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Annual Meeting

Fairfax Resolves received a number of awards, including the 2014 Best Very Large Chapter Award, at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the Virginia Society, Sons of the American Revolution (VASSAR). The meeting was held in Richmond, Virginia, February 20-22, 2015. The Chapter delegation attending the meeting was represented by 3rd Vice President Bud Walker. A separate description and status of each award and our status in remaining 2015 National competitions are provided below:

Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Sergeant Mark Dale, one of our 2014 Law Enforcement Commendation Medal recipients, was designated the VASSAR Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Sergeant Dale personally helped to establish the “Officer-Involved Shooting Group” within the Peer Support Section of the Fairfax County Police Department. He is recognized within the Northern Virginia area for his work in this field, and has been a featured lecturer at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia on police-involved shootings. Sergeant Dale is also active with the Police Unity Tour and the Concerns of Police Survivors, all to help bring awareness to the families of fallen officers. We will present Sergeant Dale his Virginia Award at an internal police awards ceremony in June 2015.

Teacher of the Year. Our Chapter winner (Mrs. Barbara Ruff, McLean High School) was selected as the 2014 VASSAR Teacher of the Year. This marks the second year in a row that Fairfax Resolves has nominated the VASSAR Teacher of the Year! Be sure to thank Compatriot Don Cooper for his efforts the next time you run into him. The VASSAR Teacher of the Year Program was originally established in 1986 and continues to the present day. Under this program, a chapter recognizes one or more local teachers and nominates their candidates for the VASSAR Teacher of the Year. As sponsor of the VASSAR Teacher of the Year, Fairfax Resolves also received the 2014 Chester E. May Award from the Virginia Society.

Knight Essay Contest. Our 2014 Chapter winner, Miss Sierra Chen, also won the VASSAR Knight Essay competition. Sierra plans to attend our April 9th meeting to present her winning essay and to receive both her Chapter and State awards. Sierra is now eligible to compete in the National Knight Essay competition this summer at the SAR National Congress. The Virginia Society first participated in The George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Contest in 1996. The contest was originally established and named in honor of President Calvin Coolidge, who won a local SAR essay competition while a student at Amherst College. The competition is designed to give high school freshman, sophomore, junior and senior students an opportunity to explore events that shaped American history through research and written analysis.

Rumbaugh Historical Patriotic Orations Contest. Our Chapter winner, Miss Virginia Sun, placed 3rd in the VASSAR Rumbaugh Orations Contest on February 21st. The first SAR-sponsored orations contest was held in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1945. In 1953, the national SAR orations contest was named in honor of the first national chairman, Douglas G. High. The Executive Committee and Board of Trustees of the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR) renamed the national contest in honor of Joseph S. Rumbaugh in 1992.

Flag Certificate Program. The Virginia Society asks all Chapters to award at least one SAR Flag Certificate during each calendar year. All Virginia chapters (we presented five!) met the requirements for the VASSAR Flag Certificate Program in 2014 and received an award streamer. Authorized in 1987, a Flag Certificate may be presented to any individual, organization, or government agency that flies an American Flag for patriotic purposes only. Due in part to the continued support of the Flag Certificate Program by Fairfax Resolves, Virginia will be eligible for the Admiral William R. Furlong Memorial Award at the 2015 National Congress.

History Day Support. Fairfax Resolves received a VASSAR award streamer for our support of the District 5 National History Day (NHD) competition on March 1, 2014. The event was sponsored by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, and held at Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, Virginia. Each year, more than half a million students participate in NHD throughout the United States. Students choose a historical topic related to the annual theme, conduct their own primary and secondary research, and present their findings in a competitive environment. The 2015 District 5 NHD competition was held March 7, 2015. You can learn more about 2015 NHD here.

Revolutionary Grave Registrations and Markings. Fairfax Resolves was one of only three Chapters recognized for grave registrations and markings in 2014. Our 2014 marking was conducted on October 25, 2014 in Amissville, Virginia.

WWII Veterans Honored

Five Compatriots were presented the SAR War Service Medal in acknowledgement of their service to the United States of America in World War II. Percy Floyd, Bill Schneider, Lyle Bowman, Jim McCullough, and Don Fenton were presented their War Service Medal by President Bill Price at the November 13th Chapter meeting.

Separate presentations are planned for Compatriot Bill Youngs and the family of Compatriot Paul Peak. Compatriot Youngs resides in a nursing home and is unable to attend Chapter meetings, and Compatriot Peak passed away in October 2014.

