caloosa patriot
TRANSCRIPT
Volume XIV Issue IX Caloosa Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution Newsletter November 2019
John C. Jones – Newsletter Editor
A T H A N G S G I V I N G
P R O C L A M A T I O N
George Washington issued a proclamation on
October 3, 1789, designating Thursday, November
26 as a National Day of Thanks. In his
Proclamation, Washington declared that the
necessity for such a day sprang from the
Almighty’s care of Americans prior to the
Revolution, assistance to them in achieving
independence, and help in establishing the
constitutional government. Not ignoring the
authority of state governments, Washington
distributed his proclamation to the governors,
requesting that they announce and observe the day
within their states. Newspapers throughout the
country subsequently published the proclamation
and public celebrations were held. Washington
himself marked the day by attending services at
St. Paul's Chapel in New York City, and by
donating beer and food to imprisoned debtors in
the city.
The 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation, however, did not establish a permanent federal holiday.
Washington issued another proclamation in February 1795 to recognize the defeat of a taxation
rebellion in Pennsylvania. Later Presidents, including John Adams and James Madison,
declared days of thanksgiving. But it was not until the Civil War of the 1860s that President
Lincoln initiated a regular observance of Thanksgiving in the United States.
PATRIOTCALOOSA
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From the President
Greetings Compatriots and Friends,
There was a fine turn out for the November 9, 2019 Membership Meeting with over
40 members and guests in attendance. We inducted two new compatriots – Jeff
Brunelle and Warren White – and we had five prospective members join with us along
with guests from two other SAR chapters and from four DAR chapters. The Bronze
Color Guard Medal was presented to Compatriot Hamp Allen and Certificates of
Appreciation from the Gulf Middle School were presented to color guard members who have been making
annual presentations to their student for the past five years.
The recent color guard activities were recapped which included posting colors for the Billy Bowlegs C.A.R.
Society reorganization on November 2nd
, then later that day the welcome for Honor Flight Mission #21 at RSW.
Three color guardsmen participated in the awards presentation for the annual Pride & Patriotism of Lee County
ceremony on the evening of November 7th
, followed the next day by posting colors and a flag folding ceremony
at the Caloosahatchee DAR Chapter. Saturday included the Caloosa meeting mentioned above, followed by the
Honor Flight Gala that evening. Attending that great event were me and my WOSAR – Anne; Compatriot
Hamp Allen and his WOSAR – Debi; newly transferred-in Compatriot Thomas Thompson and his WOSAR –
Dr. Kathy; and Naples Chapter President Len Crame and his WOSAR – Madonna.
Following a delicious turkey dinner, we were treated to an interesting presentation Virginia and the American
Revolution by Dr. Cindy Coiner. Following the presentation, the Caloosa Chapter presented Cindy the Bronze
Good Citizenship Medal in recognition of her major contributions to her community in the fields of counseling
and education. Looking forward, we will continue to be busy. On December 11th will have our Annual Meeting
– the final meeting of 2019. The December Annual Meeting will include elections of officers for the 2020 term.
The list of nominees for these positions was read and we have since had a volunteer for the position of Historian
(Compatriot Thompson) although the incumbent Treasurer is still looking for a replacement. The January 8,
2020 will include the installation of new officers by FLSSAR President Lee Popham. I am very encouraged that
we will have an outstanding team of leaders to conduct the affairs of the Caloosa Chapter next year.
In closing, I want to mention that there is excellent progress completed on building a new website for the
Chapter. The site hosting has already been transferred to a new organization which is not only at a reduced cost,
but will also provide some important enhancements. Some of these are rather technical such as providing a
“secure” https site (you may notice the little padlock icon by the URL) and including a certificate of
authenticity. Personal information like officer contact emails and phone numbers will move to a “members-
only” section requiring a password login. Some features will “leap” us into the latest technology including
cloud storage of archived files, virtual meeting capabilities, and the ability to transfer large files efficiently.
Look forward to seeing the new site SOON!
Yours in Patriotism,
Robert W. McGuire, Jr.,Caloosa Chapter President
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October 29th ExCom Highlights
Attendance: President and Color Guard Commander Robert McGuire, 2
nd Vice President Hamp Allen,
Treasurer Ray Dezendorf, Genealogist Chris Jenner, Past President and Medals and Awards Committee
Chairman Lee Matson, Chaplain Dwight Elam, Chancellor Hank Hendry, Sergeant-at Arms and Webmaster
Jeff Brunelle, Newsletter Editor John Jones and Secretary James Stone.
The meeting was called to order at 11:36 am by President McGuire.
The Invocation was offered by Lee Matson.
