Bulletin The Ohio Society of the Sons of the American Revolution Fall 2017 Newsletter www.ohssar.org Message from the President Inside This Issue I would like to take a minute to thank all those Compatriots who 127th National have worked so hard this year to further our commitments to our Congress 2 patriotic, historical and educational programs. By my count, mem- bers of the Ohio Society have participated in more than 220 events NSSAR Fall Leader- 2 thus far in 2017. These events include Flag Certificate presenta- ship Meeting tions, Patriot grave marking ceremonies, naturalization events, Honor Flights and Color Guard activities just to name a few. The Ohio Society Holds Summer Meeting 3 Chapter leadership that organizes and executes these events is to be commended and those Compatriots that participate, you are Ohio Society Awards truly heroes. 3 Luncheon It’s a reality of any volunteer organization that 10% of the mem- Ft Laurens—Ohio’s Only Revolutionary 4 bers will do 90% of the work and no one is asking or expecting every Compatriot to don a War Fort uniform and march in the Color Guard. But 100% of our membership can help out by simply renewing their membership this coming year. It is the membership dues that help Welcome New Members 5 the Chapters with putting together all those patriotic, historical and educational pro- grams that are so important. In Memoriam 5 Before I put together the next Ohio Country Bulletin, we will have been through the pro- John Franklin cess of collecting dues and renewing memberships for 2018. One of our goals for this Receives Minuteman 5 year is to “Increase our membership and improve the number of annual Compatriot re- Award newals.” Our goal at the Chapter-level should be to renew 100% of our active member- Paul Wilke Receives ship and then seek out those that previously discontinued their membership and bring Gold Color Guard 5 them back. In 2016 we brought 133 new Compatriots into the Ohio Society but our actu- al number of members only increased by six, from 1,602 on 1 Jan 2016 to 1,608 on 1 Jan Ohio Oration Entry 2017. I know we can do better than that. This Newsletter reaches all of our members. If Wins 2nd Place at 6 NSSAR you are reading this and have not renewed your SAR membership for 2018, please con- tact your Chapter and do so. Mahoning Valley 6 Chapter Recruiting As always, if there is anything I or the State-level leadership can do to assist Chapters in this endeavor, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thanks again for all that you do. GE Foundation 6 Support Fundraising Summer Meeting Donald C. McGraw, Jr. Registration 7 Ohio Society State President 2017 - 2018 Page 2 Ohio Country Bulletin 2017-2018 Ohio Society Officers 127th National Society Congress President & Genealogist Tim Col. (Ret) Donald C. McGraw, Jr. President Ward (Northeastern Ohio); [email protected] Southwest District Chairman Shawn A. Cox Elwin Spray (Richard Mont- 1st Vice President gomery); Compatriot Mi- [email protected] chael B. Gunn (Cincinnati); L. Stephen Hinson 2nd Vice President and Compatriot John "Jack" [email protected] Bredenfoerder (Cincinnati). Turner (Lee) Wilkerson, III. Secretary The business sessions con- [email protected] cluded with the election of John H. (Jack) Bredenfoerder General Officers, Trustees, Treasurer and SAR Foundation Board [email protected] Ohio Society Members Attend the President General’s Banquet Members: Larry T. Guzy at the SAR National Congress in Knoxville, Tennessee. Troy C. Bailey (GA) was elected President Registrar General; Robert B. Fish (WV) [email protected] The National Society Sons of the American Revolution Vice President General Cen- hosted its 127th Annual Congress in Knoxville, Tennessee Richard L. Carr, Jr., Esq. tral District; Warren M. Alter Chancellor from Friday, July 7th through Thursday, July 13, 2017 (AZ) Secretary General; John [email protected] with 331 delegates in attendance. The business sessions, T. Manning (NH) Treasurer General; Davis Lee Wright, Dr. James D. River meetings, and functions were held at the Holiday Inn Historian Esq. (DE) Chancellor Gen- [email protected] World’s Fair and the Knoxville Convention Center. eral; C. Bruce Pickette (AL) Timothy E. Ward The Ohio Society was well represented by Ohio Society Registrar General; John O. Genealogist Thornhill (NC) Historian President Donald C. McGraw (Cincinnati); Past-President [email protected] General; Douglas T. Collins & Alternate National Trustee James D. Schaffer Rev. James O. Fast (KY) Librarian General; Dr. Chaplain (Cincinnati); Past-President Paul M. Wilke (Cincinnati); Matthew J. Barlow, Jr. (DE) [email protected] Past-President William A. "Tony" Robinson (Camp Char- Surgeon General; Rev. John William Huber, Esq. lotte); Past-President John H. Franklin (Western Reserve); C. Wakefield (TN) Chaplain Statutory Agent 1st Vice-President Shawn A. Cox (Arthur St Clair); Secre- General. For the Ohio Society, [email protected] Compatriot James D. Schaffer tary Turner Lee Wilkerson (Cincinnati); Registrar & Na- was elected to National Trustee Wm. A. Robinson tional Trustee Troy Bailey (Northeastern Ohio); Past- Director-at-Large 17-20 (See State Conference Pg. 6) [email protected] Paul M. Wilke Director-at-Large 15-18 NSSAR Fall Leadership Meeting [email protected] Timothy E. Ward From September 28-30, 2017, the National Director-at-Large 16-19 Society Sons of the American Revolution held [email protected] its Fall Leadership Meeting at the Brown James D. Schaffer Hotel in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. The National Trustee [email protected] three-day event included social activities as well as business meetings. Leadership meet- Timothy E. Ward Alternate National Trustee PG Larry Guzy calls the Trustees meeting to order ings are held twice a year, Spring and Fall, [email protected] and are open to SAR members from state societies across the nation. The Trustees meeting was held James D. Schaffer on the 30th, and was called to order by President General Larry Guzy. Chief Compliance Officer Attending this year from the Ohio Society were: Michael B. Gunn, John H. Bredenfoerder (Ohio Socie- [email protected] ty Treasurer), and James D. Schaffer (Ohio Society National Trustee) of the Cincinnati Chapter; Troy Bailey (Ohio Society Registrar), Steve Hinson (Ohio Society 2nd Vice-President), and Tim Ward (Ohio Society Genealogist and Alternate National Trustee) of the Northeastern Ohio Chapter; Shawn Cox The Ohio Country Bulletin (Ohio Society 1st Vice-President) of the Arthur St. Clair Chapter; Larry Perkins of the Ebenezer Zane Published Quarterly Donald C. McGraw, Editor Chapter; and William A. Tony Robinson (Ohio Society Director-at-Large) of the Camp Charlotte Chap- ter. Fall 2017 Page 3 Ohio Society Hold Summer Meetings in Zoar, Ohio On July 28th and 29th, the Ohio Society held its quarterly Exec- utive Committee and Board of Management Meetings in Zoar, Ohio at the Firehouse Grille and Pub. Both meetings were well attended, with members present from all Ohio districts. The Friday, July 28th activities began with an outstanding buffet dinner, followed by the Executive Committee and Ladies Auxiliary meetings. The agenda of the Executive Committee included informative discussions on the activities of commit- tees tasked with special missions. Saturday, July 29th began with the Board of Management meeting at 8:00AM. Immediate- ly following, our members proceeded to the Fort Laurens His- toric Site a few miles away for a Memorial Service at 11:15AM. Then, it was back to the Firehouse Grille and Pub at 12:30PM for another outstanding buffet meal, concluding with the presentation of National Society and Ohio Society awards to chapters, members, and supporters of the SAR. The meetings Central District VP General Bob Fish awards Lee Wilkerson & Tim were moved to Zoar a few years ago to accommodate a larger Ward with Liberty Medals membership attendance. This year’s meetings coincided with the annual Zoar Harvest Festival. Ohio Society Awards Luncheon Partners in Patriotism Award At the National Society’s 127th Con- Ohio Society Awards Ohio Society gress in Knoxville, TN, the Ohio Western Reserve Society Society, several Chapters and many Admiral William R. Furlong Award Cincinnati Chapter Ohio Compatriots received awards. for Flag Certificate Presentations Richard Montgomery Chapter The Ohio Society hosted an awards Chairman Ted Minier Marietta Chapter luncheon following the Fort Lau- Centennial Chapter rens Memorial Ceremony and July C.A.R. Activities Award Northeast Ohio Chapter Chairman Tony Robinson 29th. Central District VP General Northwest Territories Chapter Bob Fish and Ohio Society Presi- General Henry Knox Chapter Sgt. Moses Adams Middle School Camp Charlotte Chapter dent, Don McGraw, made the Brochure Contest Participation Arthur St. Clair Chapter presentations for these achieve- Contestant Placed 2nd at NSSAR Hocking Valley Chapter ments. Recognized were: Chairman Charles Finley Individual Awards National Society Awards Arthur M. King Eagle Scout Scholar- ship Contest Participant Robert C. Burt Boy Scout Volunteer Liberty Medal Chairman Lance Beebe Award For distinguished service to Scouting Troy Bailey (2 OLC) – Northeastern ROTC/JROTC Contest Participant Ohio Chairman Terry Whetstone Compatriot Gilbert A. Sanow, II. Ted Minier (1 OLC) – Western Reserve (Firelands Bicentennial) Society Syracuse Award Franz B. Ott (1 OLC) – Cincinnati State Society with the most New Chap- Certificate of Appreciation for Ser- Timothy E. Ward (4 OLC) – Northeast- ters vice on a National-level Committee ern Ohio Turner Lee Wilkerson, III – Cincinnati Paul M. Niebell, Sr. Award John H. Franklin, Jr. – Rumbaugh Ora- Best News Publication of 10 or fewer tions Committee – Western Reserve OLC – Oak Leaf Cluster designating a subsequent award pages Society Jack Bredenfoerder – Rumbaugh Ora- Liberty Bell Americanism Award Patriot Biographies Award tions Committee – Cincinnati Chapter best implementing SAR resolu- Chairman Michael Gunn William “Tony” Robinson – Patriotic tions and principles Outreach Committee – Camp Charlotte Chapter Awards Timothy E.