Clan MacRae

October 2024

This week, I switched gears as an author. I participated in the Oklahoma Highland Gathering in Choctaw, Oklahoma on 11th and 12th October at Choctaw Creek Park put on by the United Scottish Clans of Oklahoma (https://unitedscotsok.com/) . I am an Oklahoma Commissioner for Clan MacRae of North America who is responsible for participating as the clan representative at an annual event in Oklahoma.

People attending the event would come to the booth to learn if they are related to the MacRae’s by looking at the many different septs that fall up underneath the MacRae Clan. I would be responsible for filling the visitors in on Scottish history of the Clan MacRae. In addition, I passed out applications for membership into the MacRae Clan Society of North America (https://www.macrae.org/). Some visitors coming to the clan tent were also invited to march with the clan during ceremonies that were being held at the Highland Festival. These events included an all-clans gathering for a Friday night fire lighting ceremony and a Saturday opening of the Highland Festival with all the clans marching into the athletic field behind the Scottish Military Band with bagpipe players and drummers.

The event  had athletic competitions, vendors, demonstrations, clan tents, animals, birds, and activities for the children. The Clan MacRae has a castle in Scotland called, the “Eilean Donan Castle” (https://www.clanmacraescot.org/).

Many movies have been made at the castle such as Highlander, The World is Not Enough, Made of Honor, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Kuch Kuch Hota  Hai,  Bonnie Prince Charlie, The Master of Ballantrae, and   Prince Valiant.

I am now preparing for the upcoming book signing event in Ponca City this weekend. I noticed I was in Ponca City, OK news. This bookstore was one of the independent bookstores that reported in March 2024 that “Nicoli Picoli” was in the Top 10 Best Sellers in Children’s Fiction. I am looking forward to Reading Time and setting up a book signing table.