Volume 10, Issue 2 June, 2018
- Michigan Gazette -
The Michigan Society, Order of the Founders and Patriots of America
Michigan Society Wins Phelps Award —
INSIDE THIS Top OFPA Society for 2017! ISSUE: Your Michigan Society was recognized with the J. Michael Phelps Award for 2017 at the recently concluded 122nd OFPA General Court. This award is be- 2018 General 2-3 stowed annually to the “Society with less than 50 associates demonstrating Court Recap the best overall performance in accomplishing the objectives of the Order.” This is the first time we have won this award since it was initiated in 2008 in In Memoriam 4 honor of former Governor General J. Michael Phelps. Governor Tom Smart was very pleased to accept this award on behalf of the New Associates 4 Michigan Society at the Saturday Night Banquet during the General Court. It was also fitting that outgoing Treasurer Doug Rasmussen and Registrar Larry Blackett were in attendance, since their excellent work played a key part in the New Member Drive 5 Michigan Society being recognized. The winning Society is determined by & Outreach points scored for activities throughout the year that are documented in annual reports by the Governor and the Treasurer. New associates are also a factor, Officer Updates 5 so both Doug and Larry had a hand in our win. Way to go, Michigan Society! This is a great achievement of which we can all Military Awards 6 be very proud.
Events & Calendar 7
Detroit—The Arse- 8 nal of Democracy
Governor Tom Smart (center) receiving the Phelps Award with Registrar Larry Blackett (L) and Treasurer Doug Rasmussen (R) Page 2
Michigan Society Hosts “Superb” 2018 General Court in Dearborn
The Michigan Society of OFPA did a great job in hosting the 2018 OFPA General Court (National Officer Meeting) from May 31—June 2, 2018 in Dearborn, MI. Our host hotel was the historic Dearborn Inn, a great venue that was well received by the attendees from around the na- tion. In a letter to the OFPA National Officers following the conclusion of the Court, new Governor General Richard Wright thanked Governor Tom Smart and the Michigan Society “for all the work and planning that went into this just concluded and highly successful General Court. It was superb.” Attendees were welcomed with commemorative bags filled with Michigan-made goodies such as Sanders candy and hot fudge, Detroit Popcorn Co. caramel corn, Better Made chips and Vernors and Faygo soda. Welcome letters came from Michigan’s Governor Snyder and Dearborn Mayor John O’Reilly, Jr. The Thursday Advance Tours included the Henry Ford Muse- um and the Ford Rouge Plant Tour. On Thursday evening, attendees got to meet each other and socialize at the Gover- nor General’s cocktail reception at the Dearborn Inn. On Friday, Associates spent the day attending the Executive Committee Meetings and first General Session while the la- dies who accompanied them were treated to a tour of the Ed- sel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe, lunch at a near- by restaurant and a tour of the historic Pewabic Pottery studio in Detroit.
On Friday evening we took a motor coach to the Detroit Historical Museum where we en- joyed a catered dinner by the Streets of Old Detroit and then access to the entire museum. Afterward, our bus driver took us down Wood- ward Avenue past the new Little Caesars Are- na, Tiger Stadium, Ford Field, the Detroit Ath- letic Club and on to the River Walk along the waterfront. The attendees were greatly im- pressed by the many great things happening in downtown Detroit! Saturday’s activities included the final Gen- eral Session and then an afternoon tour of Greenfield Village for all. It is great having these historic attractions right in Dearborn! Page 3
2018 General Court—cont’d
Saturday evening featured the traditional White Tie Banquet. A cock- tail reception was followed by the procession of flags from all the at- tending state societies, then a fabulous dinner and finally the state society awards. We were pleased to have several of our Michigan Society associates take advantage of the dinner-only option to join us for both the Friday and Saturday night events where they were able to meet the Governor General and the rest of the National officers. Thank you to the Michigan Society associates who helped to make this General Court a great success! A special thank-you goes out to John Horton who has a home in Michigan but is actually a life mem- ber of the Ohio Society. He made himself available to staff the Regis- tration Table and provide other invaluable assistance, even though not a member of the Michigan Society. It was greatly appreciated! Next year’s General Court will be in Richmond, VA to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the “Great Charter” and first General Assem- bly in Jamestown. The 2020 General Court will be in Plymouth, MA in honor of the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s arrival. Make your plans to attend now! Page 4
IN MEMORIAM
We regret to announce the passing of Michigan Society Associate Robert Sprague — Order #5990, MI Soc. #130. Paul passed away Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at age 67. He had been serving as our Deputy Gover- nor so this is a big loss to the Michigan Society. The following obituary appeared in the Flint Journal.
SPRAGUE, ROBERT M. Of Grand Blanc, age 67, passed away Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at The Oaks at Woodfield after a tremendous and courageous battle with glioblastoma. Robert was born in Durand, Michigan on February 6, 1951. On June 21, 1980 he married the love of his life, Vicki Murphree, in Bloomington, IN.
