An Interview with Clan Bell Society

So Mike, what is your connection to Clan Bell, and what does it mean to you to be connected with the Clan?

I have been able to trace my family back to my GGGGF, John William Bell, who was married to Sophia Getz. My family is still searching for additional connections beyond that. Being connected to the clan has given me a whole new extended family and put me on an unexpected journey. I have been made some great new friendships along the way and I am proud to now be a part of Clan Bell Society, where we are reaching out to other Bells and helping them on their journeys to find their families.

Carl, your last name is actually Rauscher, rather than Bell, can you tell us more about your connection to Clan Bell?

My grandmother was Rose Esteline Beall and little was known about her family line when attempts to locate records about her father, Ross Beall, turned up little. It wasn't until we discovered his real name was Albert Roscoe Beall that the floodgates opened and we were able to eventually trace him to the Bealls of Maryland. Those ancestors were listed as Bell in St. Andrews parish and changed their last names when they emigrated from Scotland in the 1690s.

How did you both first get involved with the Clan Bell Society?

Mike: Clan Bell Society was the brainchild of nine of us who got together in late 2019 and began discussing the formation of the organization. I have been involved since the beginning; Carl and Janine signed on early in February 2020.

Carl: My family visited a Clan Bell tent at Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in North Carolina a number of years ago and learned about our family connection. The clan ambassador was David E. Bell, and he was extremely welcoming and knowledgeable. We loved his passion for connecting with fellow Bells and joined the organization. Soon after, we began running tents at festivals closer to home and now share what we've learned along the way.

Mike: David E. Bell is now a vice president in Clan Bell Society. He and his wife, Pauline (also a vice president), cover a lot of events for us in and around their home state of North Carolina. We are fortunate to have their years of experience on our team.

Can you tell us a little bit more about the Clan Bell Society?

Mike: Clan Bell Society was born out of a need for our surname to have a more effective unifying presence. In the final months of 2019, several Clan Bell members came together and started discussing how to structure the organization and what our mission should be. After a wee bit of early leg work, Clan Bell Society officially launched its operations and rang in the New Year on January 1, 2020.

Mike, when did you first become President, and what does this role involve?

The board of directors met and selected me to serve as Clan Bell Society’s first president with our launch in 2020. The position requires me to wear several different hats at times, but I am up to the task and lucky enough to have a talented staff around me who believe in our organization and support me in my role.

Carl, how did you first take on your role as historian? Is this something you studied or have you only picked up the subject since joining the society?

I don't really consider myself a historian, but freely admit that researching the past is intoxicating, connecting pieces of information that form a larger picture of a past obscured by time. Both my wife and I will start with an interesting article or historic mention and find ourselves hours later reading scanned documents from historic sites that shed light on a new facet of our family's past. We call it "going down the rabbit hole." It is this trait that led us from tracing the family tree to hosting a clan tent for Clan Bell Society and helping others connect to their past.

What is the most rewarding aspect of each of your roles?

Mike: There are many rewarding aspects, but for me, it boils down to seeing folks get excited about being a part of the clan. I am rewarded each and every time I am witness to such moments.

Carl: For me, the reward is seeing a person's eyes light up as they hear about life on the Scottish Border in the time of the great Riding Clans, or learning their family is connected to historic places like Washington DC (Georgetown is named after Maryland patriarch Ninian Beall's son!) or Memphis, Tennessee's famous Beale Street (named after an as yet unknown military hero in 1841), as well as famous people like Alexander Graham Bell (of the St. Andrew Bells) or Dr. Elizabeth Gould Bell (first woman doctor in Ireland and noted women's suffragette).

You were both supposed to be representing the society at quite a few Highland Games and Scottish Festivals in the States last year, but obviously, COVID put a stop to these. Did any of the events go ahead virtually?

Mike: We did participate in virtual events for the 2021 NYC Tartan Week Virtual Celebrations. It has been tough living in a world where we can’t meet people in person, but as always we do the best we can under the circumstances. Thankfully, we are starting to see more events moving forward with their festivals.

