Blog Archives - CULPEPER MINUTE MEN - MUSTER CALL

Virginia SAR Board of Managers Meeting

1/31/2021

31 Jan 2021 on Zoom

President Charles Jameson gives the Annual Report of the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter to the Annual Meeting of the Virginia SAR Board of Managers.

As part of the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Virginia SAR the Board of Managers met on Zoom this afternoon. Our chapter was represented by two delegates, President Charles Jameson and Secretary Tom Hamill. CMM member Bill Schwetke, president of the Virginia Society, chaired the Board of Managers Meeting
Over the next five days nine workshops will be held on Zoom, in conjunction with the Annual Meeting. Then the Annual Meeting itself will take place on Saturday, February 6th. Registration for the Annual Meeting is open through Wednesday; a link to registration can be found under "Coming Events" above. You may also register for a workshop up until the time that the workshop begins by contacting Bill Schwetke.

240th Anniversary of the Battle of Cowan's Ford

1/30/2021

30 Jan 2021 on Zoom

On February 1, 1781 a small group of Patriots contested Cornwallis' Army as they crossed the Catawba River at Cowan's Ford. The significantly stronger British forces prevailed, but but the delay helped General Greene's Army to survive.
President Charles Jameson led the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter participation in the ceremony and presented the chapter wreath. Other chapter members who participated included Bill Schwetke, who as President presented Greetings and the Virginia SAR Wreath, and Doug Schwetke, as a dual member of the Major K.M. van Zandt Chapter of Texas presented that chapter's wreath. All CMM participants were in uniform and participated in the Color Guard. The entire ceremony was conducted on Zoom. There were 237 participants on the Zoom link.

President Charles Jameson presents the chapter wreath on Zoom.

Passing of Helen Bowen

1/26/2021

22 Jan 2021 Fredericksburg, VA

Helen and Bob Bowen

News of Helen's passing received from Virginia SAR Secretary Wayne Rouse

It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of VASSAR Past First Lady Helen Bowen on Friday, January 22, 2021 at Poet's Walk Nursing Home in Fredericksburg, VA.

It hasn't been too long ago that Bob passed on 11/25/2020 and now they are together again. For a good part of Bob's involvement in the SAR and other organizations, Helen was always with him. My wife, Wink and I became very close friends with Bob and Helen and both will be sorely missed.

We do not know any arrangements at this point but I will send out additional information as it becomes available.

Cards may be sent to:
The Family of Helen Bowen
218 Green Arbor Drive
Fredericksburg, VA 22407

245th Anniversay of Peter Mühlenberg's "Time of War, Time of Peace" Sermon.

1/24/2021

24 Jan 2021 Woodstock, VA

Onsite participants flanking the bust of Peter Mühlenberg in front of the Shenandoah Historical Society, the old Court House. Bill Schwetke is immediately to the right of Mühlenberg's bust.

     Johann Peter Gabriel Mühlenberg, soldier, statesman, servant of God; served his fellow man as an able general, a congressman, and as their pastor. He would serve as a soldier for five years to win for his flock the right to worship God as God led them to do, not as the king of England dictated. As a congressman he would participate in enshrining that right in our Bill of Rights.
     245 years ago Peter Mühlenberg took a bold step on that journey as he gave to his flock an illustrated exegesis of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, beginning with the wise and beautiful words “to every thing there is a season.” And he illustrated his last verse “a time of war, and a time of peace” by casting off his clerical robe and revealing the uniform of a colonel in the Continental Army and walking down the aisle to lead his flock to war, following Paul’s words in Ephesians 6:11, he put on the full armor of God.
     As Abraham Lincoln would note four score and seven years later, our actions at this ceremony were but a vanity that passeth away, but the gift we have received from Peter Mühlenberg and his like must be preserved for all generations to come.
     The Culpeper Minutemen Chapter was well represented at this hybrid onsite/online ceremony: past President Tom Hamill presented the chapter wreath and President Charles Jameseson, Bill Schwetke, and Doug Schwetke participated in the Color Guard. The only onsite participant from our chapter was Bill Schwetke who brought greetings as the President of the Virginia SAR and presented the Society wreath.
     This Anniversary Commemoration is a newly designated State Event.

Virginia SAR President Bill Schwetke brings greetings.

Virginia SAR President Bill Schwetke renders honors during the wreath presentations.

240th Anniversary of the Battle of Cowpens

1/17/2021

17 Jan 2021 on Zoom

This year, due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, the Cowpens ceremony was completely on Zoom. CMM participants included President Charles Jameson, who presented the chapter wreath, Bill Schwetke, who presented the Virginia Society wreath, and Doug Schwetke, who presented a wreath for the Maj. K.M. van Zandt Chapter of Texas.

