. t soc. Minn. Hrs . )UL12 \9l7 OFFICIAL BULLETIN 01' THE NATIONAL SOCIETY 01' THI!: S OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION Orcanized April 30, 1889 lncorporaled by Act of Congreae June 9, 1906 JUNE. 1917 Number I at the office of the Secretary General (A. Howard Clark, Smithsonian lnsti· W;oshi,nl!t:on. D. C.. in June, October, December, and March. 7, 1908, at the post-office at \Vasbington, OFFICIAL BULLETIK records action by the General Officers, the of Trustees, the Executi\·e and other "rational Committees, lists rs deceased and of ne\\" members, and important doings of ~ocieties. In order that the OFFICIAl. Bur.LI:TI.!'\ may be up to and to insure the pre,;ervation in the National Society archiYeS complete history of the doings of the entire organization, State and local Chapters are requested to communicate promptly ~ecrctary General \Hitten or printed accounts of all meetings ·ons. to forward copies of all notic-es. circulars. and other matter issued by them. and to notify him at once of dates of f members. 2 NATION.\L SOCIETY, S. ,\. R. 3 PROCEEDINGS OF FIRST SESSION OF ANNUAL CONGRESS. 'ATIONAL SERVICE BAR. The Twenty-eighth Congress of the National Society of the Sons of Executive Committee has authorized the issuance and presenta­ the American Revolution was called to order, at Nashville. Tenn., on each compatriot who may enlist in the Army or Navy of the May 21, 1917, by President General Wentworth. States during the War of 1917 a service bar in the colors of Present were: Elmer M. Wentworth, President General; R. C. Bal­ of the American Revolution, and it is the desire of the Na­ lard Thruston, Member of the Advisory Committee, Past President officers that e1·ery compatriot so enlisting or now in the service General; Wm. K. Boardman, Vice-President General; State President the nation be presented with and wear this bar, which is in accqrd­ Rawles of the Arkansas Society; State President Hume of the Ten­ with official regulations. Application should be made through nessee Society; Professor Sioussat, John De Witt, Carey Folk. Dele­ ries of State Societies, stating name, address, and branch of gates of the Tennessee Society. to which member belongs, the application to be endorsed by The President General appointed Wm. K. Boardman as Secretary State Secretary and forwarded to the Secretary General. pro tem. of the meeting. The following resolutions were submitted by R. C. Ballard Thruston, JC}JUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE. were seconded by State President Rawles of the Arkansas Society, and It is imperative that the patriotic efforts of the Sons of the Ameri­ were unanimously carried: Re1·o lution in connection with the War of 1917 be of the highest The Society of the Sons of the America~ Revo~u.tion, .true to it~ J?rin­ ciples, has so imbued its members and thetr faf!Jthes wtth the sptnt _of in the national service, avoiding all duplication or overlapping patriotic service that when our country entered mto the present c.onfhct acti1·itie hy other organizations. After a careful consideration of to preserve t~e principles _of democracy the re~l?onse to the Prestdent's suggested methods through which the Society might render valu­ call was practically unammous. Those of mthtary age rallted to the ependent service by the appointment of a Sons of the American colors. The older members engaged in the varied patriotic activities which are equally essential to place this nation in position to do its duty ••:.•ut•u•'v" War Council, or otherwise, the Executive Committee, at its to humanity. _ . on May 24. concluded that the best results would follow co­ Recognizing that attendance at ~he Annual c;ongress of the l'<attonal with the existing national official body, and it was therefore Society of the Sons of the Amencan ~evolution ~ailed to convene at to recommend that State Societies and Chapters operate under ~ashville Tenn. May 21, 1917, would mterfere wtth the performance by delegates of their higher duty of national service and of preparation advice and direction of the State Councils and Local Council ior such service the National Executive Committee recommended to by the Council of National Defense as organized by act of the President Ge~eral that the Congress should be postponed, and notice thereof was sent to all officers and delegates entitled to representation therein; and . conditions of modern warfare require thorough co-ordination of Whereas the Twenty-eighth Congress of the Soctety of the Son of , State. county, municipal, and individual resources and abilities. the American Revolution, duly assembled in the city of Naslwille this Pmnrr,r·v is successful to defeat autocracy, broad-minded co-opera­ :nst day of May, 1917, is witho~t the ;equisite number of deleg~tes t~ all units is imperative. To this end the Council of National constitute a Congress of the satd Soctety for the transactiOn ot bust- called a conference of State representatives at \Vashington on ness; therefore . consider the creation and effective use of State Councils of Be it resolved, That this Congress do now adjourn to meet 1~ the to act in harmony with the National Council. The following city of Nashville, State of Tennessee, upon t?e c~.ll of the Prestdent for State organization was submitted in the interest of uniformitv General. on the giving of at least three weeks nottce by the. Secretary th e adoption of the States which have not already acted: - General of this Society of the time designated by the Prestdent Gen­ Council of National Defense.-Composed of Secretaries of War eral. Interior .. Agricultu~e .. _Comme~ce and Lab?r; created by an act Adjournment was then taken. vv~r. K. BO.\RD~IAX, ; atded by a ctvzltan Advtsory Commtssion. Secretary f'ro tem. te Cozmcil of Defense.-The National Council of Defense Approved: ~on1 m •enc!s. that the States appoint State Councils of Defense. Each E. M. WENTWORTH, net! should elect a chairman as its executive head. Councils should co-operate with each other and with the Preside11f Ge11cral. Government in ?rganizing and directing the resources of the ~ASHVILLE, TENN., Jfay 2I. 1917. m men and matenals. to make them available and effective for NATION.\L SOCIJ-;'1'\', S ..\. R. 4 OFFICL\L BULLETIX 5 Past Presidents General Thruston of Louisville and \t\Toodworth of · 1 1d should recommend changes in the State laws which mavnanona become use, expedient.at \t\Th en t h e S ta t e c ounct'1 e x ercises. its po\. Yers Syracuse, chait·men of Red Cross war-relief work in their communities. and duties on a given subject at the request of the Coun~tl of NatiOnal The National Executive Committee of the Sons of the American Re\'0- Defense, it is suggested that tl!e work sh~uld he done m the manner lution recommends and urges that all State Societies and Chapters co­ and form prescribed by the Natwnal Counctl. • operate with the War Council of the Reel Cross as the official body for The following committees were suggested .a~ expedient for appoint­ war-relief work. t · most States: (1) Fioance; (2) Pubhctty; (3) Legal; (4) Co- A number of State Societies, including those in New York. New men Ill d "'I d' . (6) F d S 1 ordination of Societies; (S) Sanitation an 1• e tcme: 'OO upp y Jcrs<'Y• Kentucky, Utah, and Ohio, have raised funds for providing an d C onserva t1·on ,· (7) Industrial Survev. ·, (8) Survey-. of Man Power: ~mhulan ces for war service. (g) Labor: (ro) }.{ilitary Affairs; (11) State ~rotectwn; (rz) Trans­ portation: ( 13) Local Councils ~hould be orgamzed in such manner as LIBERTY STATUE IN PETROGR.\D. each State Council may determme to extend its activities throughout The Executive of the "Liberty Fund," of which Com­ the State. Cot~ttee patriot William H. Taft is chairman and Compatriot James \V. ·wads­ The above plan of operations has been adopted in most of th.e State,, worth, United States Senator, is a member, organized by The ,y cw and the Sons of the .\merican Revolution should co-operat: to the York Herald and The Amc1·ican Hebrew, has inaugurated a movement fullest extent with the State and Local Councils and the offic1al com ­ "to commemorate the emancipation of Russia and the deliverance of mittees thus appointed. oppressed nationalities by the presentation of a Statue of Liberty to the MBERTY LOAN BOXDS. Russian people" and its erection in Petro~rad. Further information concerning this worth~· project may he obtained from the Secretary The National Executive Committee on :May 24 made a subscription Gem ral. , / in behalf of the National Society to the Liberty Loan B~n~s and dt­ AMERICA!\ MISSION TO RUSSIA. rected that notice be issued recommending that State Soc1ette . Chap: ters, and 111· d'1v1 'd ua 1 m emlJcrs subscribe for bonds to the full extent . ot Compatriot Elihu Root of the Empire State Society is the head of t h e1r· a b'l't1 1 y. ..•, nu mber of Societies acted upon the recommenclatton. the .\merican illission to Russia. On June 15 he made a stirring ad­ bv thus investing .portions of their current or permanent fu~ds. It ts dress to the Council of Ministers at Petrograd, in which he said: e~timated that the personal subscriptions of Sons of the Amencan Rem­ Fur qo years our people have been struggling with the hard prob­ lution throughout the country aggregated more than $5o,ooo.o~, whtle ems of self-government. With many shortcomings, many mistakes, very many m1'II' 1 ons m ore of subscriptions were made by.