Fourteen members of the Virginia Society and four dual members of the Virginia Society participated in the Fall Leadership Conference/Trustee Meeting in Louisville this past week.  President Ed Truslow and his First Lady Laura led the Virginia Delegation, and past President Reverdy Wright represented us as our trustee.  Virginia attendees included: President Ed and Laura Truslow, 1st Vice President Mike Elston, Secretary Wayne and Wink Rouse, Registrar Mike Taimi, Surgeon Kirk and Norma Sheap, Trustee Reverdy Wright, Mid-Atlantic District Vice President General Mark Brennan, past President General Bruce and Theresa Wilcox, past President General Joe Dooley, Ernie Coggins, Peter Davenport, Bill and Cat Schwetke, Jack Sweeney,  and Paul Walden.  Dual members included Dr. John Barlow, past President General Lindsay and Billie Brock, Doug and Alison Collins, and New Mexico SAR President Andrew Lyngar.
     On Thursday evening several members of the Virginia Delegation gathered in the English Grill at the Brown for camaraderie and dinner

     Later in the evening the candidates for national office participated in a Candidates Forum.

     Friday was filled with committee meetings, and the Virginia SAR was well represented.  Among other committee memberships, Peter Davenport chairs the By-Laws Committee, Darrin Schmidt chairs the C.A.R. Liaison Committee, Mike Elston co-chairs the Community Engagement Comittee, and Jack Sweeney is vice-chair of the Genealogy Committee.

     Included amongst the committee meetings was a Genealogy Workshop, conducted by Denise Hall of the Genealogy staff in Louisville.  The topic of the workshop was "How to Properly Complete an Application".  The handout from that workshop will be made available to everyone.

     In the evening their was a dinner and program.  Those who have made significant contributions to the King's College London Partnership were honored with certificates and lapel pins.  Honorees included Virginia compatriots Joe Dooley and Mike Elston, and dual member Lindsay Brock.

     The program was a portrayal of black Revolutionary War hero Ned Hector, by Noah Lewis.  Since Ned was an artilleryman, he pressed several of our members into service to man a virtual Revolutionary War cannon.

     The most energetic discussions were over the way forward for the new headquarters, especially the first floor and the museum display.  When this looked to be in peril, the contractor, Solid Light, offered to donate a significant amount of the cost of planning.  This made their proposal much more attractive and allowed to keep intact the team they had assembled for this project.  The design and planning will continue to progress.

     Saturday evening was the time for the formal banquet to celebrate the success of the Fall Leadership/Trustee Meeting.  The awards for the evening consisted of the George Washington Endowment Fund recognizing new George Washington Fellows, including Virginian Bill Schwetke, who joins many other Virginia SAR compatriots in this distinction.  The program this evening was a report on the Revolution by General Nathanael Greene, portrayed by Dan McMichael.

                                                       KENT SHEPARD WEBBER  
                                                       CAPT. USN (Ret.) (Age 76)  
Of Catharpin, VA and formerly of Vienna, VA died on May 4, 2016, at Fairfax Hospital. Beloved husband of the late Margaret Austin Webber; father of Kristin Webber-Moore (Bill Moore, II), Stephen Webber and Kendra Mokaves (Parames); brother of Patricia Mather; grandfather of Dustin and Jesse Webber-Moore; Peyton and Parken Mokaves and step-grandfather of Billy III, Alex, Grant and Tyler Moore. Family and friends are invited to Capt. Webber''s Life Celebration was held at Money and King Funeral Home, 171 W. Maple Ave., Vienna, VA on Wednesday, May 11, from 6 to 8 p.m.

     On September 22nd, 2016, several members of the Virginia Society, led by 1st Vice-President Mike Elston, attended Kent's service and burial at Arlington National Cemetery.  Kent, a retired US Navy Captain, was buried with full military honors.

Dear Friends of the Church, Patriots, and Clergy,
 
On 17 September we celebrated the Birthday of the United States Constitution. This was an Anglican Church of Virginia sponsored  event in conjunction with the Shenandoah Alliance which we  helped to found. Note the number of other organizations and churches now involved. This was the third year and it is growing. It took place in Mt Hebron Cemetery in Winchester, VA where 40 Revolutionary Soldiers are buried.
 
Pictures are of speakers and youth who helped. The local press gave us very nice coverage.
 
Next year is the 230th Birthday of our Constitution, perhaps your church could do something in your community.
 
Bless you,
 
The Rt. Rev. Larry Johnson

      Virginia Society SAR President Ed Truslow and the Williamsburg Chapter hosted 77 members from 19 Virginia chapters and 37 guests at the Virginia Sons of the American Revolution’s 2016 Semi-Annual meeting at the Woodlands Hotel and Conference Center in Williamsburg.
     The Executive Committee met on Friday afternoon to begin the business portion of the program.
      The program for the membership began with a workshop on the Americanism Report by Mark Anthony, member of the National Society Americanism Committee.

