Highlights of the 131st Annual Meeting of the Virginia SAR

06 Feb 2021    Omni Richmond via Zoom

The setup in the Omni Hotel before the Meeting.

     The 131st Annual Meeting of the Virginia SAR was conducted with an anchor group, primarily the Executive Committee, at the Omni Hotel in Richmond with others attending via Zoom.  Virginia SAR President Bill Schwetke, a member of the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter, designed the meeting to have the look and feal of a physical meeting in as much as possible.  A Technical Crew of three, Thayer Meyer, Marc Robinson, and  David Carpenter made this happen with a complex setup of three cameras and four microphones onsite to pickup the onsite activity and one very large screen with projector to provide the onsite participants a view of the online participants. 
     For the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter the biggest highlight was its recognition as the Virginia SAR Best Large Chapter for 2020.  Additionally several chapter members received recognition for their activities this past year:

PATRIOT MEDAL
Bill Schwetke

SILVER ROGER SHERMAN MEDAL
Mike Lyman (1st OLC)

VIRGINIA SOCIETY STATE SERVICE MEDAL
Keith Price

DAUGHTERS OF LIBERTY MEDAL
Cat Schwetke (1st OLC)

GRAVE MARKING MEDAL
Tom Hamill

CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION
Tom Hamill
Mike Lyman (x2)

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    At the end of the meeting the new officers of the Virginia SAR for 2021-2022 were installed via Zoom by National Society President General Jack Manning.  Jeff Thomas of the Fairfax Resolves Chapter was installed as our Virginia SAR President as CMM compatriot Bill Schwetke stepped aside.  The complete slate of officers included:

PRESIDENT
Jeff Thomas - Fairfax Resolves

1st VICE PRESIDENT
Bruce Meyer - Thomas Nelson, Jr.

2nd VICE PRESIDENT
Ernie Coggins - George Washington

3rd VICE PRESIDENT
Dr. Bill Greaf - Williamsburg

SECRETARY
Wayne Rouse - Colonel Fielding Lewis

TREASURER
Rick Elofson - Thomas Nelson, Jr.

CHANCELLOR
Eric Monday - Colonel George Waller

HISTORIAN
Tom Roth - George Washington

SURGEON
Dr. Kirk Sheap - Fort Harrison

CHAPLAIN
Rev. Dr. Gene Thomas - George Mason

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The swearing in of Virginia SAR President Jeff Thomas by President General Jack Manning who is on screen. Outgoing President Bill Schwetke is on the left, and handling the physical tasks for PG Manning is National Trustee Pat Kelly on the right.

Just before the changing of positions, President Bill Schwetke, 100th president of the Virginia SAR presented Jeff Thomas with Centurion Challenge coin #100, the last of 100 numbered such coins to be presented.

As a token of esteem, the Executive Committee presented Past President Schwetke with a bronze statuette of General Washington in prayer at Valley Forge.