by Jonathan Tucker

This is the 24th article in a series of articles about the life and descendants of Micum McIntire, a Scottish prisoner of war who settled in York, Maine, and about MacIntyres in general. This article is about the upcoming 100th Anniversary of the Micum McIntire Clan Reunion to be held in York, Maine on August 1, 2020. Additional notices on this subject will be published as new information becomes available.

OUR 100th ANNIVERSARY!

The second Colonial Revival Period (1870 through 1940s) powerfully revived Americans’ interest in the histories of their families and their nation (see article 14 in this series). The descendants of Micum McIntire were no exception. Family members in and around the York, Maine area where Micum had settled had been having summer family reunions and picnics for some time, but in 1917, those reunions were formalized and organized, a gathering was held at the McIntire Garrison property on Cider Hill Road (Route 91) in York, and the descendants organized themselves as the Micum McIntire Clan. Someone had found a version of the Scottish MacIntyre chief’s coat of arms, which became a symbol for the group.

The descendants of Micum McIntire have held summer reunions every August since 1917, with the exception of three (3) years during WWII when reunions were suspended. At its 1973 meeting and reunion, the Clan adopted new bylaws and incorporated as the Micum McIntire Clan Association, a state-recognized organization. The upcoming MMCA Reunion to be held in August 2020 will be the 100th Anniversary—the 100th reunion held by Micum McIntire’s descendants (not counting the three years during WWII).

What Are These Reunions For?

From the beginning, the summer reunions and the Clan’s and then the Association’s work have served multiple purposes. The reunions themselves have always been intended to serve as relaxed summer family gatherings, where descendants of Micum McIntire who have not seen one another for a year, or who have just met, could enjoy the gorgeous York summer, the inspiring historical setting, and one another’s company.

This was my own first link to my McIntire heritage. In March 1983, after the passing of my father the previous December, my aunt Priscilla sent me a packet of his childhood ‘stuff’ with an explanatory letter. In her letter was the following passage:

“Enclosed is your dad’s badge he wore (& printed on, bless his young boy heart) at one of the McIntire reunions we attended as children—clam chowder, sunshine, beautiful meadows in York, Maine. Lovely, lovely, lovely. And it was because of our father that we were there.”

She was referring to my grandfather Fred G. Tucker, through whom we were Micum’s descendants. The Clan Association subsequently used that old badge as the template for creating new clan association badges. You can order them through our Historian Dan Davis (see end of article) if you’re interested.

The Clan Association has also served several other purposes, including recognizing and celebrating the shared historical and genealogical heritage of all of Micum Mcintire’s descendants, including those living in far-flung parts of the nation and the world. That is part of the function of this Facebook page and these articles. 

As noted, in 1973, the Clan Association incorporated and adopted a set of Bylaws that laid out the purposes and organization of the organization, and have provided a framework for the work of the Association for 35 years. The Bylaws created a Board with officers to undertake Association responsibilities and report back at the annual meetings, and a Clan Council to oversee the Association’s finances and to conduct its business the rest of the year.

Your Clan Council, working with several of your Board officers, has begun planning for next year’s 100th Anniversary. And what an anniversary it’s going to be. 

A Ceilidh!

As of next August, the descendants of Micum Mcintire will have been organized, meeting and holding summer reunions as an organization for 100 years. We all deserve to have a big McIntire celebration, and that’s exactly what we’re planning to do. In the later afternoon of Saturday, August 1, descendants of Micum McIntire will begin to gather for a party. 

In Scotland, any gathering that includes music, food and drink, intoxicating spirits (for those of legal age), dancing, and free-spirited celebration is referred to as a ceilidh (pronounced “kay-lee”), and Scots need no encouragement to hold them. We will not be any different.

To fulfill the Clan Association’s responsibilities, including as a non-profit historical heritage organization, we will also be planning some cultural and historical programs on McIntire heritage earlier in the day and woven in and around the ceilidh. People can choose what interests them (including visiting the amazing local beaches).

Stay tuned here and through the MMCA Secretary’s emails for regular updates on the planning for next year’s ceilidh, and start making your own plans now in terms of reserving rooms in the York area for the weekend of August 1-2, 2020.

All descendants of Micum McIntire or his brother Philip (who settled in Reading, MA) and their families are welcomed and invited!

*****

The most definitive and comprehensive current source for information on MacIntyres in general is the “Clan MacIntyre: A Journey Into the Past,” Martin L. MacIntyre, Regent Press, Berkeley, CA, 2018, second edition.  Copies may be purchased by contacting the author at martin.macintyre@juno.com .

The definitive genealogy is “Descendants of Micum McIntire,” Robert Harry McIntire, revised edition, 1983, Bookcrafters, Chelsea, MI.  This is often referred to as the “Red Book” among Micum descendants because of its bright red cover.  New copies may be obtained through the Gift Shop on this website:  https://micummcintireclanassociation.org/shop/?product-page=2.  Used copies can still be obtained from time to time through online booksellers.

Those interested in pursuing their own genealogical connections to Micum McIntire may submit question through this website at:  https://micummcintireclanassociation.org/micum-mcintire-genealogy-questions/