General Smallwood Chapter 2015 Annual Report
Period from January 2014 through December 2014
Michael A. Saunders, President
DECEMBER 4, 2014
The General William Smallwood Chapter’s regularly scheduled quarterly dinner meeting was held December 4, 2014 at the Knights of Columbus Council 2169, 9707 Rosensteel Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland. Michael Saunders, chapter president, presided.
The following 37 members and guests were in attendance:
The MDSSAR General Smallwood Chapter Quarterly Dinner Meeting
December 4, 2014
Robert Abel
Anne Allnutt
Dorothy Barnes
Sabrina Baron
James Battles
Barbara Bryan-Wilson
Jack Carson
David Jones
James Jones
Dave King
Clarence Lee
Eileen Mcguckian
Teri O’brien
Brenda Roundy
Joseph Roundy
Daniel Searles
Dan Searles
Edna Searles
Edyie Searles
Mark Searles
Prentiss Searles
Susie Searles
Thomas Searles
Michael Saunders
Sharon Saunders
Keith Silliman
Eugene Stohlman
John Stohlman
Lauren Stohlman
Juan Luis Torres
Linda Torres
John Vandegriff
Glenn Wallace, Speaker
Pat Warner
Natalie Waibel
Robert Wilson
Dan Zimmerman
Mr. Saunders called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm. John Vandegriff offered the Invocation. Members and guests were led in the Pledge of Allegiance (Michael Saunders), the SAR Pledge (Pat Warner), and the American’s Creed (Michael Saunders). Compatriots and guests were introduced.
Approval of Minutes: The September 4, 2014 quarterly meeting minutes were approved by unanimous vote.
President’s Report: Mr. Saunders welcomed all members and guests. The MDSSAR semi-annual meeting took place in Annapolis on Oct. 25. The Smallwood Chapter received an award for Partners in Patriotism for working with other organizations supporting veterans. CAR reports are deferred until the March 2015 Smallwood chapter meeting.
Special Recognitions and Awards: Mr. Saunders presented the SAR Certificate of Distinguished Service to Sugarloaf Monuments (Brenda Roundy accepting) for the company’s role in producing grave markers with the SAR logo for six patriots buried at the Monocacy Cemetery in Beallsville. Mr. Saunders presented SAR Flag Display awards to:
Juan Luis and Linda Torres, 900 Elm Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912
Brad and Mindy Tuttle, 714 Auburn Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912 (not present; Jack Carson accepting)
New Members Installation: Pat Warner conducted the installation ceremony for Thomas Daniel Searles, Thomas Daniel Searles II, Mark Daniel Searles, Prentiss Eugene Searles, Daniel Prentiss Searles, and Eugene Martin Stohlman.
Unfinished/New Business: Mr. Saunders noted that the Smallwood Chapter dues of $10 per year are the lowest in the MDSSAR and raised the prospect of increasing the dues to $20 annually. Following discussion a resolution was passed to have the chapter treasurer conduct a cash flow analysis and report on the results at the March chapter meeting, at which time discussion of this issue will resume. Mr. Saunders reported that Pat Warner, Duane Tackitt, and Keith Silliman will form the Nominating Committee for the 2015-2016 chapter officer positions.
Featured Speaker: Mr. Saunders introduced Mr. Glenn Wallace, registrar for the Monocacy Cemetery in Beallsville. Mr. Wallace provided a remarkable talk and slide show presentation on his nine-year effort to document the over 5,000 burials at the Monocacy Cemetery, including family genealogy and photographs. Earlier this year Mr. Wallace and Chapter Recording Secretary, Jack Carson, worked together to identify patriots buried in the cemetery and arranged for the installation of granite grave markers at six patriot burial locations. Each marker is engraved with the SAR logo and includes the text, “SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION.” Following his presentation, Mr. Saunders presented Mr. Wallace with the SAR Bronze Good Citizenship Medal..
Announcements: The Patriot’s Ball will be held on Saturday, Dec. 13 in Baltimore. The next meeting of the Smallwood Chapter will be Thursday, March 5, 2015. The 50/50 raffle winner was drawn and proceeds distributed. The Benediction was conducted by John Vandegriff. The Recessional was led by Mr. Saunders. The meeting adjourned at 9:10 pm.
SEPTEMBER 4, 2014
The General William Smallwood Chapter’s regularly scheduled quarterly dinner meeting was held September 4, 2014 at the Knights of Columbus Council, Silver Spring, Maryland. Michael Saunders, chapter president, presided. This meeting was the first to be held by the chapter in the Knight’s of Columbus banquet room.
