Lexington Patriots Day Celebration

Saturday April 13, 2024, 12:30 p.m. meet up time. Look for the Scottish Flag.

LOCATION UPDATE: We will meet at 12:30 at the Minuteman Visitors Center. Look for the McLaughlin Family tartan or the Scottish Lion, then walk over to the battlefield at around 12:45 (~5 min walk).

Our cousin from 1775, John Claflin, responded to the call to arms and his Hopkinton, MA Minute Men militia gathered for the original event so let’s revisit this historic moment in US history. We will watch as the Minute Men reenact the second call to arms for Captain John Parker on the afternoon of April 19, 1775 and the skirmish that followed. See the Lexington town website for an up-to-date schedule of Patriot’s Day events. Weather permitting, we will meet at 12:30 pm at the Lexington Battle Green Minuteman Visitors Center.

https://www.lexingtonma.gov/2011/2024-Patriots-Day-Schedule-of-Event

Visit the Claflin-Richards House and Museum

Saturday, May 18, 2024, 10:00 a.m. Wenham, MA

Our homestead is calling us! We will tour the Claflin-Richards House, placed on the National Register for Historic Places over 50 years ago, and the adjacent museum, at 132 Main Street in Wenham. The house was originally inhabited by Robert MacClaflin and his family and was constructed circa 1690. The house portrays the history of how people lived over three centuries, and the museum includes additional exhibits and model trains. These are properties of the Wenham Museum and we will arrive at 10:00 am to enjoy the exhibits, then head into Salem, MA for lunch.

Past Events!

Genealogy Workshop with Jeff Scheibe

Thursday, April 4, 2024 7:30 pm, Zoom.

Come join us for a Genealogy workshop! Jeff Scheibe will be presenting interesting family insights found in our genealogy, some tools and ideas for how to get started, and insights. We have current copies of the public-facing Claflin Family genealogy – add your branch of the family and send it back! We do not publicly publish any branches of the family which contain living members. The Zoom link will be available on the Facebook event and the website.

We are celebrating 170 years of Scottish-American tradition! Come join us at Sunset Hill House, just north of Lincoln, NH, for a weekend of family bonding and fun. Festivities begin the evening of July 26th and continue into the morning of July 28th. Events to look forward to include a welcome dinner, outings to local family-friendly attractions, and a traditional Scottish Ceilidh, all while exploring the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire!

If you would like to RSVP early, please fill out this form. Formal invitations will be sent later this spring. Let us know if you would like to be added to the mailing list.

· If you are interested in staying at the Sunset Hill house overnight you can make reservations by calling their registration number, 603-823-7244. Please tell them that you are with the Claflin Family Reunion to access the block of rooms reserved for Claflins. Lodging expenses are not covered by the CFA. There are also many other lovely hotels and inns in the area.

Schedule of events:

Tentative; times to be finalized:

Friday, July 26:

· Informal dinner at 7:00 on Friday, NOT covered by the CFA. Let us know if you are interested in joining us to hang out.

Saturday, July 27:

· Breakfast at 8:30 a.m. at the Sunset Hill House, free to CFA attendees

· General CFA Member’s Meeting will be at 9:30 a.m. at the Sunset Hill House, free to CFA attendees.

· Leave for local attractions such as Clark’s Bears, where the CFA could get a group rate and has inside activities should there be rain. Other area favorites are the Flume Gorge (in NH’s Franconia Notch State Park), Loon Mountain or the Hobo Railroad. Departure is from Sunset Hill House following general meeting at approximately 10:30 a.m.

· Portable Picnic lunch at approximately 12:30 p.m., free to CFA attendees to be enjoyed at attraction.

· Scottish Ceilidh at 4:30 p.m. at the Sunset Hill House, free to CFA attendees.

· Dinner at 6:00 p.m. at the Sunset Hill House, free to CFA attendees.

Sunday, July 28

· Breakfast at 8:30 a.m., free to CFA attendees.