Clans

For over forty years the Scottish-American Cultural Society of Ohio, Inc has organized the Ohio Scottish Games & Celtic Festival, a celebration of Scottish culture and traditions. We will once again be putting together another fantastic event full of spirited competitions, lively concerts, and plaid pageantry, but with some exciting new changes. On June 23 & 24th, OSG will be held at our new location in the Cuyahoga County Fair Grounds in Berea, Ohio.

In addition to the indoor facility we have for our Clan Village, we have a number of events specifically for Clan members:

  • Friday, June 23, 2023, 9:45 PM Calling of the Clan Event (See below for details)
  • Saturday, June 24, 2023 10:30 AM Kirk'in 'O the Tartans
  • Saturday, June 24, 2023 12:00 PM Parade of Competitors (All Clans are invited to participate in the parade!)

We are very excited to announce Amanda Epperson will be hosting discussions on Scottish Genecology as well as how the Scots influenced Ohio's history in the Clan building area.

Stop and visit The Clan Village. Maybe your family is a member of one of the great clans of Scotland! We are pleased to welcome the following clans to the Ohio Scottish Games:

  • Clan Anderson Society
  • Clan Bell North America
  • Clan Bell Society
  • Clan Buchanan Society International
  • Clan Campbell Society
  • Clan Donald
  • Clan Forsyth Society, USA
  • Clan Fraser Society of North America
  • Clan Hall
  • Clan Gregor
  • Clan Keith Society USA, Inc.
  • Clan Kennedy
  • Clan Little Society
  • Clan MacLaren
  • Clan MacEwen
  • Clan MacGilvray
  • Clan McTavish
  • Clan Montgomery
  • Clan Muirhead
  • Clan Murray
  • Clan Stewart
  • House of Gordon
  • Isle of Man - North American Manx Association
  • Scottish Heritage Association of Northeast Ohio (SHANO)

Calling of the Clans

Calling of the Clans torch lighting ceremony will be held Friday, June 24 at 9:45 PM.

The fiery cross was a means of communicating among clans and was principally used as a signal for the clan to gather together. It could signify the birth of the clan chief’s first son, the announcement of highland games or it could be a callout to rally clan members to arms.

The cross was usually made from yew or hazel wood and set alight and was often tied together with strips of cloth dipped in goat’s blood.

The torch would then be carried throughout the region by clan runners shouting their clan’s war cry letting everyone know where and when to gather. As runners tired, they would be replaced (similar to a relay team), allowing them to cover a wide area very quickly. In the case of a call to arms, each clan had a designated meeting point, and all men able to fight were expected to gather there, armed and ready for action.

Today, the torch signifies the connections we share within our families, heritage and community.