The ceremony on the fourth of July at the Culpeper Courthouse yard was excellent and is a good chance for the public to see the face of the CMM/SAR. The day starts with the march from the depot to the courthouse, posting of the colors, introduction of political/public guests. The speaker was Benjamin Franklin, who I believe captivated the audience. Compatriot Jim Bayne read the Declaration of Independence. The finale was the musket fire, in coordination with the Blue Ridge Choral. The audience was invited to sign a copy of the Declaration of Independence.
A special thanks to Color Guard Commander Lon Lacey for all his work to make this ceremony a success. Lon sits on a town committee, a county committee and the 4th of July committee coordinating everything with the Culpeper Tourism Bureau and the Town of Culpeper.
The 4th of July parade started at 4:00 pm. The trailer was decorated with flags and banners and full of compatriots and their families. The float won the trophy for “Best Patriotic Display.”
A special Thanks to Jim Bayne and his daughter Melony for allowing us to use their trailer, and for storing the decorations, etc. when not in use.
We had a very good gathering for the chapter picnic at Mt Run Lake park. We had 20+ in attendance and lots of food.
Upcoming events are as follows:
August 19 – Board of Managers meeting 9:30 at Pepper’s Grill in Culpeper.
September 1 – First Friday in Warrenton
September 11 – Bugles Across America Patriot Day
September 15-18 VASSAR Semi-Annual – Alexandria
September 16 - Vigil at Washington’s Tomb – Mt. Vernon
October 6 – First Friday in Warrenton
October 7 – King’s Mountain Ceremony, Blacksburg SC
October 7-8 – Point Pleasant WV
October 21 – Community Award Meeting
October 19 – Yorktown
October 28 – DAR/SAR Genealogy Workshop
November 11 – Veteran’s Day – Culpeper National Cemetery
November 18 – Chapter Awards Meeting
December 2 – Great Bridge, Chesapeake, VA
December 9 – SAR/DAR Christmas Party – St. Stevens – Culpeper
Additional information will be forwarded as we get closer to the dates