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Volume 6, Issue 4 Original Charter 1924 • Reactivated 1994 April 2009 TThhee PPrreessiiddeenntt’’ss MMeessssaaggee By Chaptterr Prresiidentt Wayne A.. Grriiswolld pril 19, 1775, two hundred and thirty-four years ago, our forefathers responded to what has become known as the Lexington Alarm. This alarm warned of British A troops advancing toward two small towns in upper Massachusetts. The regulars were coming! And men, both young and old, grabbed their arms as they ran from their homes and farms toward Lexington Square. These men, your ancestors, banded together to resist tyranny and the ruthless oppression levied upon them by the British government. It was in Lexington that the “shot heard ‘round the world” began our ancestors’ life and death struggle for America’s freedom and independence. To most people, the history surrounding these events is all but forgotten. Little is mentioned in our public schools and the average citizen on the street knows practically nothing. Yet it is an enormous debt that the people of this great nation owe to its Revolutionary patriots. Not only the people of these United States, but of the entire world. America’s revolutionary patriots proclaimed freedom from tyranny and in the process established a form of government that has become the envy of all nations. Our patriot ancestors were idealists. They were inspired by the highest and most beautiful of motives and we will never fully realize the hardships or the many sacrifices that they made. But what we do know is that they laid down their lives and that they shed their blood for America’s freedom and independence, and as long as these United States shall endure the task of commemorating their selfless deeds must be continued. It is through the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution that this mantle has passed to us. We are the descendants of the heroes of the American Revolution and as a society we have undertaken the great task of proclaiming their service and their sacrifices. As a society, we have set a sound course to record their history and then to preserve and maintain that history for all generations. In doing so, we are their witnesses, both in the communities in which we live and in our public schools. All of us, individually, need to seek like-minded men to join our ranks to help us preserve this precious heritage. We need to talk to our families, uncles, cousins, nephews, sons, and grandsons. We need to talk with our friends and neighbors about our patriots’ service and their In This Issue sacrifices. As you do, explain to them the values of the SAR, what we stand for, In This Issue and what we seek to accomplish. Tell them how their membership in this The President’s Message 1 society can help us reach these noble goals. In doing so, all of us will benefit. Calendar of Events 2 Not only in the preservation of America’s history, but also in the building of A Patriot’s Perspective 3 strong friendships with men of similar interests who are welded together to American Revolution Series 5 reach a common goal. Secretary’s Minutes 8 Genealogist’s Report 11 President’s Message Continued On Page 10 Knight Essay Program 12 Page 2 The Forty-Niner CHAPTER OFFICERS CCaalleennddaarr ooff EEvveennttss 2008 - 2009 TERM PRESIDENT Wednesday, April 1st Tuesday, April 14th Poster Awards & Historic Flag Poster Awards & Historic Flag Wayne A. Griswold Wayne A. Griswold Program, Weimar Hills School, Program, Valley View School, Rocklin, (916) 985-3756 2:10P.M. 9:00 A.M. [email protected] Thursday, April 2nd Friday & Saturday, April 17th-18th FIRST VP Poster Awards & Historic Flag CASSAR Annual Spring Leadership Program, Auburn Elementary School, Meeting, Costa Mesa. David A. Gilliard 9:30 A.M. (916) 663-9605 Sunday, April 19th [email protected] Thursday, April 2nd Patriots’ Day, Honoring the first battles Poster Awards & Historic Flag of the Revolutionary War, Fly the Flag! SECOND VP Program, Kaseberg School, Roseville, Monday, April 20th 2:15 P.M. William A. Welch Poster Awards & Historic Flag (916) 987-1356 Friday, April 3rd Program, H. Clark Powers School, [email protected] Poster Awards & Historic Flag Loomis, 1:00 P.M. Program, Loomis School, 1:30 P.M. Monday, April 20th SEC’Y & PAST PRES Sunday, April 12th Poster Awards & Historic Flag Keith L. Bigbee Easter - Fly the Flag! Program, Newcastle School, 10:30 A.M. (530) 878-0144 Monday, April 13th Friday, April 24th [email protected] Poster Awards & Historic Flag Poster Awards & Historic Flag GENEALOGIST Program, Calvary Christian School, Program, Excelsior Elementary School, 9:00 A.M. Roseville, 10:30 A.M. Earl L. Young Monday, April 13th Friday, April 24th (530) 346-9536 Presentation of Mayoral Proclamation Poster Awards & Historic Flag [email protected] in honor of Patriots’ Day, Auburn