Westfield HS Recognized For National History Day

Chapter President Bill Price, 1st Vice President Howell Sasser, and Knight Essay Committee Chairman Jeff Thomas presented a Virginia Society National History Day Award at Westfield High School in Chantilly, Virginia, on November 11, 2014.

The recipient was recognized for her 2014 National History Day presentation of Abigail Adams: A Woman Ahead of her Time. Fairfax Resolves also presented Certificates of Appreciation to the presenter for her efforts, and to her teacher, Jennifer Santiago, for her teacher's support of National History Day.

Virginia Day At Valley Forge

Each year, Weekly State Prayers are held at the George Washington Memorial Chapel in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania to remind us of the freedoms which we enjoy in America. Each sovereign state is honored over the course of the calendar year. Virginia Day for 2014 was Sunday, November 9th.

In attendance this year were many Compatriots from the Virginia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution led by the Virginia Society President Bill Broadus. The Virginia Society Chaplain, The Reverend Canon Howell C. Sasser, Sr., officiated at the service of Morning Prayer. Also present were members of the Virginia Society Color Guard who had the honor of presenting and posting the colors at the start of the service.

November 8, 2015, will be the next Virginia Day at the Chapel. You can learn more about the schedule of state prayer services at wmchapel.org.

Orientation Meeting and Inductions

Members of the Fairfax Resolves Color Guard attended ceremonies marking the Battles of Point Pleasant and Kings Mountain on October 4th and 7th. President General Lindsay Brock and his wife Billie were also in attendance at Point Pleasant.

We presented our 2014 Fire Safety and EMS Medals at two different Fairfax County Fire Stations on October 8th. You can read about the Fire Safety awardee here, and the EMS awardee here. A member of the Providence Chapter DAR also joined us to present Flag Certificates at each location. You can see a composite of all 2014 Flag Certificate presentations (to date) here.

Our Chapter meeting October 9th featured the induction of our newest member, Compatriot Marv Murray, our new Treasurer, Compatriot John Terry, and a presentation from Tracy Gillespie, Site Supervisor at Aldie Mill Historic Park. Located west of the Highway 15/Highway 50 intersection in the town of Aldie, Virginia, the mill was near the home of Charles Fenton Mercer (1778-1858). Mercer named the mill in 1809 after Aldie Castle in Scotland, the ancestral seat of the Mercer family. The village of Aldie was officially named in 1810 in honor of the mill and Mercer’s adjoining estate.

On October 11th, we joined the members of the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter, Thomas Jefferson Chapter, Colonel Fielding Lewis Chapter, the Virginia Society SAR, and Providence Chapter DAR to mark the grave of Compatriot Charles Francis Lay. Compatriot Lay was an active member and past President of the Culpeper Minutemen Chapter, and served in various positions at the State level. The event was held on the Lay Family Farm in Rapidan, Virginia.

The following weekend (October 18-19) marked the 233rd anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown. Our Chapter delegation was led by State Chaplain and 1st Vice President Howell Sasser. Compatriot Sasser placed a wreath on behalf of Fairfax Resolves during ceremonies honoring Virginia Governor and Brigadier General Thomas Nelson Jr.

2015 Dues Notices were mailed during the last week of October 2014. You may either pay your dues by return check or here on our Chapter website. When paying your 2015 dues, please consider a donation to either the Patriot Project or the Magna Carta exhibit at the Library of Congress. If you do not receive your dues notice by November 15th, contact our Treasurer at treasurer@fairfaxresolvessar.org. You can also contact me at president@fairfaxresolvessar.org.

Orientation Meeting and Inductions

The Fairfax Resolves New Member Orientation Picnic was held August 16, 2014 at Burke Lake Park. Compatriots, their wives, and family members were in attendance. The weather was clear and comfortable (yes, the picnic was held in August in Northern Virginia!) and featured the induction of four new members to the Chapter. After a short presentation by Chapter President Bill Price and Second Vice President Vern Eubanks, all enjoyed fresh grilled food, cold drinks, and fellowship throughout the rest of the afternoon.

The first new member inducted was Compatriot Colgate Salomon. Accompanied by his wife Michelle, Compatriot Salomon was originally recruited in 2007 by the Sergeant Major John Champe Chapter. The Champe Chapter was subsequently dissolved as its membership dwindled. An examination of Virginia Society records in May 2014 found that Compatriot Salomon’s application to SAR had been approved, but that he had never been notified or formally inducted. After an unfortunate seven-year delay, Compatriot Salomon is now a full member of SAR and the Fairfax Resolves.

