Blog Archives - CULPEPER MINUTE MEN - MUSTER CALL

93rd Virginia State C.A.R. Conference Held Online!!!

3/22/2020

This past Saturday evening Virginia SAR President and CMM Member Bill Schwetke represented the Virginia SAR at the Virginia C.A.R. Awards Banquet, which culminated the 93rd Annual State Conference for the Virginia Society of the C.A.R. Our president, just like virtually all of the participants, participated on Facebook. The C.A.R. strictly followed the guidance to stop the spread of the COVID-19 Virus, yet held their meeting, elected next year's leaders, accomplished their business, and held an Awards Banquet. This was a thrilling display of the American Can Do Attitude and reflected the spirit of our patriot ancestors who struggled against the super power of their day to win our independence. Heartfelt congratulations to Virginia C.A.R. President Madeline Herring, Virginia C.A.R. Senior President Michael Elston, and all the members of the Virginia C.A.R. for a successful year, capped by this wonderful achievement. The Virginia SAR is proud to stand with these patriots as they show us the way to overcome obstacles and honor our patriot ancestors.
Our local C.A.R. Society (chapter) is the Ashby Gap Society, which is currently struggling and very much in need of our support. If you have children or grandchildren in the local area, recruit them for the C.A.R. They also need senior leadership - can you help?

Virginia SAR President Bill Schwetke brings greetings.

The C.A.R. - SAR Silver Medal of Appreciation was awarded by the Virginia SAR to Virginia C.A.R. President Madeline Herring and to Virginia C.A.R. Senior President Michael Elston.

Virginia C.A.R. Senior President Mike Elston addresses the Meeting.

Virginia C.A.R. President Madeline Herring presented Mike Elston with a "2020 Congress Survival Kit" for his safety this summer in Richmond.

Virginia C.A.R. President-Elect Catie Wasenko, on left, as the new state officers are installed, including Virginia SAR compatriot Will Elston, on right, who was installed as the Virginia C.A.R. Chaplain for 2020-2021. Ms Wasenko will be installed later at the National Conference.

Success at Culpeper Town Council

3/10/2020

10 Mar 2020 Culpeper, VA

CMM President Charles Jameson led a group of CMM and neighboring SAR Chapter members to tonight's Culpeper Town Council Meeting to advocate for the construction of the Culpeper Minutemen Monument as was approved by this same council over a year ago and they prevailed. Members from the Colonel William Grayson Chapter and the George Washington Chapter joined president Jameson and fellow CMM Members: Virginia SAR President Bill Schwetke, CMM Secretary/Registrar Tom Hamill, and City Councilman Keith Price in this effort.

Virginia History Day District 4

3/10/2020

10 Mar 2020 Charlottesville, VA

CMM President Charles Jameson and Bill Schwetke participated as judges in the student contests at District 4 of Virginia History Day held at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. The awards ceremony was canceled because of concern about the Covid19 Virus.

CMM March 2020 Chapter Meeting

3/9/2020

9 Mar 2020 Culpeper, VA

The March 2020 Chapter Meeting was held this evening at Shawn's BBQ in Culpeper. 11 Chapter members and two wives, both DAR, attended. The speaker for the meeting was Dale Corey of the Colonel James Wood II Chapter (also a dual member of the CMM), who talked about SAR Veterans programs and also the Virginia SAR graves programs.

Virginia SAR Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Dale Corey was the speaker at this evening's meeting.

In appreciation for his address, President Jameson presented Dale Corey with a bust of George Washington.

     During the business part of the meeting, Virginia SAR President Bill Schwetke encouraged donations to the Mark Brennan Jr Fund, which supports our cash awards for Youth Programs. This is a presidential initiative for this year.
     Also the CMM committed to funding a paver for the Charters of Freedom to honor Lon Lacey, and to fund one paver honoring an African American Patriot and to work to find support for 14 more such pavers.
     Tom Hamill displayed the Middle School Brochure entries to our contest - any of which would be competitive at the state competition!

Virginia SAR Brochures Sub-Committee Chair, Tom Hamill, brought the CMM Brochure entries for all to see.

250th Anniversary of the Boston Massacre

3/5/2020

5 Mar 2020 Culpeper and Warrenton, VA

This evening the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter commemorated the Boston Massacre with ceremonies at the Culpeper County Courthouse in Culpeper and the Fauquier County Courthouse in Warrenton. In each ceremony a brief history of the event was read, a roll call of those killed, and church bells were rung. The church bells sounded at 9:00 pm, about the same time as they did 250 years ago in Boston.