City Program, Twelve Bridges School, TREASURER Hall, 6:00 P.M. Lincoln, 1:15 P.M. Bruce N. Choate The next Gold Country Chapter meeting is (530) 878-3783 Saturday, April 25th at 9:00 A.M. [email protected] Lou LaBonte’s Restaurant, Auburn REGISTRAR The Gold Country Chapter’s 2009 regular meetings will be held on the 3rd Smith “Smitty” Virgil Saturday of each month except in May, September, and December. During these months special meeting dates occur in order to accommodate other Chapter or (530) 885-9038 (530) 885-9038 California Society activities. All regular meetings are held in the banquet room [email protected] of Lou LaBonte’s Restaurant, 13460 Lincoln Way, Auburn, (530) 885-9193, at HISTORIAN 9:00AM. See you there! Visit our Chapter, State and National Websites Barry E. Hopkins GoldCountrySAR.org CaliforniaSAR.org SAR.org (530) 906-4562 The submission deadline for the May edition of [email protected] The Forty-Niner is Tuesday, April 28, 2009. CHAPLAIN Ronald P. Williams (916) 791-0587 The Forty-Niner is the official newsletter of the Gold Country Chapter, [email protected] California Society, SAR. Statements and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect or state those of the CHANCELLOR Editor or of the California or National Societies, SAR. All content, Craig M. Hopkins photographs and graphics contained herein are subject to copyright law. (503) 419-6320 Newsletter or Website related questions or submissions should be directed [email protected] to Chapter Editor/Webmaster Michael G. Lucas at (530) 878-6506 or email [email protected]. All Rights Reserved. April 2009 Page 3 Embellished Résumés By Michael G. Lucas ore and more people are falsifying their résumés due to the increased competition M for limited jobs. A 2008 CareerBuilder.com survey showed that over half of all résumés are falsified. Accu-Screen has also noticed an increase in instances of lying on résumés as the economy declines. They estimate 43% of all résumés today are Steuben’s talent and bypass Congress’s edict by concocting falsified. My wife, whose career was in the staffing industry, the brilliant résumé of Lieutenant General Friedrich Wilhelm tells two stories of applicants whose résumés were falsified. Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Baron von Steuben, who was One stated he worked as an Administrative Clerk in a volunteering his services to America. Congress approved him, California prison. Upon verification of this employment, she towns honored him, and John Hancock loaned him money. learned that he did, indeed, work in the prison, just not as an The Baron went to Valley Forge and single-handedly employee. Another candidate lost a lucrative management transformed the Continental Army from a ragtag outfit into a trainee offer because he stated on his résumé that he had a disciplined army. He taught the army to march and created degree in Business Administration. He lost the opportunity training manuals for the troops as well as instruction manuals because he lied, which was unfortunate because a degree was for the officers. The drill procedures established at Valley not a requirement. In recent years there have been a number Forge were not changed for over 85 years, and most of the of high profile individuals who have paid a heavy price for drill terms and procedures he instituted are still in effect falsifying their résumés. Radio Shack’s former CEO, Dave today. Under von Steuben, the army acquired pride and Edmondson, was fired and Bausch & Lomb’s CEO, Ronald readiness to obey orders immediately; weapons began to be Farrella, missed a $1.1 million bonus when his lies were kept in pristine condition. The changes that von Steuben discovered. For embellishing his résumé in 2001, George made weren’t just cosmetic. The army’s later successes were O’Leary, current head football coach at University of Central a direct result of his influence. For example, von Steuben Florida, had to resign five days after being named as taught them to move quickly as a compact body rather than University of Notre Dame’s head football coach. Ironically, using an amateurish Indian file formation. During the even the Dean of Admissions of the Massachusetts Institute Philadelphia campaign, Marquis de Lafayette would have lost of Technology recently resigned because she falsified her most of his army at Barren Hill without these marching skills credentials, claiming she had degrees she had not earned. taught by Steuben. At the Battle of Monmouth Court House, General Washington on the spot stopped General Lee’s Since human nature has remained amazingly consistent over retreat and ordered an attack. Alexander Hamilton watched the years, it’s not surprising that there have been instances of how ragtag retreaters became confident attackers; he later falsified résumés during America’s entire history.