Summer is here, and that means one thing for Clan Gunn families across the United States and Canada: it’s time to find a tartan tent and gather with kin. From now through the fall, our volunteer Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners will be setting up Clan Gunn tents at Highland Games and Scottish festivals all across North America — and we want to see you there.
Why the Tent Matters
For many of us, that first walk past a row of clan tents is how this whole journey starts. Maybe you spotted the navy, green, black, and red of the Gunn Modern tartan from across the field. Maybe you were searching for your family name and finally found it, waiting for you on a banner. Whatever brought you to us, that tent — and the volunteers standing behind it — is the front door to Clan Gunn Society of North America.
Our Commissioners are clan ambassadors. They represent Clan Gunn at games and festivals in their region, answer genealogy questions, share our history, and welcome new members into the fold. Deputy Commissioners pitch in when a region is large or when more than one event falls on the same weekend. Both are volunteer roles, and every membership dollar helps us reimburse these dedicated folks for their expenses on the road.
A Heritage Worth Sharing
It’s worth remembering, especially this time of year, just how far back our story goes. Clan Gunn is one of the oldest and most northerly clans in Scotland, with roots tracing to the Norse Jarls of Orkney in the tenth century. The name “Gunn” is said to come from Gunni, grandson of Sweyn Asleifsson — the legendary “Ultimate Viking” of the Orkneyinga Saga. By the 13th century, the Gunns had become a Caithness family. That rugged northern Scottish heritage is exactly what we celebrate every time we raise a tent in a field in the Carolinas, Ontario, California, or anywhere in between.
Our motto, Aut Pax Aut Bellum — “Either peace or war” — feels fitting for a clan that has weathered centuries of history and still gathers its descendants together today, peacefully, around a shared love of heritage.
Find Your Region
Not sure who your local Commissioner is or whether there’s a game near you this summer? Visit our Regions page and click your area on the map to find your Commissioner’s contact information. If you don’t see a Clan Gunn tent at an event in your area, that’s an opportunity, not a dead end — reach out to your regional Commissioner and ask how you can help bring Clan Gunn to that field. Commissioners and Deputies are always happy to offer training and support to anyone willing to lend a hand.
How You Can Help This Season
- Stop by a tent. If you see Clan Gunn represented at a game this summer, stop and say hello. Thank the volunteers — they’re giving up their weekends for this.
- Volunteer. If there’s a gap in your area, consider hosting a tent yourself, even informally, alongside your family.
- Wear your tartan. Whether it’s the Modern, Ancient, or Weathered Gunn tartan, wearing it proudly at events helps others find their way to us, just as it helped our founders find each other back in 1967 at the Grandfather Mountain Gathering.
- Become a member. If you haven’t joined yet, membership dues directly support the volunteers who keep our presence alive across two countries. Join here.
A Season to Connect
CGSNA was built by people who simply kept showing up — to a parade ground, to a festival field, to each other. Nearly six decades later, that’s still exactly what keeps us going. So whether you’re a longtime member or just discovering your Gunn roots for the first time, we hope to see you at a tent this season.
Slàinte mhath, and we’ll see you on the field.
Have photos from a Highland Games event this summer? We’d love to feature them in a future post — reach out through our Contact page.