The 2009 Annual General Meeting

was held at


GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE
during
the 28th Anniversary Celebration of the

Gatlinburg Scottish Festival and Games

15-17 May 2009

The Host was Region IV RVP, Wendell D. Farris
dwight.farris@dsainc.com

Officers elected at the session are:

 Secretary (incumbent)      B. J. Ferguson
Region 1 Vice-President (incumbent) Edwin  Ferguson
Region 2 Vice-President (incumbent) Robert T. Ferguson
Region 4 Vice-President (first term) W. Dwight Ferris
Region 5 Vice-President (first term) Steven D. Butler
Region 6 Vice-President (first term) David Ferguson
Region 8 Vice-President (incumbent) Robert F. S. Ferguson
Region 10 Vice-President (first term) Benjamin S. Ferguson

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

In accordance with the CFSNA constitution and by-laws, the Executive Committee consist of five Officers - the President, the President Elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Immediate Past President.  Four of these Officers, the Pres., the Pres-Elect, the Sec., and the Treas., also make up the members of the Trustees of the Society, who make decisions, mainly, concerning scholarships.  The "EC", together with the RVPs constitute the Board of Directors.  The two combined make decisions at the AGM, but the EC can, and frequently does, act independently of the BOD as necessary to act in the best interest of the Society.

Regions not listed above were not up for election this year.
Their information, and all officers and appointees are listed on page two of The Bee Line.

The next issue of The Bee Line will be mailed late in August, 2009

A question has arisen . . . what is the meaning of "sept".

  
Ferguson and Fergusson are the two most common renderings of the name found through out the world. However the following names are also included as septs of the Clan Fergusson; Forgan, Fergie, Fergus, Fergushill, Fergussill, Farries, Ferrie, Ferries, Ferris(s), Forgie, Furgerson, Grevsack, Hardie, Hardy, Ehsanian, Hemmati, Kiddie, Kydd, Keddie, Keddle, Ketchen, Kidd, Madani, MacTavert MacHerries. The Gaelic name has been rendered through translation into the forms, MacFergus, MacFerries, and MacFerris. Since the 'f' and 'g' are silent in the old language such variations as MacAdie, MacCade, MacErries, MacHerries, MacKerras (especially common in Argyll and Australia), MacKersey, MacKestan, MacFhearghuis, MacMagnus and even MacIrish, MacInlay were formed.
   
Clan Septs and Dependents

The variety of surnames within a Scottish clan do not represent separate and definable sub-clans but instead reflect the vagaries of transition of the Gaels into the English naming system as well as marriages, migrations and occupations.  The main family itself may have developed a variety of surnames.   The preferred modern usage is to avoid the use of the term "sept" and to simply describe these names as what they are - surnames of the family and of allied or dependent families.  It is preferable to speak of "The names and families of Clan X" rather to call a name "a sept of Clan X".  "Sept" is actually a term borrowed from Irish culture in the nineteenth century to explain the use of a variety of surnames by members of a single clan.  Scots would say "MacGregor and his clan", an Irish historian might say "O'Neill and his sept".