Compatriot Byron Smith and his two sons, Byron (Junior) and Greg, were the next three inductees. They were each accompanied by their wives, grandchildren, and by Dr. Bill McDonald, Professor of German at the University of Virginia. Earlier this year, Dr. McDonald first introduced Compatriot Smith (Senior) to the current Virginia Society President Bill Broadus, who in turn directed Compatriot Smith to Fairfax Resolves. Compatriot Smith specifically commended Acting Registrar Dave Cook for key ancestral data extracted from the book “The Forgotten People: Cane River’s Creoles of Color” by author Gary B. Mills.

Second Vice President Vern Eubanks deserves full thanks for making the initial Fairfax Resolves New Member Orientation Picnic a success. All Compatriots present agreed that the picnic should become an annual event for the Chapter.

May Meeting and Silver Good Citizenship Medal

Robert R. Newlen, the Library of Congress Assistant Law Librarian for Legislative and External Relations, was awarded the Silver Good Citizenship Medal on May 17, 2014 during the annual Chapter Spring Banquet. The presentation was made by Chapter President William W. “Bill” Price in recognition of Mr. Newlen’s 35+ year career in the field of library science and his current efforts to coordinate the November 2014 exhibit “Magna Carta: Muse and Mentor; 800 Years of a Great Tradition.” The Chapter also presented Newlen with a $600 donation to support the planned exhibit. Next year (2015) is the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, sealed by King John at Runnymede in June 1215.

“It is very exciting to be associated with this exhibit celebrating Magna Carta and the origins of the rule of the law as well as the appreciation for and preservation of original historical documents “ said Newlen. “I see the same enthusiasm for these activities in the Fairfax Resolves and the SAR. I am honored to have received this award.”

Magna Carta provides the first exemplifications of basic human rights and liberties that stand at the heart of English and American Law. “Magna Carta: Muse and Mentor” opens at the Library of Congress on November 6, 2014, and will include treasures that the Library has preserved in its own collections. A series of special programs that include lectures, gallery talks, teacher institutes, educational materials, and docent-led tours are also planned. To learn more about Magna Carta, its planned visit to the United States, and other activities to celebrate the 800th anniversary of its sealing, please contact Jeanine Cali, Office of Legislative and External Relations, jcali@loc.gov or 202.975.2565.

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution. The Library seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs, publications and exhibitions. Many of the Library’s rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov.

VASSAR Annual Meeting

Fairfax Resolves received a number of awards, including the Chapter Excellence Award, at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Virginia Society, Sons of the American Revolution (VASSAR). The meeting was held in Richmond, Virginia, February 14-16, 2014. A separate description and status of each award and our status in remaining 2014 National competitions are provided below:

Teacher of the Year. Our Chapter winner, Mrs. Heather Shapiro, was selected as the 2014 VASSAR Teacher of the Year. Heather and her family were able to join Chapter representatives in Richmond to accept her State award on February 15th. The VASSAR Teacher of the Year Program was originally established in 1986 and continues to the present day. Under this program, a chapter recognizes one or more local teachers and nominates their candidates for the VASSAR Teacher of the Year. Chapters present a Bronze Good Citizenship Medal to each teacher selected as Teacher of the Year. As sponsor of the VASSAR Teacher of the Year, Fairfax Resolves received the 2013 Chester E. May Award from the Virginia Society.

Rumbaugh Historical Patriotic Orations Contest. Our Chapter winner, Miss Hayley Snowden, also won the VASSAR Rumbaugh Orations Contest on February 15th. Hayley is now on her way to the 2014 SAR National Congress in Greenville, South Carolina, representing the State of Virginia. The first SAR-sponsored orations contest was held in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1945. In 1953, the national SAR orations contest was named in honor of the first national chairman, Douglas G. High. The Executive Committee and Board of Trustees of the National Society, Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR) renamed the national contest in honor of Joseph S. Rumbaugh in 1992. Fairfax Resolves received the Best Orations 2013 Award as sponsor of the VASSAR Orations winner.

Knight Essay Contest. Our 2013 Chapter winner, Miss Emily Cox, placed second in the VASSAR Knight Essay competition. Emily was able to travel to Richmond and accept her award on February 15th. The Virginia Society first participated in The George S. and Stella M. Knight Essay Contest in 1996-97. The contest was originally established and named in honor of President Calvin Coolidge, who won a local SAR essay competition while a student at Amherst College. The competition is designed to give high school freshman, sophomore, junior and senior students an opportunity to explore events that shaped American history through research and written analysis. Fairfax Resolves received a 2013 award streamer for sponsoring an entrant in the Knight Essay competition.

