May 2, 2006
From Chuck MacNab, General Secretary and C.E.O.:

To all members:
ONLINE NEWSLETTER COMMENT

Explanation of current Newsletter policy:
In past years we have sent a newsletter to members using the standard print and mail method. Several years ago we decided, after careful study of our budget, that this method of communication with members was not within our capabilities until the Society grew larger in membership. Costs of printing and mailing, even though the labor is donated, are prohibitive. For instance, many newsletters in the past have actually cost us more to produce than we were able to collect in dues for the year. Therefore, we publish almost exclusively on our web site and through email contact. The exception to this policy, as most know by our publishing record, is that if we determine at around the beginning of each year that we will have enough money in the treasury to publish a print version of the newsletter, we go ahead and do that. Our membership is approximately 85% web site capable and so we feel that most of the membership will be able to view the newsletter online with any web browser. For those who cannot view the web site, we will continue placing snippets of news and other information in our annual "thank you" letters which are mailed with each dues renewal. In addition, from time to time, as stated previously and as our budget allows, we will send out a print version of the newsletter. This policy has reduced our publishing and mailing expenses significantly.

In additon to the financial aspects of newsletter publication, we occasionally receive nice color photos from people who travel to Scotland and other places. These cannot be published in a black and white newsletter and still show the true nature of the subject. The web site offers a way around this. As you can see from the beautiful color pictures we use in various sections of the web site. Normally we could not afford to reproduce photos like these in a printed version of a newsletter. Publishing this kind of graphic material in a web newsletter is entirely within our budget capabilities and also enables us to present the material in full color. If you have a color printer, you can even print the newsletter in color, or portions of it, for mailing to friends and relatives.

We are, of course, reluctant to publish our printed newsletter in such an infrequent manner, Postal service charges combined with printing and paper costs are, like everything else, continuing to go up. It has always been fundamental to our organization, since its inception, to dedicate ourselves to fiscal responsibility. If our membership grows to the point where we can again pay print and mail expenses without eroding our Society's financial integrity, we will consider publishing more frequently.

We have noticed in reading the home page of another U.S. based Clan Macnab Society that says it "...enjoys stature as the largest Clan Macnab society in the world." Normally we do not comment on claims made by other organizations as long as they do not "tastelessly" and "pointedly" diminish our role in the community. First of all, we do not publish the size of our organization to ANYONE, so there is no ethical way a statement such as this should be claimed. In fact, we are the only Clan Macnab Society that officially declares "WORLD WIDE" status! (We do have a true world-wide membership and that is a fact.) Once again, as to the size of the "North American" Clan Macnab Society, we have no idea how many members they have and they have no idea how many we have! Our emphasis is on quality of organization and mission. We are here to promote the ancient legacy of Clan Macnab and to serve the interests of our dues paying members in that regard.

We hope our comment in the previous paragraph serves as clarification to those who wonder why there is more than one Clan Macnab Society. Incidentally, we have no problem with there being more than one Clan Macnab Society. We have hoped that all Scottish Clan organizations would exist in a "constructive" framework and we, ourselves, have worked to that end since our organization 16 years ago. We will continue, as we have in the past, to work toward a policy of freedom and tolerance and we will continue to expose and oppose "predatory" practices when pursued by others.

Sincerely,
Chuck MacNab
General Secretary and C.E.O.