Spring is here with good weather for outside ceremonies. There is a wide range of events on our calendar to choose from; I strongly encourage you to take a look and find one or two you like, and then join us. Our next major event, Sunday, April 10th, is the Revolutionary Era Church Service at Little Fork Episcopal Church in Rixeyville. This is a great event, usually tied to Culpeper Remembrance Days (which were cancelled this year). Period dress is desired, but not required. Afterwards some of us may travel to Middleburg to help the DAR mark a patriot’s grave, but that is on hold awaiting information from the DAR. Next is Thomas Jefferson’s 273rd Birthday Celebration at Monticello on Wednesday, April 13th. That is a beautiful ceremony, well done, and in an awesome setting. They really could use some color guard help this year – I am in Louisville for a conference and unable to attend. I also could use your help on Saturday, April 16th at Petersburg. I will lead the state color guard in the president’s initiative ceremony to mark patriot graves there and could use some more support. There is a lot more, including a great time at Graves’ Mountain Lodge on Saturday April 23rd. Seven chapters, a great time, and a wonderful setting for springtime in the Mountains (many thanks to past CMM President Dewey Lillard, Jim’s cousin, for starting this tradition in 1987).
Our chapter also needs some stalwart compatriots to pick up some parts of the work that needs to be done to make our chapter fully active in all the activities of the SAR, as the chapter has done in the past. This is a list of our committees, and you will notice many vacancies in Youth Activities & Education, areas were we are not serving the community as other chapters are doing.
Awards – Lance Lyngar (by Constitution, immediate past president)
Boy Scouts – Lance Lyngar, Gerry Culver, Len Cowherd
Color Guard – Lon Lacey
DAR Liaison – Len Cowherd & Bill Schwetke
Constitution & Bylaws – Bill Schwetke
Flag Recognition – Bob Bowen, Bill Schwetke
Graves Registration and Marking – Scott Mitchell
History Day Support – Bill Schwetke
Nominating – Lance Lyngar (by Constitution, immediate past president)
Public Safety & Heroism – Lon Lacey
250th Anniversary of the American Revolution – Bill Schwetke
Revolutionary War Walk Project – Lon Lacey
Veteran Affairs – MG Greg Schumacher
Webmaster – Len Cowherd
Youth Activities & Education -
Elementary School Posters - VACANT
Essays - VACANT
Middle School Brochures - VACANT
JROTC – Don Jennings
Orations – VACANT
Teacher Recognition - VACANT
If you would like to take on one of these tasks contact me and we will figure out a way forward. Some of these responsibilities have been neglected for several years and we will need to restart programs. You might also be interested in a task covered by someone who is covering many others – consider that an opportunity for yourself.
Another initiative of Virginia Society President Ed Truslow is recognition for members of the SAR who are veterans. We have done a good job of awarding Military/War Service Medals to our members – if you don’t have one that you deserve, let me know. There is another program, with slightly more stringent criteria, for Certificates of Patriotism and membership in Veterans Service Corps. There is a form that Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Greg Schumacher, or I can complete and submit for both programs. What we need is documentation, such as a DD214, to prove service in a war zone. This is a separate program from the medals for service and has no impact on the award of Military/War Service Medals.
In another capacity, as your registrar, I am requesting copies of your record copies of SAR Applications and Supplementals. I have copies of all that have been submitted since I became registrar, but very few before that. We should have these on file and I would like to bring the registrar records up to date.
Hope to see you at one of our events this spring.
Your Servant,
Bill