Joining the Society

Lineal Member

The American Clan Gregor Society is a genealogically based Society meaning members must meet certain requirements in their family history. Any person is eligible for lineal membership in the ACGS, Inc if they:

• are 18 years of age or over and bear the name MacGregor or variations thereof, or the name of one of the numerous Septs, who can trace his/her ancestry to Scotland or the Americas prior to 1870; or
• are 18 years of age or over and is a descendant of an ancestor born prior to 1812 bearing the surname of Magruder or MacGehee.

Associate Member

The spouse of a Lineal Member may become an Associate member. Associate Members can hold any office with the exception of Chieftain or Ranking Deputy Chieftain, and have the right to vote.

Junior Member

A junior member is a person aged less than 18 years who bears the name MacGregor or variations thereof, or the name of one of the numerous Septs, and who can trace his/her ancestry to Scotland or the Americas prior to 1870.

Provisional Member

A provisional member is a person who believes they are eligible as a lineal member but lacks sufficient material to support their eligibility. Provisional members may remain as such a member for a maximum of 2 years. During that period they pay dues at the same rate as a lineal member. If after the 2 year period they are unable or unwilling to produce the final documentation, they lose their membership in ACGS. If they find such documentation as required at a later date, they may reapply for membership without any penalty.

Honorary Member

This is reserved for honoring persons in the ACGS environment that are considered to have provided significant assistance, guidance and mentorship. It is awarded by the Council and the Annual Membership and may not be sought by the person.

Membership Application Process

A potential member must complete an application form for the appropriate membership level, see below. Go to the link for the form needed, print the form and then complete it as completely as you are able. Send the completed form, together with fee you will be redirected to this page upon submission of your membership application, to the Registrar.

Membership Applications

The following are the application form links for the membership levels:

• Provisional Membership Application
  • is for those people who do not have all the necessary materials available at the time or who are unsure if they qualify and would like some time to determine their status. This membership costs the same annual amount as Lineal Membership and membership expires two years after approval. Provisional members are entitled to all the benefits of Lineal Members but cannot hold any office nor can they vote on any issues.
• Junior Membership Application
• Associate Membership Application
• Lineal Membership Application

Membership Dues

The dues differ by the type of membership:

• Lineal is $40/year;
• Associate is $40/year;
• Junior is a one time fee of $5;
• For any new member (other than a Junior) there is an application fee of $20 for confirming their genealogical eligibility;
• Provisional membership costs $40/year for a maximum of 2 years. During this time period the genealogy of the person applying for membership can be ascertained. Dues are payable annually. A provisional member is entitled to all the benefits of a lineal member, but is ineligible to vote or hold any office.

Clan Gregor Septs

Septs are smaller clans and families, with a different surname, who follow another family’s chief.
These smaller septs then comprise, and are part of, the chief’s larger clan. A sept might follow another chief if two families were linked through marriage or for greater protection. Sometimes
these septs were almost as powerful as the main clan and the bonding of the two brought added strength to both.

Family Names Many names were adopted by MacGregors due to Proscription. Some families retained the new names when Proscription was lifted in 1774, whilst others reverted to their
rightful name of MacGregor (spelling variants are accepted with M’, Mc and Mac considered interchangeable).

The Society extends a warm welcome to any…

• Persons bearing names included in List A and to those with a maternal descent from an
  eligible person.
• Persons bearing the names of descent from Lists B and C who can show evidence of
  descent or a family tradition of MacGregor connection; and,
• Names in List D are properly the domain of other Clan and Family societies. However, we
  welcome enquiries from persons bearing these names who can show their descent from a
  MacGregor who adopted the name as an alias.

List A : Accepted MacGregor Names and Septs

List B : Documented Aliases of MacGregor from the Proscription

List C : Traditional Aliases with little documented evidence

List D : Other Clan names that are known to have been used by the MacGregors