The following 22 members and guests were in attendance:
The General Smallwood Chapter, MDSSAR Quarterly Dinner Meeting
September 4, 2014
Lee Babcock
Dorothy Barnes
Sabrina Baron
Barbara Bryan-Wilson
Jack Carson
Jim Hardter
Daniel Klein
Jonathan Klein
Michelle Klein
Timothy Klein
Clarence Lee
Brenda Clark Lee
James Perry
Karen Perry
Michael Saunders
Keith Silliman
John Vandegriff
Pat Warner
Charles Wells
Robert Wilson
Steven Wood, Speaker
Dan Zimmerman
Mr. Saunders called the meeting to order at 7:10 pm. John Vandegriff offered the Invocation. Members and guests were led in the Pledge of Allegiance (Bob Wilson), the SAR Pledge (Michael Saunders), and the American’s Creed (Jack Carson). Compatriots and guests were introduced.
Approval of Minutes: The June 5, 2014 quarterly meeting minutes were approved by unanimous vote.
President’s Report: Mr. Saunders welcomed all members and guests. The 2014 Patriot’s Ball of the MDSSAR will take place on Saturday, Dec. 13 at the Hilton Garden Inn in White Marsh , MD. Compatriot Edward Foremen, Jr. Is the Chairman of the 2014 Patriot’s Ball Committee and Mrs. Sasha Atherton Quillan is the event’s Debutante Coordinator. More information will be forthcoming over the next few months including a mailed formal invitation. The chapter website has moved to a new location: http://william-smallwood.mdssar.org. The 125th SAR Congress will take place from June 25, 2015 through July 1, 2015 at the Galt House in Louisville, KY. Chapter Secretary Jack Carson recently visited the Monocacy Cemetery in Beallsville. Based on his research to date the Monocacy Cemetery contains the greatest number of patriot interments and headstones (nine) of any cemetery in Mont. Co. The purpose of the visit was to record the GPS coordinates for each patriot gravesite and marker, and photograph the six new markers with the SAR logo installed this summer by the cemetery. The results of this data collection can be seen by going to the Patriot Cemetery Inventory on the chapter website.
New Members Installation: Mr. Saunders conducted the installation ceremony for Lee. H. Babcock and son Arno James Babcock (in absentia).
Unfinished/New Business: Pat Warner provided a brief history of the local community and noted the area’s ties to the Carroll family. Mr. Saunders inquired as to whether there were any objections to the selection of the Knights of Columbus banquet room as the venue for future chapter meetings. No objections were voiced. Mr. Saunders stated that the banquet room management can provide a much broader menu for a $5 per meal increase to $30. A motion was made to increase the per meal charge to $30. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Duane Tackitt is convalescing from a recent hospital stay. Chapter members are encouraged to send him a note. Don Bean, a longtime and at one time very active, chapter member, passed away recently. A motion was made, seconded, and passed unanimously to make a $50 chapter donation in Don’s name to the NSSAR Library Fund in Louisville, KY. An additional $100 was collected from chapter members, including $26 from Bob Wilson who generously donated his entire 50/50 raffle winnings, bringing the total chapter donation to $150. John Vandegriff read a letter received from Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School recent graduate, Ms. Helen Hennessey, expressing her appreciation for receiving the SAR Good Citizenship Award. Her letter is appended to these minutes.
Featured Speaker: Mr. Saunders introduced Mr. Steven Wood, a former ranger at Ft. Frederick State Park. Mr. Wood, who was dressed in period attire, provided a very informative and entertaining presentation on the living conditions of a typical Rev. War soldier. Following his presentation, Mr. Saunders presented Mr. Wood with a SAR Certificate of Appreciation.
Announcements: The next meeting of the Gen. William Smallwood Chapter will be December 4, 2014. The 50/50 raffle was won by Bob Wilson. The Benediction was conducted by John Vandegriff. The Recessional was led by Mr. Saunders. The meeting adjourned at 9:10pm
JUNE 5, 2014
The General William Smallwood Chapter’s regularly scheduled quarterly dinner meeting was held June 5, 2014 at Alfio’s Restaurant in Chevy Chase, Maryland. Michael Saunders, chapter president, presided. This meeting was not held in the room reserved by the chapter, but rather in a smaller room. Alfio’s management reassigned our reserved room to a busload of high school students, without advising the chapter of the change.
The following 29 members and guests were in attendance:
The General Smallwood Chapter, MDSSAR Quarterly Dinner Meeting
June 5, 2014
Dorothy Barnes
Sabrina Baron
Barbara Bryan-Wilson
Jack Carson
MDSSAR 2nd VP James Engler, Sr.
MDSSAR Pres. Douglas Favorite,
Grace Howell
Douglas Jimerson
Abigail Joy Klein
Daniel Klein
Jonathan Klein
Michelle Klein
Timothy Klein
Clarence Lee
Charles Leonard
James Perry
Karen Perry
Michael Saunders
Sharon Saunders
VP Gen. Scott Shewmaker
Keith Silliman
Christopher Stuart
Duane Tackitt
John Vandegriff
Glenn Wallace
Pat Warner
Robert Wilson
Dan Zimmerman
Scott Zimmerman
Mr. Saunders called the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. John Vandegriff offered the Invocation. Members and guests were led in the Pledge of Allegiance (Bob Wilson), the SAR Pledge (Michael Saunders), and the American’s Creed (Jack Carson). Compatriots and guests were introduced.
