Chapter President Treasurer
Carl Hill Carl
Hill
Vice President Registrar
Don Burns Mike Green/ Carl Hill
Secretary ` Newsletter
Steven Barber Mike Green
Sgt. At Arms Web
Master
Don Rollins Jim
Penny
Alexander Hodge Chapter No. 49
Minutes
May 28th, 2024
The members of the Alexander Hodge #49, Sons of the
American Revolution, gathered at Spring Creek Barbeque
located at 4895 Highway 6, Missouri City, TX. In the private meeting room,
Carl Hill called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. with an Invocation given by
Phil Whitley followed by pledges to the United States flag, to the Texas flag
and to the SAR flag.
9-Attending Chapter Members: Carl
Hill (President & Treasure), Steven Barber (Secretary), Don Rollins (Sgt.
of Arms), Phil Whitley (Chaplain), Jim G. Penny (Web Master), Mike Green
(Newsletter), Matt Barber, Don Burns, and Scott Burton.
Honorary Guest: Kent McGaughy
Tonight’s Guest Speaker
2 Other Guests: Mrs. Bernice Mistriot, and Mrs. Sherry Burns
Treasury Report: Carl
Hill presented the Treasures Report. The Chapter’s Treasury has a balance of $10,273.04.
All outstanding scholarship checks have cleared. Recommendation was made that
next year; the scholarship checks should include a notation that the checks
must be cashed within 6 months after the award.
Registrar’s Report: The Alexander
Hodge Chapter #49 has three new membership applications in the process for new
members. We also had four additional people expressing interest in the
Alexander Hodge Chapter #49.
Web Site and Newsletter
Report:
Web page for more information.
(http://www.hodgesar.org) Jim Penny continues his research into Virgina
Continental Uniforms worn during the Revolutionary War. This Chapter has thirty-one
members that trace their heritage back to Virginia.
Recognition was given to Jim
Penny’s great article on Continental Army uniforms worn that was published in
the National SAR magazine.
Jim is continuing to complete
research on activity of the military units that this Chapters members Patriots
participated in during the American Revolutionary War. Jim encourages any
member that has such stories to share those stories so he can publish those stores
on the Chapter Web site.
Jim Penny is also working on
the Memorial Section of the Web site, which is missing many past Chapter
members. He is including old photographs he has found of past Alexander Hodge
Chapter #49 activities found on the National and State Website and old Facebook
pages.
Mike Green has agreed to
continue as Newsletter Editor.
Current Activities:
On Wednesday April 17th. at
10:00 a.m., the Chapter hosted and completed a well-attended tour of
Independence Hall located on the campus of Houston Christian College. Dr.
Christopher Hammons, Professor of Political Science and Director of the Morris
Family Center for Law and Order, conducted a 90-minute tour of the facility and
discussed and explained the ongoing educational programs being conducted at
this location. Dr. Hammons explained that the facilities presentation to
visiting school children does not emphasize the people that formed and who wrote
the new country’s Constitution and Bill of Rights but emphasizes the basic principles
of these particularly important documents to the creation of the United States
of America. The Morris Family for Law and Liberty facility is an exact replica
of the Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA. After the tour, participants
attended a luncheon at the Pappa’s Barbeque Restaurant just north of the campus.
Dr, Hammon is a member of the SAR Alexander Hodge Chapter #49.
On Saturday April 20th,
2024, at 7:00 p.m., there was another “Honor Flight” for twenty-one veterans,
returning from a Washington DC visit to the D.C. War Memorials. In the Hobby
Airport, Delta Terminal, these Veterans were welcomed back by approximately two
hundred people representing various patriotic organizations, an SAR Color Guard
and with a live orchestra playing patriotic music in the terminal. These “Honor
Flights” are organized to occur about every other month and all Patriotic
organizations are welcome to come and wave flags in support of the return of
these American War Veterans.
Chapter Meeting Speaker: Mr.
Kent McGaughy
Mr. McGaughy presentation
reviewed George Washington’s involvement in the expansion of the United States,
west of the Appalachian Mountains before and after the American Revolution.
Washington, as a younger man,
explored and surveyed the Ohio River Valley area. Working then for the British
Virigina Trading Company, he discovered in his surveying a very fertile land,
rich in timber, minerals, and wild animals and ideal for growing and producing
hemp, indigo, cotton and crops. Excellent water resources were readily
available with open lands available for expansion and development.
At this early age, 22 years of
age, Washington was six foot-4 inches tall, was physically in very good
physical condition to complete this task. The report of excellent expansion
opportunities led two hundred Virginia families immigrating to the Ohio
Vallery. Like today, this immigration was not approved by the British government,
and this infringed on Native American Indian hunting and sacred grounds. No
permits had been issues by wither the British Virginia or Ohio Trading Companies.
Although these trading
companies benefited from this expansion, the continued immigration led to
Indian uprising. Washington’s surveying for the trading companies continued to
develop six canals to facilitate trade and transportation from the Ohio Valley
back to Eastern Colonies. The French were also surveying this area from Canada
and had the same interest that the British had in settling this new area west
of the Appalachian Mountains.
This led to the French and
Indian War that started in 1754 and ending in 1763.George Washington fought in
this a 7-year war on the British side against the French and Indians. You can
say this was George Washington military training that led to him being an
exceptionally talented military leader in the American Revolutionary War.
This all led to interstate commerce
to start between the West and Eastern areas of the British Colonies, soon to be
the United States of America. With commerce flowing from New York to
Philadelphia and now down to Alexanderia, Virginia, Washington chose to build
his home in Virginia. Alexanderia, Virginia was the center of this new commerce
and trade route to the west.
Roads and passes through the
mountains were built. No canals were built in this western expansion, until the
later northern route to the West was developed through New York and the Erie
Canal system.
In conclusion, this western
expansion provided George Washington experience and wealth as a land surveyor,
trained him in warfare and military practices of the day, and provided
opportunities in developing commerce in new developing areas of the country.
Closing Remarks:
President Hill reported the next
Alexander Hodge No.49-chapter meeting will be held July 30th, 2024, at the
Spring Creek Barbeque restaurant on Highway 6 in Missouri City, TX. The next
Chapter Business Meeting will be at the same restaurant on June 25th, 2024 at
1:00 P.M. All Chapter members are welcome to attend the business meeting. All
Chapter Officers are required to attend the Business Meetings.
Recessional: The SAR recessional was recited by all
present.
Benediction: Closing
benediction was given by Phil Whitley, Chaplain.
Prepared by Steven J. Barber,
Secretary
SAR Alexander Hodge Chapter
#49 BUSINESS MEETING – June 25th, 2024, 1:00 p.m.