Dr. Sprague dedicated his life to improving the lives of others through a career in publicly fund- ed mental health services. He contributed his immense talents serving his community for over 45 years. His visionary leadership led to the development of numerous innovative clinical, recre- ational, and employment programs. Dr. Sprague served in both clinical and management posi- tions at Genesee County Community Mental Health and recently retired as CEO for Lapeer County Community Mental Health. He was also a surveyor for CARF for nearly 25 years. He truly loved his work and was always a strong advocate for mental health.
Dr. Sprague received his doctorate in therapeutic recreation (Re.D.) from Indiana University. He also completed his Masters of Science in Social Work from Kent School of Social Work at the University of Louisville, his Master's Degree from Michigan State University, and his MBA in Leadership from Baker Col- lege.
He was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, serving as State President and Chapter President. He was also an active member of the Linden Masonic Lodge #132, Knights Templar, Michigan Society Order of the Founders and Patri- ots of America, Lapeer Rotary, and First Congregational Church of Durand. He was an avid reader and traveler and lifelong learner. His greatest joy was spending time with his family. He participated with his sons in many activities including Little League, hockey and Boy Scouts. He also enjoyed participating in a fantasy baseball league for over 30 years.
Surviving are wife, Vicki; two sons, Robert H. (Sara) of Grayslake, IL and Jacob (Christine) of Kutztown, PA; sister, Darlene (Michael) Ouellette; brother, William (Debbie); mother-in-law, Mary Doris Murphree; special family friend, Gayla Staffne; his beloved dog, Cooper; and several extended family and numerous friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert D. and Margaret and brother, Jay Wheeler.
Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, May 7, 2018 at the Swartz Funeral Home, 1225 West Hill Road, Pastor Jonathan Chitwood officiating. Visitation 1-4pm and 6-8pm Sunday with a 7pm Masonic Memorial Service to be held at the funeral home. Burial in Evergreen Cemetery. Those desiring may make contributions to Glioblastoma Moon Shot, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030. Your condolences may be shared with the family at swartzfuneralhomeinc.com.
New Associate
We have had one new Associate join our ranks since the last newsle er. Please welcome Zach Torrey, the grandson of Jerry Rowland.
Nat # 6256 Torrey, Zachariah Quinton State # MI 143 12095 Waterloo-Munith Road Election Date: Munith, MI 49259 11 Nov 2017 Founder: Henry Rowland at Fairfied, CT 1649 Patriot: Jonathan Rowland of Hempstead, NY Page 5 New Member Drive! One of the most important challenges we face as a society is to grow our membership. We are a rela- tively small society and the required OFPA lineage can be difficult to prove, so we need to continually focus on identifying good candidates. Every one of us likely knows someone who would qualify for OFPA membership, either a relative or friend, perhaps from another society. As an incentive to encourage new member recruitment, we are pleased to announce that any associ- ate sponsoring a new member will be rewarded with one of the 2018 General Court commemorative black bags shown on p 2. We have nine of these left, so this offer is good until they run out! You can direct potential candidates to the application form on the OFPA website, and then add your name as one of the sponsors. Please help us grow and win a Dearborn General Court bag!
Outreach Initiative
To assist with new member recruitment, your Governor has made multiple outreach efforts this year to the other genealogical and heritage societies in Michigan such as Society of Colonial Wars, DFPA, War of 1812 Society and Sons of the Revolution. I have asked their leaders about doing joint meet- ings and activities in order to allow us to get to know each other and expose ttheir members to OFPA. Larger combined meetings would also allow us to book interesting speakers and split any fees. The first opportunity for a joint event is a BBQ being hosted by the Michigan Society SR on Saturday 07 July from 11am - 3pm (see Calendar on p 6). The SR has invited OFPA, DAR, CAR and some SAR chapters. We have also proposed holding our Annual Fall Meeting jointly with the MI Society of Colonial Wars on September 29, so please watch for future updates.
Michigan Society Officer Updates
Doug Rasmussen has completed nearly five years of excellent service as our Treasurer. Thank you! Doug would now like to focus on other priorities so Jerry Rowland has agreed to take over as our Treasurer. The transition has just been made so please address any financial matters to Jerry in the future. We appreciate you willingness to serve, Jerry! With the passing of Bob Sprague, our Deputy Governor position is now open. If you are willing to serve your Michigan Society in this position, please contact Governor Tom Smart at [email protected]. Thank you!
Officers Councilors Governor Thomas A. Smart Councilor General David E. Miller Deputy Governor Open 2015-2018 Jonathan Leffingwell E. David Ladd Secretary Paul Ensign Paul C. Lewis Treasurer Jerry W. Rowland 2016-2019 Charles Blackman States Attorney Gordon J. Barnett, Jr. Matthew M. Lewis Jerry W. Rowland Registrar Larry L. Blackett 2017-2020 W. Michael Babion James M. Hubbard Open Page 6
2018 Military Awards
One of the most important things we do as a Society is to recognize superior achievement by ROTC cadets at uni- versities in Michigan, along with honoring the top Michi- gan National Guard unit each year. Here are the ROTC awards presented in 2018. It is an honor to make these presentations!