Approval of Minutes: The March 6, 2014 quarterly meeting minutes were approved by unanimous vote.
President’s Report: Mr. Saunders welcomed all members and special guests, including MD State President Douglas Favorite and Vice Pres. Gen. Scott Shewmaker. The MDSSAR Quarterly Board of Managers Meeting was held on May 30 at the historic National Guard Armory in Baltimore. Minutes will be available on the MDSSAR website. At this meeting, Mr. Saunders received the Robert E. Burt Boy Scout Volunteer Award. Mr. Saunders reported that ten high school students received Outstanding Citizenship certificates and pins, and that five high school JROTC units were awarded certificates and medals at their respective award nights. Mr. Saunders thanked Pat Warner, John Vandegriff, Keith Silliman, Clarence Lee, and Douglas Harden for their assistance in administering these awards. The chapter’s 44th Memorial Day Observance was held at Woodmont Triangle in Bethesda on May 26th. Brigadier Gen. Tim Gowen from the MD National Guard was the featured speaker. The event received extensive coverage in the Gazette newspapers. Since our Memorial Day event meets the criteria for the SAR Partners in Patriotism Streamer Award program, our sponsorship of this event was submitted to SAR National. Thanks to Duane Tackitt for the significant help he provided to make this event a success once again this year.
New Members Installation: Vice President General Scott Shewmaker conducted the installation ceremony for the following three new members of the chapter: Christopher Peter Stuart; James Michael Perry; and, Charles Stephen Perry. Mr. Saunders placed the SAR rosette on the lapel of each new member.
Special Recognitions and Awards: Mr. Saunders emphasized the significance of awards in recognizing contributions to the SAR mission, and thanked the chapter awards committee members – Duane Tackitt (Chairman), Keith Silliman, Dan Zimmerman, and Pat Warner – for their efforts. Mr. Tackitt announced that a new award, the Lydia Darragh Medal, had been established by the SAR to recognize ladies who help support the SAR mission. The medal is named after Lydia Darragh (1729-1789), who crossed British lines in 1777 to deliver information to George Washington. This new medal may be awarded annually, but for the first year of implementation eligible candidates for the past five years (2008-2012) could be considered. Mr. Tackitt awarded the Lydia Darragh Medal to Sarah Warner, Barbara Bryan-Wilson, and Scott Zimmerman for their support of the chapter, and Mr. Saunders awarded the medal to Sharon Saunders for her assistance to him over the past year. The Bronze Roger Sherman Medal was awarded to Jack Carson. This newly established award may be bestowed on a compatriot for outstanding services rendered to a chapter. Roger Sherman was a Founding Father and the only person to sign all four great state papers of the U.S. – the Continental Association; the Declaration of independence; the Articles of Confederation; and, the Constitution. The Chapter Medal of Distinguished Service is a new award established this past year. It is presented to a compatriot for distinguished service rendered to a chapter during a chapter president’s term of office. As with the Lydia Darragh award, eligible candidates for the past five years can be considered. Accordingly, the following compatriots are presented with this award by the chapter presidents for the period 2008-2013: Donald Kuhnsman; Keith Silliman; Pat Warner; Robert Wilson; Dan Zimmerman; and, Duane Tackitt. Michael A. Saunders was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by the DCSSAR for assisting wounded veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to research their ancestors as part of the SAR Operation Ancestor Search (OAS) program. The final award of the evening, the Military Service Medal, was also awarded to Mr. Saunders for 25 years of active duty service in the United States Navy.
Unfinished/New Business: A Supplemental Ancestor Certificate was awarded to Clarence Lee. MD State President Douglas Favorite conducted the installation ceremony for chapter officers for the 2014-2015 term. Installed were President Mike Saunders, Vice President Clarence Lee, Treasurer Bob Wilson, and Secretary Jack Carson.
Featured Speaker: Mr. Saunders introduced chapter guest, Mr. Douglas Jimerson, who provided a very entertaining lecture-recital concerning music popular during the Revolutionary War period. Mr. Jimerson focused on music favored by George Washington and his family. Following his presentation, Mr. Saunders presented Mr. Jimerson with a SAR Certificate of Appreciation.
Announcements: Compatriot Pat Warner expressed his dissatisfaction with the meeting accommodations and urged the chapter Executive Committee to seek a new venue for future chapter meetings. The next meeting of the Gen. William Smallwood Chapter will be September 4, 2014. The speaker will be Mr. Steve Wood, a former ranger at Fort Frederick State Park. Mr. Wood will be speaking on the “life of a Revolutionary War soldier.” The 50/50 raffle was won by Glenn Wallace. The Benediction was conducted by John Vandegriff. The Recessional was led by Mr. Saunders. The meeting adjourned at 9:10pm.
MARCH 6, 2014