The Crowley Clan Society Constitution

On the evening of May 20, 2006 the Crowley Clan Council met at the Quality Hotel in Clonakilty, West Cork to discuss, debate and adopt the first constitution of our modern clan. The proposed document was prepared by ex-Taoiseach Charles Crowley of Cork City. Charles served as Crowley Clan Taoiseach from 1998 to 2001.

Council members debated the voting process, which officers should be elected and which appointed, and the dues structure. Essentially the document was passed as written with small changes. Charles pointed out that this constitution is a beginning. There are provisions for amending it over time if we find that it is needed.

At the next Crowley Clan Council meeting in September the dues structure will be finalized. Then it will be possible for Crowleys from around the world to join the Society. As mentioned earlier in this newsletter, we have Country Representatives in Canada (Terry Crowley) and in the USA (John A. Crowley). Hopefully, by the fall we will also have representatives in other countries.

The Crowley Clan Constitution begins:

The mission of the Crowley Clan Society is (a) to honor, preserve and promote the ancient lineage of the Crowley Clan through genealogical research and worldwide outreach to related and variant families and (b) to ensure and restore the spirit and vibrancy of the Crowley Clan in Ireland and abroad.

The adoption of a constitution is an important step in establishing the credibility of our organization and providing it with clear guidelines for operation. Especially in the areas of fundraising it is preferable to have transparency so that prospective members can feel confident that their dues and donations will be properly recorded and used for their intended purpose.

The constitution is important. But our most important assets are the dedicated men and women of the Crowley Clan Council who have served our organization throughout the years. We have four ex-Taoiseachs on the council, Kitty Horgan, Flor Crowley, Charles Crowley, and Thomas Crowley who all work very hard to insure that our Crowley Clan Gatherings are well organized and that Crowleys throughout the world have a chance to meet one another and to celebrate our Crowley heritage.

The Crowley Clan Newsletter is
compiled by Marian Crowley Chamberlain