President McGuire announced that chapter members are encouraged to attend New Citizen Naturalization
Ceremonies which are generally held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm at the U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services Field Office at 4220 Executive Cr, Fort Myers or at the Federal
Courthouse downtown.
The Minutes of the October 1, 2019 Excom Meeting were approved without objection.
The 2019-2020 budget was approved without objection subject to Trust Fund Trustees approval of the proposed
Trust Fund distribution.
A Motion was approved without objection to endorse the candidacy of Chapter and State Chaplain Dwight
Elam for Chaplain General of the NSSAR.
President McGuire indicated that the Trust Fund Trustees, Ray Dezendorf, Earl Kennedy and James Stone are
completing the necessary signature documents with Vanguard for the Caloosa S.A.R. Project Trust Fund.
A Motion to Adjourn was approved without objection at 1:26 pm.
The Benediction was offered by Chaplain Elam.
To all the members o f The Caloosa Chapter of the Sons of the American Revo lut ion and to
our Patriot Ancestors who served our count ry.
WELL DONE!
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Caloosa Chapter Calendar
2019 Wednesday December 11 Luncheon
Annual Meeting/Elections
Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi, Garlic Broccoli, Rice, Bread Pudding
2020 Wednesday, January 8 Luncheon
Installation of Officers – Lee Popham, President, Florida Society SAR
Chicken Parmesan, Caesar salad; Key Lime pie
Saturday, February 22 Washington’s Birthday Evening Dinner
George & Martha Washington, a First-Person Perspective, Bill & Cara Elder
Smoked Bone-in Chicken, Lyonnais Potatoes, Zucchini, Cherry Pie
Wednesday, March 11 Luncheon
C.A.R. Happenings – Billy Bowlegs Chapter News, Teri Peterson
Spaghetti & Meatballs, House Salad, Cheese Cake
Saturday, April 11 Luncheon
Youth Programs, Scouting - Program TBD
Chicken Picatta, roasted rosemary red bliss potatoes, peas/carrots; Chocolate Mousse
Wednesday, May 13 Luncheon
First Responders Awards – Program TBD
Panko Crusted Pork Tenderloin, garlic mashed, steamed broccoli; cherry pie
Color Guard Calendar
1- Wreaths Across America, Ft. Myers – Dec 14th
2- Edison Festival of Lights Parade, Ft. Myers – Feb 15th, 2020
3- Washington’s Birthday Banquet, Pinchers Ft. Myers – Feb 22nd
, 2020
4- Last Naval Battle Celebration, Merritt Island – Mar 7th, 2020
5- Battle of Thomas Creek Celebration, Jacksonville – Mar 28th, 2020
6- JROTC Awards Presentation, Ft. Myers – May 6th
, 2020
7- Battle of Pensacola Celebration, Pensacola – May 9th
, 2020
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Our Next Meeting The Marina at Edison Ford
2360 West 1st Street, Fort Myers FL 33901
(off McGregor Blvd, adjacent to the Edison Ford)
Wednesday December 11, 2019
Luncheon and Annual Meeting/Elections
Menu: Coconut Crusted Mahi Mahi, Garlic Broccoli, Rice, Bread Pudding
The gathering will begin at 11:30 a.m. with lunch served at noon.
Cost for the lunch is $25.00 per person paid at the door.
Meetings are held at the Marina at Edison Ford (Pinchers) which provides delicious meals in an attractive and comfortable
setting with a spectacular view of the Caloosahatchee River. Meetings are an opportunity to spend time with an interesting
group of men who share a common bond as descendents of patriots of the American Revolution. While a majority of our
members reside in Lee County, other parts of Florida and at least 15 other States attend in the course of a year.
Our meetings are open to all interested persons, and we particularly welcome Compatriots from other parts of the country
who are visiting our area.
Please RSVP for meetings to: [email protected]
Please info-copy: Jim Stone - [email protected]
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Chapter Facebook Page
Compatriot Albert Myers keeps our Facebook page up-to-date with current
activities. The following link to the page can be entered into your web browser’s
navigation bar (some recipients of the newsletter may be able to click on the link).
