Past-president Lance Lyngar attended the National Congress and submitted the following report:

The congress started with a visited to King Mountain and Cowpens National Battlefields other than the occasional liquid sunny the programs that were put on were very informative.  This congress was the most attended ever, for those who do not remember the congress in 2007 Congress in Williamsburg it was the most attend until this year. The highlight of the congress was on the closing day when PG Joe Dooley had his head shaved.  The goal of raising 1 million new dollars this year was reach with 1.03 million raised. Other highlights were the Youth Awards where the representatives from Virginia for Oration and the Essay Contest took First Place.  There was a the presentation of a prototype of a web base membership database and application submission that will allow when fully implemented completely electronic submission and tracking of an application. Also the Supplemental fees have gone up to $60 for an individual and $30 dollars for family plan effective July 24th 2014.

The lists of newly elected General officers are as follows:

President General Lindsey Brock (FL)
Secretary General Thomas Lawrence (TX)
Treasurer General J. Michel Tomme Sr. (GA)
Chancellor General John Dodd (CA)
Genealogist General John Sinks (DC)
Registrar General Larry Guzy (GA)
Historian General Robert Towns (GA)
Librarian General C. Bruce Pickette (Al)
Surgeon General Edward Rigel (GA)
Chaplin General Rev. Randy Moody (FL)

All in all I had an enjoyable time at my first SAR National Congress.  I highly recommend that you go to them if at all possible. 

Compatriot Bob Bowen attend the commemoration of the siege of Fort Laurens in Bolivar, OH, last weekend.  In 1779 the 8th Pennsylvania and 13th Virginia Regiments were besieged in Fort Laurens by British and Indian forces.  The patriots held out with the loss of 21 of their number.  This was the only battle of the Revolution fought in Ohio.

Mountain Run State Park, Saturday, July 12th, 2014 -
Seven compatriots and five wives gathered for our 2014 picnic.  Some business was conducted, including the announcement that the Slaughter Grave Marking by the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter of the DAR will be on Sunday, September 18th, at 2:00pm.  A good showing by our chapter would be greatly appreciated - I plan to be there in uniform.  We also learned that the 3-Chapter DAR/SAR Christmas Party this year will be at the Prince Michel Winery on Saturday, December 6th, for lunch.  This is a direct conflict with the Great Bridge Ceremony, a national level event for which we are the co-hosts.  I strongly encourage you to attend the Great Bridge Ceremony, but if you can't attend Great Bridge I encourage you to attend the DAR/SAR Christmas Party.  Also Wreaths Across America will be on Saturday, December 13th, at Culpeper National Cemetery.
It was a beautiful day at Mountain Run State Park, temperature in the low 80's, a nice breeze as you can see by the flags, and great food and fellowship.  Our next chapter meeting will be the Community Awards Meeting on October 11th at Prince Michel Winery.

Eleven chapter members, six in uniform, supported by seven of our wives, one in period dress, attended the Independence Day festivities in Culpeper.  We started at noon on the Court House lawn with a ceremony that featured music by the Blue Ridge Chorale; a musket salute; addresses by the Mayor of Culpeper, Michael Olinger, and the Chairman of the Culpeper County Board of Supervisors, Steve Walker; a narrated display of historic American Flags; and a rousing reading of the Declaration of Independence by Jim Bayne.  The crowd in attendance filled the Court House lawn, and with help from Paul Chase from the Colonel William Grayson Chapter everyone was wearing a "Liberty Sprig"

* Francis Lay Grave Marking, TBD
* CMM Picnic, Mountain Run Lake Park, Culpeper, 12 Jul, 11:30am
* National Congress, Greenville, SC, 18-24 Jul
* Mid Altlantic States Assoc., Hunt Valley, MD, 8-10 Aug
* CMM BOM Meeting, Peppers Grill, Culpeper, 16 Aug, 09:30am
* Bugles Across America, Culpeper, 11 Sep, time TBD
* Semi-Annual, Hyatt Fair Lakes, Fairfax, VA,  19-20 Sep
* Fauquier Heritage Days Parade, Warrenton, VA, 20 Sep, 9:00am
* Fall Leadership Conference, Louisville, KY, 26-27 Sep
* Slaughter Grave Marking by DAR, Sunday, 28 Sep, 2:00pm
* Point Pleasant, WV, October
* King’s Mountain, Blacksburg, SC, 7 Oct (tentative)
* Chapter Community Awards Meeting, Prince Michel Winery, 11 Oct, 11:30am
* Constitution Day at Montpelier, 17 Oct, time TBD
* Yorktown, 19 October, time TBD
* Veteran’s Day, 11 Nov
* Chapter Awards Meeting, Prince Michel Winery, 15 Nov, 11:30am
* Great Bridge, Chesapeake, VA, 6 Dec, time TBD
* SAR/DAR Christmas Party, Prince Michel Winery, 6 Dec, time TBD
* Wreaths Across America, Culpeper National Cemetery, 13 Dec, time TBD

 Compatriots and Friends:

                  On July 4th we celebrated the 238th Anniversary of our Declaration of Independence, which began a new country.  I will use coverage of our Independence Day activities in Culpeper to launch this new blog as a replacement for our Muster Call newsletter.  As many of you know, the Muster Call is the responsibility of the 1st Vice-President, a position that has been vacant now for two terms.  I have not done very well at covering all the responsibilities of President and both Vice-Presidents.  This blog will allow me to get the same information to you, sooner, and in a way more suited to my own skills, which do not include much in the way of constructing a newsletter.

                  You can access this blog directly, or as we prefer, by the link on our chapter website.  What you should expect to see as the first entry each month is a “President’s Message”, such as this, followed by “Calendar of Events” and lists of Birthdays and SAR Anniversaries such as you see now in the Muster Call.  The list of officers and committee chairman on our website will suffice for that normal item from the Muster Call, but you can expect ongoing encouragement from your president for you to pick up some of the load as a committee member, chairman, or chapter officer.

                  For the month of July I would like to reflect upon events one year before the signing of the Declaration of Independence.  On July 3rd, 1775, General George Washington assumed command of the American Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts, as depicted in the Currier and Ives print below.

George Washington had little military experience, but possessed strong character, integrity, and resolve.  Also, notably, in his General order issued the next day, July 4th, 1775, General Washington proclaimed the forces under his command now served not their individual colonies, but the "United Provinces of North America. "

“The Continental Congress having now taken all the Troops of the several Colonies, which have been raised, or which may be hereafter raised for the support and defence of the Liberties of America; into their Pay and Service. They are now the Troops of the UNITED PROVINCES of North America; and it is hoped that all Distinctions of Colonies will be laid aside; so that one and the same Spirit may animate the whole, and the only Contest be, who shall render, on this great and trying occasion, the most essential service to the Great and common cause in which we are all engaged.”

The US Army dates its birth from the day the Continental Congress voted to assume authority for the forces opposing the British at Boston and appointed George Washington as its commanding general, June 14th, 1775.  But this did not become fact until George Washington assumed command and issued the above General Order.  Ahead of our ancestors lay a long and difficult struggle.  They persevered, and their legacy to us is our great nation and a great Army.

Jerry Hubbard and I had the privilege over the past month of attending four JROTC Awards Ceremonies (3 for Jerry, 1 for me).  We were able to meet and give recognition to the next generation of our Army’s leadership.  George Washington would have been proud of all of them; his legacy is in good hands.  I suggest that you take the time next year to join us in recognizing our JROTC Award winners; you will be inspired.

Your Servant,
Bill Schwetke, President