Annual General Meeting Minutes – 2026
June 13, 2026 · 2:00 PM CDT
Chicago Scots Scottish Festival & Highland Games
Wheaton, Illinois
Call to Order
The Annual General Meeting of the Society was called to order by President Tara McCallum at 2:00 p.m. CDT. A quorum was present, and the meeting was streamed live on Facebook.
Invocation and Remembrance
Shirley McCallum offered the Prayer of St. Columba:
Be Thou a bright flame before me,
Be Thou a guiding star above me,
Be Thou a smooth path below me,
Be Thou a kindly shepherd behind me,
Today, tonight, and forever.
Alone with none but You, my God,
I journey on my way.
What need I fear, when You are near,
O Lord of night and day?
More secure am I within Your hand
Than if a multitude did ’round me stand.
Amen.
A moment of silence was observed in honor of Lon McCollum, past president of the Society.
Approval of the 2025 Annual General Meeting Minutes
The minutes of the 2025 Annual General Meeting had been posted on the Society website for the preceding nine months. Jodi McCollum moved to waive the reading of the minutes and accept them as written. Kelly Pavlik seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously.
Secretary-Treasurer’s Report
Neil McCallum presented the Secretary-Treasurer’s Report. The following balances and membership figures were reported as of June 1, 2026:
• General Fund: Cash on hand totaled $13,106.65, an increase from the previous year’s Annual General Meeting. Expenses during the preceding year were approximately equal to income.
• Argent Castle: Even with most editions being distributed by email, each edition costs approximately $500 to produce.
• Active Membership: The Society had 174 active members, which was 27 fewer than the previous year. New memberships and renewals obtained at Highland games continued to decline, including at games where the Society had recently begun participating.
• Membership Outreach: Notices distributed with the Argent Castle appeared to encourage dues payments. Additional assistance was needed in New England, Colorado, and Arizona.
• Annual Dues: Annual membership dues remained unchanged at $25.
• Scholarship Fund: The scholarship account balance was $1,669.63. Thanks to the efforts of Mike McCollum, scholarships were being awarded during 2026. Funding came from coin sales and donations through the Society’s GoFundMe account.
• DNA Project: The DNA project account balance was $165.78.
Committee Reports
• Clan Store – Lands’ End: Society members continued to enjoy quality Lands’ End products embroidered with the Society crest. The Society does not receive any proceeds from these sales.
• Family History and Genealogy: Genealogy inquiries continued to arrive, primarily through the Society website, although fewer were received than in previous years. Neil McCallum forwarded many inquiries to Pete McCollum, who maintains access to the genealogy database. Several new members joined the Society through this program during the year.
• DNA Project: The Society’s project through FamilyTreeDNA included 332 total participants. The Y-DNA test, which provides the most conclusive information about a direct male ancestral line, included 208 participants. Maternal ancestry information included 160 participants, while the Family Finder test, which examines both sides of a family, included 116 participants. The project was collaborating with the Clan MacMillan Society because the results suggested a distant historical connection between the clans. Robert MacMillan had interpreted portions of the results extending back approximately 700 years, with additional research still needed.
• Website: No changes had been made to the website during the preceding year. The website continued to generate inquiries from prospective members.
Unfinished Business
President Tara McCallum reported that the Lord Lyon had not yet approved the proposed succession plan for the Clan. Until that approval is received, the Clan remains without a recognized Chief.
Election of Officers
The following slate of officers was presented:
• President: Mike McCollum
• Vice President: Darin Rindal
• Secretary-Treasurer: Neil McCallum
Nominations were requested from the floor, and none were offered. Kelly Pavlik moved that the proposed slate be accepted as presented. Robert McCallum seconded the motion. With no further discussion, the motion passed unanimously.
A toast was offered to the newly elected officers using a quaich provided by Robin Malcolm and McCallum Perfection provided by Doug McCallum of the Longs Peak Games.
President’s Remarks
Incoming President Mike McCollum expressed his honor and enthusiasm in accepting the role of Society President. He outlined priorities that included strengthening communication with the Clan grounds—particularly with Andy Malcolm—bolstering Society membership, and continuing to develop the scholarship program for young Highland artists. He emphasized the importance of keeping the Society relevant and attracting members throughout North America, and he expressed excitement about beginning the Society’s work under the new leadership.
New Business
• Birthday greetings were extended to Robert McCallum, Tony McCallum, and Pam McCallum.
• Jim and Nola McCallum were recognized and thanked for their many years of work hosting the Society at the Chicago Highland Games.
• Laurence Pavlik was thanked for providing live video coverage of the meeting on Facebook.
Next Annual General Meeting
The 2027 Annual General Meeting was tentatively planned for the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. The meeting time remained to be determined.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.