U of Michigan ROTC - April 3 Army Cadet Michael Trela Air Force Cadet Roy Hagglund Navy Midshipman Joshua Katz Michigan State U Army ROTC – April 19 Army Cadet Justin Roney Michigan State U Air Force ROTC – April 21 Air Force Cadet Benjamin Koch
Gov. Tom Smart with MSU AFROTC Cadet Benjamin Koch
National Guard Award Aug. 24
Each year, your OFPA Michigan Society presents our Order’s National Guard Award to the top unit in the Michigan National Guard. This happens at the MING Annual Reward and Remembrance Ceremony at Camp Grayling which is attended by Governor Snyder and top military brass. We are the only outside organization to present such an award at this ceremony so this is a great honor for us. This year’s event will be on Friday, August 24 at 10:00 am. The ceremony is followed by a re- ception at the Camp Grayling Officer’s Club which we are also invited to attend. We highly encourage all of our associates to attend this ceremony at least once! You will gain a greater appreciation for how the Na- tional Guard has been called to serve in the Middle East and how much they have sacri- ficed to do so. If you plan to attend, please notify Governor Smart so we can give a count to the Guard ahead of time. You should plan to arrive at the base one hour in advance of the ceremony to be able to park and reach your grandstand seats. There are affordable motel options in Grayling should you choose to arrive the night before. Page 7
New Event Ideas Wanted!
What events would you like to do this year, either just for OFPA or in conjunction with other Michigan heritage societies? How about exploring historic War of 1812 sites in Michigan? Participating in pa- rades or military ceremonies? Attending battle reenactments at Fort Wayne or Greenfield Village? Doing something at the National Cemetery in Holly? Please send your ideas to Governor Smart at [email protected]. We want your Michigan Society to offer more activities so you can receive greater value for your annual membership dues!
2018 OFPA Michigan Calendar
Date Event Location
May 31 — June 2 OFPA General Court Dearborn Inn, Dearborn MI
July 7, 11:00 am — MI Society SR Joint BBQ — Meat pro- Oshtemo Twp. Park on M-43 3:00 pm vided, bring pot luck dish to pass (West Main St) in Oshtemo MI
Aug. 24, 10:00 am — OFPA National Guard Award Presenta- Camp Grayling — Parade Ground 1:00 pm tion + Reception + Officer’s Club
Sep. 29, 11:30 am — Fall Meeting — Possibly joint with MI Mitchell’s Fish Market, Lansing 1:30 pm Soc. Col. Wars MI
Veteran’s Day Service (Flag procession Nov. 11, 4:00 pm Cathedral St. Paul, Detroit MI w/other societies) Page 8
One of the exhibits we saw at the Detroit Historical Museum during the recent General Court tour dis- cussed Detroit’s role in supplying armaments and vehicles for World War II. Here is an excellent sum- mary on this from the Museum. It is generally agreed that no American city contributed more to the Allied powers during WWII than De- troit. Appropriately, then, Detroit grew to become known as "The Arsenal of Democracy" after a fireside chat conducted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the speech, delivered on December 29, 1940, Roosevelt made a “call to arm and support” the Allied powers, including Britain and France. Europe turned to the United States for assistance in the form of weapons, planes, trucks and tanks. Roosevelt stated that these war military devices would “enable them (Europe) to fight for their liberty and for our security.” He reminded Americans that a German victory in Britain would greatly compromise the safety of the United States, also emphasizing that aiding Britain would save Americans from the agony and horrors of war. In the speech, the President implored Americans to stand up as the "arsenal of democracy" as though it was their own country at war. He called on the nation to unite with swift cooperation in producing vast shipments of weaponry to aid Europe. Instilling in listeners the importance of patriotism and sacrifice, he spoke about the need for cooperation between the government and laborers. Finally, Roosevelt reminded the American people that they had both the responsibility and the means to turn the tide of war. Because of its strength as an automobile manufacturer, Detroit was an ideal city to step up to the task set by the President. Thus, the Detroit-area’s automobile industry underwent rapid transition in order to handle the production of weapons and vehicles of war. Factories halted the production of automobiles for civilian use and began rapidly producing jeeps, M-5 tanks, and B-24 bombers. By the summer of 1944, Ford’s Willow Run plant cranked out one bomber an hour. Within the first year and a half following the attack of Pearl Harbor, 350,000 workers from the American south and elsewhere moved to Detroit to join in the war effort. Women were also hired for factory labor. In an effort to accommodate both people and war shipments, some of the city’s earliest freeways were constructed to offer quicker access between Detroit and surrounding factories. Referencing the city’s conversion of its’ automotive industry to the manufacturing of war materials, Roo- sevelt honored Detroit’s contribution by declaring it "the great arsenal of democracy." In a similar vein, Walter Reuther of the UAW spoke these iconic words, "Like England's battles were won on the playing fields of Eton, America's were won on the assembly lines of Detroit.”