House Of Gordon USA AGM

Minutes of the Annual General Membership Meeting 2009 (AGM)-- Coming soon.

Treasurer's Report -- Read the report...

Communications Committee Report 2009 -- Good afternoon, I am happy to have you here in Virginia
for our AGM this year. I had hoped to increase the genealogy sections this past year, but had to put that major
endeavor off as I had too many other issues to tackle including attending to my health, so this coming year
should see that area grow.

We have seen a steady increase in the use of our national website since we launched it in August 2006.
Statistics YTD through the end of September shows a comparative increase of 116.5% in 2009 over the same
period in 2008. Likewise, the unique visits statistic shows an increase of 126.2% this year over last year. This
means that we have more people coming to our site and apparently, most are focused on what information they
want. Our pages viewed per visit show that most enter directly to the page with the information they want from a
search engine, spend most of their time on that page and then browse the site.

What is surprising is the geography of our users. Gordons worldwide are looking at our website. Most surprising
is that with 28.2% of our total visits, the largest group overall (including geographic groups within the USA) is
coming from the top-level domain yandex.ru in Russia! Other areas outside of the USA include the expected
like the UK, Canada and New Zealand, while some of the more unexpected include Romania, Singapore,
Poland, Brazil, Taiwan, India, Hong Kong, China, Israel, Czech Republic, Malaysia, Cote d’Ivorie, and many
more! Read More...

Charles O. Gordon Memorial Scholarship -- We are pleased to announce that Marshall Conner
German, a sixteen year-old Grade 2 piper from Corona, California with the University of California
Riverside Pipe Band has been awarded a $500.00 scholarship. Our scholarship will allow Marshall to
travel to the Balmoral Classic United States Junior National Piping Championship in Pittsburgh, PA
where he will compete on November 7, 2009.

His story is a compelling one, beginning piping with two goals in mind: first to learn to pipe for his sister's
wedding, and second to rehabilitate his lungs and respiratory system following a life threatening bout with
bacterial staff pneumonia. His interest was first sparked while in the sixth grade when a teacher played the
bagpipes for his class and "ignited his curiosity" so much that he asked his parents to bring him back some
pipes when they went to Scotland! Four years ago, after six months of respiratory therapy he began lessons on
the chanter and transitioned the Great Highland Bagpipes three years ago and began competing. We wish him
all the best of luck!

Clan Store Proposal-- It was proposed that we set up a committee to create and maintain:

A clearing house whereby national can buy items in bulk in order to garner the most cost effective price
on items that conveners wish to have available at their tents, such as clan crest buttons, tee-shirts and
other such small items as may be in demand. The conveners could then purchase at cost from national
such items as they wish and use this to help them create revenue to help offset the cost of their tent set-
up and event costs.
A web based store to allow the national organization to make available items to the public, with the profits
going to endow a scholarship, or toward the preservation of historic sites, or to other charitable works as
the board and membership may direct.
It was further proposed that this committee be responsible to the board of directors of the House of
Gordon USA and submit quarterly reports on their progress and endeavors, and that any and all monies
generated be directed to the treasurer.

The committee will consist of Lois Todd, Kevin Gordon, Geof Baker and others yet to be appointed by the
president.

AGM 2010 Venue -- The membership voted to hold the 2010 AGM during the Scotland trip.