https://www.facebook.com/CaloosaChapteroftheSAR
The Facebook page provides the most current and timely information and images covering Chapter programs
and local happenings. Often there are updates posted by Compatriot Albert before the end of the day of an
event. If members have items of interest, he also welcomes email submission of photos and information. Send it
Caloosa Chapter Leadership
2019
Left to right:
1st Row: Sergeant-at-arms Lewis Elliott, Member-at-Large Joe Lundquist, LTC Robert McGuire, Registrar Dr. Ronald Peck, Trust Fund Committee MAJ Earl Kennedy
2nd Row: Chaplin Rev. Dwight Elam, Vice President Mike Buff, Genealogist Christopher Jenner,
Secretary James Stone, Chancellor Hank Hendry, Historian ///dr. Wesley Higgins
Not Pictured: Assistant Registrar Douglas Walsh, 2nd V.P./Treasurer Ray Dezendorf
Managing to escape the group photo
above, but not the diligence of newsletter
photographer Compatriot McGuire:
Genealogist/Trustee Albert Myers
Historian Hal Theiss
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Our November 9th Meeting
Note: Additional Photographs can be seen on our Facebook page
Induction of Compatriot Jeffrey F. Brunelle Induction of Compatriot Warren W. White
Compatriot Hamp E. Allen, Jr.awarded the
Bronze Color Guard Medal
Accepting the Gulf Middle School Certificate of
Appreciation for our Chapters Presentations
Speaker for the program Dr. Cindy Coiner talking
about “Virginia and the “American Revolution”
Dr. Cynthia Gale Coiner Receiving the Bronze Good
Citizenship Medal and Certificate
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November Color Guard Events
Posting the Colors for the Billy Bowlegs Society reorganizing ceremony in Alva Florida
Caloosa Chapter Compatriots presenting Awards at Pride and Patriotism Ceremonies
Saluting returning Veterans from the Collier-Lee Honor Flight #21 at RSW airport.
Note: Additional Photographs can be seen on our Facebook page
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Light Horse Harry Lee Camp #15
The Caloosa Chapter Color Guard is named in honor of Henry Lee III, a Virginia patrician (and father
of Confederate General Robert E. Lee) who became a captain in a Virginia dragoon detachment at the outbreak
of the Revolutionary War. In 1778, he was promoted to Major and given command of a mixed corps of cavalry
and infantry known as Lee’s Legion. During this period he earned the sobriquet of “Light Horse Harry” for his
horsemanship. This unit became one of the best-known in the Continental
Army’s history, and in 1780 Lee was given authorization to form a formal
Legionary Corps. Many of the best soldiers from other units either
volunteered or were specially invited
to join its ranks. In 1780 Lee was
promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and
on January 1, 1781 the Legion was re-
designated as the 2nd
Partisan Corps,
organized with 3 troops of horse and
3 troops of infantry. It was assigned
to General Nathaniel Greene for
service in the southern theater.
Today, our Color Guard is the most
visible public face of the Sons of the American Revolution. Color Guardsmen provide an easily identifiable and
colorful focal point at parades and memorial events. The variety of uniforms and flags invite children,
spectators, and potential members to come forward and ask questions about the American Revolution. The
Light Horse Harry Lee Camp is made up of members who come to meetings and events properly uniformed as
either Continental Soldiers or Militiamen, or attired as Revolution-era clergymen. The Color Guard is available
for participation in community events locally, as well as Regional and National celebrations. Read the SAR
Guardsman Magazine at https://sar.org/sar-colorguardsman.
If you are interested in joining the Caloosa Chapter Color Guard, or have questions about it, contact the Light
Horse Harry Lee Camp Commander Robert McGuire at mailto:[email protected].
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The SAR Foundation, Inc.
The SAR Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) Kentucky Corporation headquartered in Louisville, KY. Its mission is
to support the SAR. Additional information can be found on the website www.sarfoundation.org. On September
25, 2010 the new state-of-the-art Genealogical Research Library was dedicated. Now that the library is
complete, the Society is set on expanding the National Headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky to include a world-
class museum experience centered on the American Revolution and its influence on freedom and independence
everywhere. Having raised over $12 million to date, another $10 million is needed to complete the opening of a
gallery, library, education center and offices for 809 Main Street, Louisville, Kentucky. Within the 1776 Society
will be the “Founders Circle” recognizing benefactors who have provided a NSSAR legacy bequest in their
estate plan. Please consider making a gift or bequest to the SAR Foundation.
Your gift of $25 will earn you the SAR Patriot Car Magnet. Your gift of $10,000 will gain you
recognition on the Patriot’s Memorial Wall. In between are numerous levels of tax-deductible
contributions that will be recognized with pins and medals.
The Center for Advancing
America's Heritage
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Watch for the new
and improved Web site
Coming to your Computer
in the near Future
ATTENTION!!!!! Dues are NOW passed due
If you have not submitted them yet
Please submit them to the Secretary .
The Official Pledge to the S.A.R.
We, the descendants of the heroes of the American Revolution who, by their sacrifice,
established the United States of America, reaffirm our faith in the principles of liberty and our
Constitutional Republic, and solemnly pledge ourselves to defend them against every foe.
Recessional
Until we meet again, let us remember our obligations to our forefathers, who
gave us our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, an independent Supreme Court and a
nation of free men.