The 2024 North American Gathering Report

by Kevin John Tolmie

In late July MacLeods gathered in Livonia, Michigan for the first North American Gathering since Merritt, British Columbia in 2016. Although there was no NAG in 2020 due to COVID, the Clan kept to the convention of alternating the location between Canada and the USA.

There were about fifty attendees for at least part of the event centred on the Marriott Hotel which was officially from Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 August. Folk came from all over the US and Canada but also from Australia (Ruth MacLeod), England (President Al), New Zealand (Mary Clark) and Scotland (Wilma and me). There were talks, a show-and-tell from local Ferrari enthusiast (Bob Nix), a tour of nearby Detroit, and a great banquet with marvelous entertainment from a local choir, the DTE Singers led by musical director Dorothy Duensing who delighted with her amusing introductions. The NAG was arranged to coincide with the 175th Highland Games organised by the St Andrews Society of Detroit. Clan MacLeod proudly headed the parade on what was a very hot Saturday.

Talks included The Lost MacLeod Ship, Marquette (Bob McLeod) and The MacLeod History of Scotland (me), Mary Clark also gave a presentation on her trip to St Kilda with Dorna Caskie and me in 2018. By video link, author Barbara Bull discussed her series of novels about a MacLeod family which began with Cloud Cottage. Judy MacLeod demonstrated how to make a fascinator.

After each day’s events there was invariably a cosy get-together with drinks and snacks in a room adjacent to that of organisers John and Judy MacLeod of Naperville, Illinois. Who knew that these two Clan stalwarts originally hail from the Motor City? Special thanks to Cindy McLeod for her supply of Alabama hooch!

 At the banquet Cindy and husband Jeff were jointly awarded US MacLeod Clansperson of the Year. The greatest thanks of all are to John and Judy for all their hard work in organising such an enjoyable Clan event.

(Reproduced from the Clan MacLeod Magazine, October 2024)