The excitement of the large Clan Logan gathering in Estes Park is still running through my nervous system as I sit down to write this blog. What an amazing time the CLS Leadership had at Scotfest, the annual Highland Games of Estes Park. It was impressive to see so many Logans gathered to celebrate their family and its Celtic/Scottish heritage with Highland music, traditional Scottish games, and great food.
Clan Logan attendees at the Estes Park, Colorado highland festival in September
As many of you know, part of the excitement of the festival included the unveiling of the winning entry for the 21st Century Logan Tartan contest. We've not posted a lot of up-close photos or had many in-depth discussions about it because we wanted to make sure we were able to register it without any problems. Well, after a little bit of work, and some discussions with the Scottish Register of Tartans, we are very happy to share a full size image of the winning entry.
The 21st Century Logan tartan, registered as the Clan Logan Society International
You can find more information on the tartan, under its official name, "Clan Logan Society International" on the website of the Scottish Register of Tartans by clicking here.
The inspiration for the design came from several years of conversations about the other tartans in use by the Clan Logan (and others), and a desire to hold onto the heritage of the Logan family of the Scottish diaspora, as well as those who find their heritage entwined with the Emerald Isle. The base colors of muted blues and greens recalls the flags of Scotland and Ireland. The five bold stripes so often found on Logan tartans in red are now an elegant white. The three red stripes interspaced with gold are meant to evoke the coat of arms registered by George Logan, Chief of Name and Arms of Logan, in 1672 and remind us of the depth of history of the Logans in Scotland - including their valor in service to Robert the Bruce.
The arms of George Logan of that Ilk, 1672
We are currently in discussion with mills in Scotland and the wider UK to select one to weave the first set of fabric to be used in the making of kilts. Other discussions are being held to find the best way to utilize any royalties from sales of merchandise that make use of the tartan to benefit the Chief Restoration Project.
This leads me to the next topic at the front of my mind. As you are all likely aware, we have been actively searching for a living heir that could claim the title of Chief of Name and Arms of Logan. To put it succinctly, we believe there are no public records in existence left for us to examine that would lead us to this heir. This does not mean that there isn't someone alive today who could claim this honor. It simply means that we have searched every available public archive and have found no provable link to a living person. Having finally reached this conclusion, the Board of Directors of the Society have voted to ask for a derbhfine, or family convention, to be held under the supervision of the Lord Lyon King of Arms.
Crest and feathers of the Chief of Clan Logan
The goal of this requested derbhfine is to have an appropriate person appointed as Commander of Clan Logan. This person, the Commander of Clan Logan, would spend a period of time under the direction and supervision of a representative of the Court of the Lord Lyon, making every effort to find persons who might have a legitimate claim to the title of Chief of Name and Arms of Logan. Although we have searched all of the available public records, it is possible that there exists someone with privately held, or family, records that would provide a verifiable link to George Logan of that Ilk (from 1672), or even one of his ancestors.
Lineage of Logan of that Ilk (email me for a larger image if you'd like one)
We have recently (just this past week) sent this request for a derbhfine to the Court of the Lord Lyon. It's hoped that we will have a positive response from the Court before the end of the year and be able to make preparations for the derbhfine beginning as soon as possible. This will be an expensive process for the Society so we are exploring as many opportunities as possible to fund it.
I have no doubt many of you will have questions about this process. The guidance note issued by the Court of the Lord Lyon may be found at this link. I am always available by email at president@clanlogansociety.org as well. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me.
-Kevin
J. Kevin Logan
President
Clan Logan Society International
