24 November 2009
Gentlemen:
The Sons of the Revolution in the Commonwealth
of Virginia has enjoyed another exceptional year.
Finances
Thanks to the stewardship of Past President J.E.B. Stuart IV
we are in better shape than we were last year – or even two years
ago. In today’s economic climate that is quite a statement. The
Development Committee, headed up by Dan Hillsman, is to be commended
for their work in ensuring that the on-going capital campaign is
successful and our Patriot’s Fund is endowed for future
generations. Our Patriot’s Fund provides scholarships to deserving
young people like our 2009 recipient, Katherine Lundvall, and allows
us to contribute to worthy causes such as Yorktown Day, Stratford
Hall, and Fraunces Tavern. For those of you who wish to make a
contribution you may note the amount on your dues renewal notice and
include with your payment.
Events
The Virginia Society’s 114th annual George
Washington’s Birthday Dinner was enjoyed by over 200 members and
special guests. This year’s speaker, the former Governor of
Oklahoma Frank Keating, was a welcome addition to the podium and we
hope he will continue to keep us on his calendar. We again enjoyed
representation from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines, and our
evening was kicked off by the Honor Guard of Fishburne Military
Academy leading our own Society Color Guard into The Commonwealth
Club ballroom. The presentation of our Society’s flag collection as
a backdrop for the new member induction is as good as it gets – my
thanks to Captain of the Color Guard, Ned Trigg, for his efforts.
To Matson Roberts and Doug Payne, my thanks for your work in making
the evening a success. To all who attended – thank you for your
continued support of this most important tradition.
Please make plans to attend the 115th
edition of this fine evening to be held 20 February 2010, when we
will be honoring one of our own, Corporal Frank W. Buckles, USA, the
last known American WWI veteran – and also a member of the Virginia
Society. At 108, he is a testament to patriotic living. To learn
more about Mr. Buckles, please visit his website,
www.frankbuckles.org.
Mother Nature was kind to the Society throughout 2009. Our outdoor
activities went off without incident or umbrellas. In May we
enjoyed perfect weather for the General Membership Meeting at the
Virginia House. In October we stayed dry for Yorktown Day, and in
November we had textbook fall weather at Fort Pocahontas for our
Oyster Roast. Our thanks to Harrison Tyler for providing the
perfect location and weather for an afternoon on the James River in
Charles City County. We look forward to this becoming an annual
event.
Membership
Now, on to more pressing matters. I would be remiss if I
did not stress that new members are the lifeblood of any
organization. Ours is no exception. Our Membership Committee -
Carter Reid and Bev Mauck - continues to do an exceptional job of
following up on membership inquiries and the subsequent vetting of
applications. We need your help in giving them more to do! We are
consistently gaining 20-25 new members each year, but unfortunately
attrition keeps us from making our goal of 500 members. If you have
sons, grandsons, brothers, fathers, nephews, or uncles who are not
yet members, please help us grow. The short form for membership
takes 10 minutes to complete and typically only requires a birth
certificate or two to prove qualifying descent. Carter, Bev, and I
will be happy to assist with this so please do not hesitate to
contact any one – or all – of us. Information is available at
www.vssr.org.
Dues
Enclosed you will find your annual dues statement, please
remit these by 4 January 2010. We have held dues at $70
annually, and we hope that you will consider converting to a life
member of $1100. To make life membership more attractive for your
children and grandchildren we have added a “12 and under” category
for $650. Your timely remittance of dues will be most appreciated.
The administrative time our Society Assistant, Mary Stuart
Cruickshanks, spends tracking down past due members is more than we
need. To that end, please note: In 2010, invitations to the
George Washington’s Birthday Dinner will be sent only to those
members whose dues are current. Ticket prices and more details will
be included in the invitation.
I want to thank the Society’s Officers and Board of Managers,
past and present, for their contributions and dedication to moving
us forward. Your work is greatly appreciated.
Finally, I close by wishing you and your family a very Merry
Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season. I look forward to seeing you
in what we all hope will be a very happy and prosperous 2010.
Cheers,
Thomas
G. Vance
President