King Eagle Scout Scholarship. The Arthur M. & Berdena King Eagle Scout Scholarship Program is open to all Eagle Scouts who are currently registered in an active unit and have not reached their 19th birthday during the year of application. Our Chapter winner, Mr. Euguene DeNezza, placed third in the VASSAR Eagle Scout competition. Eugene will be presented his Chapter and State awards at a separate event in late March 2014.

Donald W. Baldwin Award. Our Chapter was the VASSAR Baldwin Award recipient for 2013. This award is presented annually to the chapter that experienced the largest growth in membership for a calendar year. Fairfax Resolves indeed had a banner year in 2013: we welcomed twenty (20) new members, and received an unheard of thirteen (13) reinstatements. As a result of our efforts, VASSAR’s chances are greatly improved for at least two membership awards at the 2014 National Congress. Three compatriots deserve specific recognition for this accomplishment: Past President and Registrar Jack Sweeney, current Treasurer Preston Adams, and Past President and WebMaster Darrin Schmidt. Please let them know that you appreciate their efforts when you next have the opportunity to do so.

Sustained Achievement - Revolutionary Grave Markings. Fairfax Resolves was recognized for marking at least one grave of a Revolutionary War Patriot in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. Our 2013 marking was conducted jointly with the George Washington Chapter on June 8, 2013 at The Falls Church in Falls Church, Virginia. You can read more about this event here.

Flag Certificate Program. The Virginia Society asks all Chapters to award at least one SAR Flag Certificate during each calendar year. All Virginia chapters (including Fairfax Resolves) met the requirements for the VASSAR Flag Certificate Program in 2013 and received an award streamer. Authorized in 1987, a Flag Certificate may be presented to any individual, organization, or government agency that flies an American Flag for patriotic purposes only. Due in part to the continued support of the Flag Certificate Program by Fairfax Resolves, Virginia will be eligible for the Admiral William R. Furlong Memorial Award at the 2014 National Congress.

History Day Support. Fairfax Resolves received a VASSAR award streamer for our support of the District 5 National History Day (NHD) competition on March 2, 2013. The event was sponsored by the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, and held at Mount Vernon High School in Alexandria, Virginia. Each year, more than half a million students participate in NHD throughout the United States. Students choose a historical topic related to the annual theme, conduct their own primary and secondary research, and present their findings in a competitive environment. The 2014 District 5 NHD competition was held March 1, 2014. You can learn more about NHD here.

Saint George Tucker Grave Marking. On November 2, 2013, the Virginia Society hosted the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and Children of the American Revolution (CAR) at a joint event to mark the grave of Saint George Tucker (1752-1827) in Nelson County, Virginia. Fairfax Resolves received an award streamer from the Virginia Society to acknowledge our support for this event. For more information about Saint George Tucker, click here. The grave of Thomas Tudor Tucker (brother of Saint George), located in Congressional Cemetery in Washington DC, will be marked in a similar ceremony on May 31, 2014.

Revolutionary War/War of 1812 Plaque Dedication 2013 (Mt Hebron, Virginia). On August 24, 2013, two stone monuments were dedicated in Winchester, Virginia bearing the names of 40 Revolutionary War Soldiers and 42 War of 1812 Soldiers. The site of the event was the Daniel Morgan Veterans' Cemetery at Mt. Hebron Cemetery in Winchester. Fairfax Resolves received an award streamer from the Virginia Society to acknowledge our support for this event. For more information (see page 11 in the referenced document), click here.

VASSAR Annual Meeting

A successful State Conference was attended by several Fairfax Resolves Chapter members.

Members heard officer reports, held committee meetings and cheered for the Chapter’s Orations Contestant in the State Orations Contest.

The Conference Awards Ceremony was a great recognition of Statewide Chapter Achievements. Fairfax Resolves was proud to receive the following: Best Large Chapter, State Law Enforcement (Det. Monaghan), State Citizen of the Year (Larry McKinley), Streamers for History Day support, Flag Appreciation, Chapter Excellence Award, and stars for our Grave Registration & Forgotten Patriots (6—highest in the State).

Conference concluded with a banquet where the new State President, Mark Brennan, was installed.

Induction of 2011 Officers

VASSAR President Robert Bowen was on hand to induct the Chapter officers for 2011. The full list of Officers, Chairmen, and Board of Managers members can be found on the Leadership page.