General Daniel Morgan & Battle of Cowpens Memorial

1/16/2021

16 Jan 2021 Winchester, VA & on Zoom

The Colonel James Wood, II Chapter hosted a ceremony today honoring General Daniel Morgan and his victory at Cowpens. The ceremony was conducted at General Morgans grave in Mt Hebron Cemetery, Winchester, VA and on Zoom. President Charles Jameson presented the CMM Chapter wreath, Doug Schwetke presented a wreath for the Maj. K.M. van Zandt Chapter of Texas, and Bill Schwetke also participated. All CMM participants were in Color Guard uniforms.

2021 Annual Meeting of the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter

1/11/2021

11 Jan 2021 on Zoom

The 2021 Annual Meeting of the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter met via Zoom. Ten regular, one dual, and one prospective members attended. The program was a video presentation on the influence of the Declaration of Independence on the Constitution. Also during the meeting the new officers for 2021 were installed by Virginia SAR President Bill Schwetke, who was subsequently sworn in as Chapter Historian by President Charles Jameson.

Our Chapter Officers for 2021

President - Charles Jameson
Secretary - Tom Hamill
Treasurer - Rich LePage
Registrar - Tom Hamill
Chaplain - Len Cowherd
Historian - Bill Schwetke

Board of Managers Meeting

1/9/2021

09 Jan 2021 on Zoom

The Culpeper Minutemen Chapter held its board of managers meeting yesterday, 9 Jan 2021. The following are highlights from that meeting:

The Virginia Dispatches have been updated with the latest information on upcoming events. The events list can be found here:

http://www.virginiasar.org/coming-events

VASSAR also has a YouTube site which contain a number of past commemoration events - at least starting in Fall 2020. The events are typically broadcast live on YouTube or you can view them later. The channel can be found at:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJrzGKzULSPLsSUDXvxgtuw

The upcoming VASSAR Annual Meeting will be all virtual. The dates for the meeting are 5 and 6 Feb. This is a good opportunity to see what's happening at the State level, particularly if travel has been an issue in the past. There will still be a registration for the meeting. I will get that out to the Chapter as soon as it is available.

Important Items:

CMM President Charles Jameson would like to hold 2 grave markings this year. He has the graves identified, so we will be starting the paperwork to make sure those are recognized at National. The Markings will likely be in either July or August. Let us know if you'd like to help.

With the new Culpeper Minuteman Memorial in place, we'd like to hold an additional ceremony to honor the Culpeper Minutemen muster. This will be in addition to the ceremony we normally hold on or about Flag Day. The board is researching an appropriate date and will make a decision in late Feb.

In addition to the Culpeper Minutemen Monument - with the Charters of Freedom addition, we are looking to hold either a Constitution Day ceremony, or some other offering around the 17th of Sept. If you have ideas or would be interested in volunteering, please let me know.

The COVID-19 Pandemic will likely keep the next few Chapter meetings to Zoom. We are hoping that we can still hold the Graves Mountain Multi-Chapter meeting, but do not anticipate it being able to occur in April. The board feels the real essence of the meeting is the comradery from being together in one place, so we will be looking into holding the meeting at the and of August (ideally 28 Aug). The hope is that summer weather plus several months of people getting vaccinated will allow this meeting to occur.

The Chapter plans to hold an in-person ceremony celebrating the birth of George Washington at the Culpeper Masonic Cemetery on Mon., 22 Feb at 4pm. More information to come as that event gets closer.

244th Anniversary of the Battle of Princeton

1/3/2021

03 Jan 2021 Princeton, NJ - Zoom

Washington at the Battle of Princeton by Alonzo Chappel in 1857

On Jan 3, 1777 the Continental Army, fresh from its victory at Trenton, slipped away from the British under Cornwallis and surprised the garrison at Princeton. At first the Continentals, under the command of General Hugh Mercer of Virginia, were repulsed and Mercer was fatally wounded, but General Washington rallied the troops to victory. The result was the British withdraw from southern New Jersey and the Americans establishing their winter camp at Morristown, NJ.
The 244th Anniversary of this battle was celebrated by the SAR with a small onsite ceremony at Princeton and over 100 additional participants on Zoom. Culpeper Minutemen President Charles Jameson represented our chapter and was joined by fellow CMM compatriots Bill Schwetke (who also represented the Virginia Society), and Doug Schwetke (who also represented the K.M van Zandt Chapter of the Texas Society). All CMM participants also participated in the Color Guard.

The Virginia Society Presents a Flag Certificate

1/1/2021

01 Jan 2021 Fauquier County, VA

Virginia SAR President Bill Schwetke presents a Flag Certificate to Jerry and Linda Kerns of Fauquier County.

The Virginia Society made an early start to Flag Certificate presentations for 2021 with a presentation this morning to Jerry & Linda Kerns of Fauquier County. The flag pole in front of their house is the pride and joy of Linda Kerns, who is the daughter of a career Army officer. The flag pole is extendable, well lit at night, and Jerry keeps the tree limbs that reach out for the flag well trimmed.
All 28 chapters of the Virginia SAR presented flag certificates in 2020 and we are on our way to a similar accomplishment this year. Congratulations to each chapter, and a special thanks to our hard working Flag Recognition Committee Chairman, Ken Morris.