The formation of the Clan Donald Society in Canterbury came about in an unusual fashion.
In July 1988, Ian Donald of Christchurch was attending the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in North Carolina, USA, just as a spectator. Although Ian had a Scottish born grandfather he had no great interest in his Scots ancestry and at the Games, for the first time in his life, he came upon the Clan Donald, one of the Clan Societies represented at the games.
Eventually Ian got into correspondence with the late Doug Murdock High Commissioner for the Clan Donald in the USA and it was through Doug that Ian learned of the existence in New Zealand, of branches of the Clan Donald Society in Southland and Otago. He also learned that in Auckland, clansfolk were also in the process of establishing a branch of the society.
The Otago branch, being the closest to Canterbury, were only too willing to offer any assistance, and the constitution adopted in Canterbury was largely that of Otago's.
Slowly Ian gathered the names of interested people, and on Sunday 10 February 1989, an inaugural meeting was held in the Burns Club rooms. Twelve people attended the meeting , apologies were were received from others and Clan Donald was established in Canterbury. They were not aware that they were meeting near the anniversary of the Glencoe Massacre, but when that fact became known, it was established as the time for their Annual Meeting following a commemorative church service in the morning.
Ian Donald was elected as the first President of Clan Donald in Canterbury and he was succeeded by Colin MacDonald, who lays claim to some distinction in Clan Donald.
The youngest known grandson of Alasdair MacDonald of Glencoe (Maciain), who was murdered in the massacre in 1692, was Donald who was known to have been out in 1745, and Donald's youngest son, also Donald, was the ancestor of Colin MacDonald now resident in Christchurch. Unfortunately Colin MacDonald lacks the documentary proof to claim his right to be Maciain, but it is notable that in his history of Clan Donald published in 1978, the late Donald Macdonald of Castleton makes reference to the fact that by tradition this line in males exists to the present day. Perhaps that elusive documentation will some day appear?