WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA - DEC 2020 Thanks to our WAA Committee Chairman Jack Coulter, our Chapter participated extensively in Wreaths Across America Project. We were able to raise $2,005 in donations for wreaths and our members placed wreaths at three national cemeteries. Mike Hoffman participated in the WAA Family Day (Dec. 13) at Arlington National Cemetery. On Saturday, December 17, 2021 at Alexandria National Cemetery, Richard Rankin, Jack Coulter, John Brigden, Rand Pixa, and Ernie Coggins placed wreaths. President Jay Henn placed wreaths at Quantico National Cemetery, Sunday, December 20, 2020. |
HYBRID DECEMBER CHAPTER MEETING Following tradition, our December meeting will be a joint meeting with the George Mason Chapter for the installation of officers. Our special guest speaker was Bill Schwetke, President of the Virginia Society. President Jay Henn inducted new member Scott Walker as Rich Sherman observes. Scott’s son Andrew and father Jimmy were inducted (virtually) at the same time. |
SILVER GOOD CITIZENSHIP AWARD - 10 DEC 2020 Sons of the American Revolution Awards 2020
For their hard work and dedication. |
HYBRID NOVEMBER CHAPTER MEETING Speaker: Matthew Costello, Ph.D., Vice President of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History, and Senior Historian for the White House Historical Association. He will be speaking to us about his book The Property of the Nation: George Washington’s Tomb, Mount Vernon, and the Memory of the First President. |
VETERANS DAY AT MOUNT VERNON - 11 November 2020 Veterans Day Wreath Laying General George Washington’s Tomb November 11, 2020 Welcome by Tom Roth,VP, GW Chapter, VASSAR; National Anthem (On Fife) Don Francisco, Compatriot, GW Chapter. Attended by: Jay Henn-President; Don Reynolds-past VASSAR & GWC President; Compatriot Don Francisco-SGT 1st Class, USA ret.; Ken Bonner-Fairfax Resolves Chapter & VASSAR Color Guard Commander; Richard Rankin-Treasurer GWC; Barbara McJoynt-Past Regent, KWB Chapter NSDAR; Tom Roth VP, GWC & Historian VASSAR; Young Compatriot-GWC & President, Light Horse Harry Lee Society V.S.C.A.R.; Mike Weyler-President, Col. William Grayson Chapter; Greg Bodge-Past President GWC; Dave Cook-First VP, Fairfax Resolves Chapter; Rand Pixa-Secretary GWC; Ernie Coggins-3rd VP VASSAR, Past President GWC. |
GRAVE MARKING AT TRINITY METHODIST CEMETERY On October 24, the George Washington Chapter memorialized three patriots of the American Revolution, John Longden, John Sloan, and Joseph Smith, at a grave marking ceremony at Trinity United Methodist Church Cemetery in Alexandria. Pastor Grace Han delivered the invocation. Paul Walden, Grave Marking Chairman, served as Master of Ceremonies. Wreaths were presented by the following SAR and DAR chapters: George Washington VASSAR, Kate Waller Barrett VADAR, Col. William Grayson VASSAR, George Mason VASSAR, and George Mason VADAR. The markers were then dedicated by VASSAR Historian, Thomas M. Roth, III. Andrew and Jack Mills served as Color Guards by posting the colors. |
YORKTOWN DAY - NELSON'S GRAVE MARKING Yorktown Day is the observance of the last battle of the Revolutionary War, or at least the surrender of the British forces for those that don't agree that it was the last battle. The festivities are held on October 19th, and include a parade, reenactments, speakers from various historical organizations, and grave markings |
VIRTUAL OCTOBER CHAPTER MEETING George Washington Chapter Meeting Speaker: Dr. Benjamin Franklin (Barry Stevens) “Making of a Patriot – The Hutchinson Letters Leak and the Privy Council |
VASSAR SEMI-ANNUAL - SEP 2020 VASSAR Mid-Year Meeting. Ernie Coggins, Mike Elston, Will Elston, Tom Roth, John Blair, and Richard Sherman attended. Chapter members received a number of awards |
CHAPTER MEETING - SEP 2020 Our September Zoom meeting and luncheon was a success. Our speaker was chapter Webmaster, Jamie Callender, a senior systems engineer within the defense arena. Jamie spoke about the new NSSAR Patriot Research System (PRS), which details our revolutionary war lineages and biographies of our Patriots. The PRS is a dynamic, evolving NSSAR capability focused on honoring and preserving the memory of our Patriots. |
59TH ANNUAL MARCH TO WASHINGTON’S TOMB AND WREATH LAYING AT MT. VERNON – JULY 4, 2020 The George Washington Chapter, Virginia Society, Sons of the American Revolution hosted the 59th Annual July 4 Celebrations. Due to COVID-19 health and safety concerns, we had to make some significant changes in our usual events. We placed a Wreath at the General’s Tomb; however, this was done very early morning, and due to Social Distancing Requirements, was limited in attendance to only the principals. The Wreath Presentation was recorded and shown during our main event. We then hosted a Virtual Celebration by ZOOM commencing at 11:30 AM. This generally followed the format of our traditional Tomb Grove Ceremonies. We invited SAR, DAR, and CAR Chapters to symbolically place their own wreaths by ZOOM |
WILLIAM ROBERTSON GRAVE MARKING - 13 JUN 2020 On 13 June 2020, the Colonel James Wood II Chapter of the Virginia Society Sons of the American Revolution sponsored a multichapter grave marking in Rileyville, VA. The Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) honor the memory of Revolutionary War Patriots by placing a marker next to their headstone and having a formal ceremony to recognize the occasion. The grave marked on Saturday belongs to Private William Robertson, a member of the 3rd Maryland Flying Camp Battalion. Compatriot Ernie Coggins participated and presented the George Washington Chapter wreath to honor the service of Patriot Robertson. |
VIRTUAL MAY 2020 CHAPTER MEETING The George Washington Chapter held a "first ever" a virtual Chapter meeting on Saturday, May 16th using Zoom. Speaker: Doug Redd, “Life and Times of Lewis Boyer, Independent Troop of Horse Dragoons, Bodyguard to George Washington” |
>G.W. CHAPTER VIRTUAL BOARD MEETING - 08 APRIL 2020 G.W. Chapter Board of Managers held via Zoom app on April 8th. The attendees shown are (left to right): top row – scrapbook chair Jack Coulter’s cellphone, Secretary Rand Pixa, President Jay Henn; 2nd row – Vice-President Tom Roth, Webmaster Jamie Callender, Manager Paul Walden; 3rd row – Treasurer Richard Rankin, Chaplain Don Reynolds, Manager Ernie Coggins (no camera image); later arrivals were Registrar Rich Sherman and Manager Dave Thomas. |
FEBRUARY 2020 CHAPTER & VASSAR ANNUAL MEETING We held our Chapter meeting this month at the Omni Hotel in Richmond during the VASSAR Annual Meeting - George Washington Chapter was recognized multiple times for the achievements of its individual members and the Chapter as a whole Compatriot Jamie Callender (who also led an evening workshop on the new Patriot Research System) was selected as Webmaster of the Year The Prince William County Department of Fire and Rescue Services, nominated by our Public Safety Awards Committee (John Blair, Chairman), took home the First Place Award at the State level in the Fire Safety Category Our Chapter’s JROTC winner, a student at Mount Vernon High School nominated by our JROTC Committee (Jack Pitzer, Chairman), received the First Place Award in the Enhanced JROTC Competition |
JANUARY 2020 CHAPTER MEETING Speakers: Ms. McGowan (Mackie) Storage (President, National Society Children of the American Revolution), Ms. Alexandra Salley (“The Roar of the Revolution”), Mr. James O’Kelley / Mr. Patrick Kelly / Mr. Mark Brennan (SAR 2020 Congress-- Richmond) |