     Virginia SAR President Ed Truslow opened the Board of Managers Meeting.  During this meeting Virginia SAR officers and Committees gave their reports.  One important vote was on recommendations for next year's National Society Officers.  The Board of Managers recommended supporting the same slate that won endorsement at the Mid-Atlantic District meeting, plus Doug Collins for Librarian.  The endorsement for Historian was hotly contested, with Mark Anthony of South Carolina winning over Jack Thornton of North Carolina

     At the Atlantic Middle States Association meeting in Albany last month the Virginia Society was recognized for participation based on numbers of attendees and distance traveled with the "Jersey Devil" plaque.  This was the second year in a row that the Virginia Society has won this award.

     Many other awards were presented at the meeting.  The first being to notice that the George Washington Chapter won both the President General's Cup and the President General's Activity Award for large chapters.

     At the National Congress in July our Historian, Larry Aaron, was recognized with the Stephen Taylor Award, present to "the compatriot who, by his research and writings, has made a distinguished contribution to the preservation of the history of the American Revolution era and its patriots."

     Among many accomplishments by the Virginia Society in the past six months, none outshine the raising of $25,000 to present to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.  This was one of President Truslow's initiatives, and the original goal has been greatly surpassed in just six months.

     After adjorning the Board of Managers' Meeting, President Truslow hosted a reception.

     Saturday began with the General Membership Meeting and the ladies went to the Williamsburg Costume  Design Center for a tour.

     At the General Membership Meeting the chapter presidents, or their representatives,  gave reports for each of the chapters present.

     One of the more important tasks for the membership was to endorse a slate of candidates for National Society leadership in 2017-18.  After a spirited discussion over the endorsement for Historian General, the membership adopted the recommendation of the Board of Managers and supported the following candidates:

President General
Larry T. Guzy (Georgia)

Secretary General
Warren M. Alter (NH)

Chancellor General
Davis L. Wright (Delaware)

Genealogist General
John D. Sinks (DC)

Registrar General
C. Bruce Pickette (Alabama)

Historian General
Mark C. Anthony (South Carolina)


Librarian General
Doulas T. Collins (Kentucky)

Surgeon General
Matthew J. Barlow, Jr., MD (Delaware)

     Dr. John Barlow is a dual member of the Norfolk Chapter and Douglas Collins is a dual member of the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter

     Next President Ed Truslow presented the proclamation of gratitude to the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel.

     Next recognition was given to those who planned and executed the Semi-Annual Meeting, starting with a proclamation of gratitude to the Williamsburg Chapter.

     Bronze Color Guard Medals were presented to 1st Vice President Mike Elston and Bill Schwetke for their support of State and Chapter ceremonies.

     Recognition was given for enlistment and promotion within the 1st Virginia Regiment of the Virginia Society.

     The Semi-Annual Meeting Luncheon featured the presentation of the Gold Good Citizenship Medal to Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni.

     Greetings were presented by other lineage and historic organizations, including the Virginia C.A.R., National C.A.R., Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, and Society of the War of 1812 in Virginia.

     Then General Zinni gave the keynote address, and was awarded the Gold Good Citizenship Medal by President Ed Truslow.

     Today 21 members of the Virginia Society, including Virginia SAR President Ed Truslow, joined President General Mike Tomme and his wife Celia for the presentation of the SAR wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown in Arlington National Cemetery.  President Truslow was also joined by his wife, Laura.  Holly Lynn Schmidt was also there, and helped take the pictures.  The weather was perfect, though warm, sunny and 94°.  This is an annual event, hosted by the George Washington Chapter.

report submitted by Robert Halpern

At 6PM on Thursday September 10th the Richmond Chapter held, with many special guests, their "Patriots" dinner meeting at the West Wood Club in Richmond Virginia. After cocktails a dinner of she crab soup and salmon was served and then eaten Chapter President, Brent Morgan handed out Certificates of Patriotism to Compatriots Lowell Flickinger and Carl Bess.  Then President Brent Morgan and Vice President Dennis Peterson inducted into the Chapter the following newest Compatriots;  William C. Ames, Lewis Clayton Foster, and William Meade Haskins Jr.  Compatriot Charles Earnest Cheek also received a Supplemental Certificate his  NC Patriot Ancestor Jacob Bason.  Then History Teacher James Triesler gave our annual Teacher of the Year Address. It was a very pleasant evening enjoyed by Compatriots, Compatriots Wives, DAR members, and Guests alike.

     Steve Riddle recently received supplemental certificates for three additional ancestors at the September Williamsburg Chapter Meeting.  Steve is currently working on seventeen more for his ancestors who lived in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvannia during the Revolution.  This year other Virginia compatriots have had four or five supplemental approved at one time.
     With the NSSAR Genealogist accepting as proof Record Copies of DAR Applications that were approved on 1 Jan 1985 or later, it can be very easy to prove your lineage to another patriot.  As an example, a recently submitted supplemental application from a compatriot in the Culpeper Minutemen took just nineteen minutes from sitting down to start to sealing the envelope to mail the supplemental.  Check the DAR Genealogy Research Service at:  http://services.dar.org/public/dar_research/search/?tab_id  to see if you can link to a relevant DAR application.
     As a reminder, your chapter registrar is primarily focused on helping new members.  Try to give him a correctly completed supplemental application with the required documentation (see the SAR Application Preparation Manual).  If you encounter difficulty, your registrar is always there to help.