Carl: All of the local festivals in our part of the country (Pennsylvania / Maryland / Virginia / West Virginia) chose to cancel their events instead of attempting to "go virtual." That made some sense to us, as it would be difficult to establish rapport with visitors online like we do at our tent. We did connect to the Hawick Reivers Festival held virtually last March and saw many interesting sessions on Reiver life and stories from the Border.

Now that things are starting to return to normal, do you have any events coming up for the rest of the year? Which events are you most excited about?

Mike: Clan Bell Society is having an event just this weekend (June 26-27), where our Pennsylvania commissioners, brothers Ray Bell and Ron Bell, are hosting the Clan Bell tent at Celtic Fling. On my radar, I am looking forward to hosting at the New Hampshire Highland Games & Festival in September. This will be a new event for me.

Carl: For me, the biggest one is the Virginia Scottish Games, held on Labor Day weekend in The Plains, VA. This two-day event is a combination of traditional athletic games, bagpipe competitions, fiddling, sheep herding demonstrations, Highland dancing, as well as dozens of clan tents, food vendors, and hundreds of guests eager to connect!

There is a real trend just now for exploring your roots and therefore more interest in Scottish heritage. Do you see this continuing and therefore increasing Clan Society membership?

Mike: Yes, I do see this trend continuing. People are very interested in exploring their genealogy and doing DNA testing. The popularity of the television show Finding Your Roots is evidence of this. Clan Bell Society has only just begun to reach out to our family and membership is increasing despite the setbacks caused by the pandemic.

Carl: I think every generation goes through a point where folks realise how important it is to reconnect to their past, and perhaps this is one of those times. The Internet has made genealogical research accessible to a wider audience than ever before, and DNA testing is pointing people in directions they never would have considered. I see Clan Bell Society's role is to be there when they come seeking information and make the dry words on a page come to life by adding historic context and our own personal journeys of discovery. One person learns the old stories and passes them along - that is the way it has always been done. If they feel they'd like to be a part of our larger community, then we welcome their membership.

Clan Bell is an armigerous clan which means that the clan, family, or name is registered with the Court of the Lord Lyon, but does not currently have a chief recognised by the Lyon Court, has there been or do you think there will ever be a claim to the Chiefship?

Mike: There have been some promising prospects, but for various reasons these didn’t pan out. The search continues to identify an individual with a strong claim to the chiefship and who is willing to take on the important role of leading our clan. We do firmly believe that Clan Bell will once again have a chief recognized by the Lyon Court.

Carl: It is my understanding that there was a Bell Family Convention in 2019 to seek a chief or appoint a Clan Commander to act in their stead. A number of Bells submitted their names as candidates, but the Lord Lyon decided to delay a decision for three years in order for the Clan to reach out to more Bell descendants who may wish to participate in the selection process. To that end, we at Clan Bell Society are hoping to demystify the process used by the Lyon Court, post the requirements for becoming a Clan Chief / Commander, and share what we learn about all prospective candidates.

Have either of you visited Scotland and if so where is your favourite place to visit?

Mike: I have been to Europe several times, but have not yet visited Scotland. As Uncle Argyle would say, that is something we shall have to remedy.

Carl: Funny you should ask. My wife and I were approximately 9 days away from boarding a plane for the UK and the start of a week-long visit to the Scottish border area when COVID restrictions put a halt to international travel! We fully intend on completing our journey at the first available opportunity once both our countries are no longer facing this stubborn viral menace.

Finally, could you tell us how people can get involved with the Clan Society?

Mike: There are a number of ways that folks can get involved in Clan Bell Society. People can stop by our tents at events where we are hosting. People can also visit our website to learn more about us. We are also very active on social media with a strong presence on Facebook both on our company page and in the Clan Bell group, which recently reached 2,000 members and continues to grow. We also welcome members of the clan to support our efforts and become subscribing members of Clan Bell Society. Once a person becomes a member, he/she will receive our monthly newsletter, Resonance, which continues to shine and receive accolades. This is a great way for Bells to stay current on the latest news and events of Clan Bell. Finally, we encourage all members of the clan, whether they are a member of Clan Bell Society or not, to be proud of their heritage and wear their Bell of the Borders tartan.