In Warrenton the co-chairs of the ceremony were Tom Hamill of the CMM, Susan Hamill of the Fauquier Court House Chapter DAR, and Aaron Hamill of the Ashby Gap Society, C.A.R. CMM members participating in the program in period dress were Tom Hamill and Bill Schwetke, and Aaron Hamill, Don Hollar and Greg Schumacher (photographer) also participated.
Other organizations participating in the program included the Liberty High School JROTC Color Guard and the Warrenton Presbyterian Choir.

Virginia State SAR President Bill Schwetke provides an introduction at the Ceremony - Photo courtesy of the Warrenton Times Dispatch

On the steps of the Culpeper Courthouse another commemoration of the Boston Massacre was held. The CMM were joined by VFW Post 7524 and the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter DAR who co-hosted the event. Dale Corey of the Col James Wood II Chapter also participated in this ceremony.

The Combined VFW and SAR Color Guard at the Bostobn Massacre Ceremony, photo courtesy of the Culpeper Star-Exponent.

The Bronze Sestercentennial Recognition Medal is awarded for accruing 25 points in qualifying ceremonies.

Points
Chair/Co-Chair - 20
Participant - 10
In period dress - 5
Attend - 3

Several Certificates of Appreciation were presented to the organizations that helped us keep alive the memory of the Boston Massacre.

Bill Schwetke, on left, presents a Certificate of Appreciation to Father Ben Maas of St James Episcopal Church in Warrenton who helped arrange the ringing of his church's bells - his wife and daughter acturally came in that night to ring the bells.

Carrie Horvath of the Fauquier Public Library arranged for the use of the steps of the John Barton Payne Building, which was our backup to the County Courthouse.

NSSAR Spring Leadership and Trustees Meeting

3/1/2020

27 Feb - 1 Mar 2020 Louisville, KY

CMM Member and Virginia SAR President Bill Schwetke, and ten dual members, Lindsey Brock, Doug Collins, Ed Butler, Gary Green, Pat Kelly, Greg Ohanesian, Bruce Pickett, Jeff Thomas, Mike Tomme, and Dan Woodruff, attended Spring Leadershipat the Brown Hotel in Louisville. Bill marched in the Color Guard and participated as a member of the 250th Anniversary, Color Guard, Congress Planning, Congress Review, Council of State Presidents, DAR Liaison, Genealogy, and Reenactor Living History Committees.
One order of business conducted by the Trustees was to recommend to the General Membership the nominations of officers for 2020-2021, which included CMM Dual Member Bruce Pickette for Secretary General, CMM Dual Member Doug Collins for Registrar General, and Virginia SAR past President Mike Elston for Chancellor General.

Virginia SAR Members at Spring Leadership, seated, left to right: CMM Dual Member PG Lindsey Brock, Billie Brock, CMM Dual Member and Virginia SAR 1st VP Jeff Thomas, Virginia SAR President Bill Schwetke, Cat Schwetke, CMM Dual Member and Virginia SAR National Trustee Pat Kelly, Jennifer Kelly, Cilla Tomme, CMM Dual Member PG Mike Tomme. Standing, left to right: Nancy ALter, PG Warren Alter, CMM Dual Member Dan Woodruff, CMM Dual Member and Treasurer General Bruce Pickette, Rita Pickette, CMM Dual Member Gary Green, CMM Dual Member ANdrew Lyngar, Chancelor General Pete Davenport, Virginia SAR Surgeon Kirk Sheap, Norma SHeap, Brett Osborn, PG Joe Dooley, CMM Dual Member and Registrar General Doug Collins, Jack Bredenfoerder, Laura BredenFoerder. Not in the picture: CMM Dual Member Greg Ohanesian and Barbara Ohanesian.

March 2020 Birthdays and Service Anniversaries

3/1/2020

James Madison
16 Mar 1751 - 28 Jun 1836

March Birthdays
Gary Owen Green
William Travis Martin
David Marshall Messick, IV
Ronald Hugh Messick

March Service Anniversaries
James Robert Baird - 36yrs
Michael Reed Helmick - 28yrs
George Washington Bryson - 27yrs
George Vernon Godfrey, Jr. - 17yrs
John Michael Tomme - 17yrs
Kenneth Louis Jordan - 15yrs
Alexander Steven von Elten - 9yrs
Ernest Ray Walker - 9yrs
Alexander Payton Burnett - 4yrs
Michael William Dennis - 3yrs

Middle School Brochure Contest Judging

3/1/2020

1 March 2020 Warrenton, VA

Compatriots Don Hollar, Rich LePage and Tom Hamill met at Panera in Warrenton, VA to judge the Chapter entrants to the SAR Middle School Brochure Contest. All three judges were very impressed with the brochures which were received. Kudos to the middle schoolers for their work! Here were the top 3: