for any reason whatsoever, shall hold any appointed or elected office of the Association, member of any committee, or volunteer assisting the Association, liable for any good faith action taken, except where:

1. Such action involved the commitment of a crime.
2. Where such action was taken to expressly cause damage to the reputation or property of the Association or its members.
3. Where an individual having custody of the property of the Association fails to deliver such property when directed by the Executive Committee.

Article 10

All property, purchased, produced, or gifted shall be the property of the Association. In the event the Association ceases to exist, all funds, property, and assets will be assigned, at the discretion of the Executive committee, to the (Family Name) Clan Association for the promotion and advancement of goals of the said organization.

Signed by:    _______________________________________________

           Chairperson                                                                    Date