Alexander Hodge Chapter No. 49
Chapter Meeting Minutes
March 25th, 2025
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.
13-Attending
Chapter Members: Carl
Hill (President & Treasure), Steven Barber (Secretary), Don Rollins (Sgt.
of Arms), Phil Whitley (Chaplain), Don Burns (Vice President), Rick Giuffre, Dennis
Giuffre, Dr, Randal Glenn (New Member), Lovel Aldrich, John Lucey, Robert
Rhodes (New Member), Kevin Buford, Bob Walzel, and Nate Lewis.
6- Other
Guests: Mrs.
Bernice Mistrot, Mrs. Sharon Rollins, Mrs. Sherry Burns, Mrs. Cheryl Buford, Mrs.
Sandy Barber and Mr. Michael Bishop (perspective new member).
2-
Guest of Honor: Mr.
and Mrs. Arthur and Susan Byram- Current District 7 VP
Guest
Speaker: Mr. Blake
Pfeffer
Sworn
In Ceremony: Dr.
Randal Gleen was sworn in to the Alexander Hodge #49 Chapter and presented with
his certificate of SAR Membership.
Treasurer’s
Report: Carl
Hill presented the Treasurer’s Report. The Chapter’s Treasury has a balance of
$9326.12. Funds raised by Richard Zdanowicz (Past VP our District 7) for the
2025 JROTC Scholarship for the Alexander Hodge Chapter amounted to $558.00. It
was proposed and second that the Alexander Hodge Chapter add $42.00 to this
fund to be able to award 2 $300.00 scholarships in 2025.
Secretary
Report: Steven
Barber reviewed the January 28th,2025 Chapter Meeting minutes and
the February 25,2025 Business Meeting Chapter Meeting minutes. Those minutes
were voted on and 2nd for acceptance.
Registrar’s
Report: The Alexander
Hodge Chapter #49 has completed and sent into National S.A.R., five new
membership applications. Robert Rhodes, Joshua Evans and Sean Hicks submitted applications
are waiting for review and approval by S.A.R. National, while Dr. Randal
Glenn’s application was approved. The fifth application was a supplemental for
Mr. Gayle Barber, father of Steven Barber and Grandfather to member Matthew
Barber.
Two on
new applicates for Dr. Thomas Cool and his son Jack are at the State level for
approval.
New
applications are being worked on for Brandon Draper, Micheal Bishop with three
of his relatives and for the Thomas Whitenton, 2-year-old grandson of Tim
Bricher.
Sandy
Barber, Registrar for the Alexander Hodge DAR Chapter is assisting the
Alexander Hodge SAR Chapter in three new applications. One application is for
Steven Garza, son of a recent new DAR member Sylvia Garza, and two rather
difficult to prove applications for Richard Laughlin and Douglas Thorpe.
The
Registrar Committee (Michael Green and Carl Hill) also reported there are 5-6
additional interested applicants that have expressed interest in joining the
SAR Alexander Hodge Chapter #49 chapter.
District
#7 VP discussion on SAR Activates and Future Opportunities:
Art
Byram encouraged members to become involved in various SAR programs coming up
in the near future.
Programs
reviewed: 1) Partners in Patriotism- Color Guard Involvement:
Ask for
information on procuring a Revolutionary Costume to
participate in various events each year.
2) Junior ROTC Groups receiving a Flag
Ceremony Service from the Chapter
3) Attending the State Business meeting
this coming weekend March 28-29, 2025
4) Arranging for your younger kids, and
grandkids to be registered with the Children of the American Revolution (CAR.) Texas has the
fastest growth in CAR in the nation.
5) Seriously consider getting involved in
the State SAR presented Mentoring program for recruiting and retention of new
members.
6) Attend the April 13th,2025 the
Captain Edward Weyman Society CAR Lineage Day at the Constellation Field Baseball
game April 13, 2025. First pitch @ 2:05 P.M. Freedom Chapter will have a Color
Guard ceremony on the field during the playing of the National Anthem All SAR
members are welcome to participate in the Color Guard in uniform and all CAR,
DAR and SAR members are invited to attend. A flyer was handed out giving all
the details for buying tickets for this event. All members children will be
invited on the field with the Color Guard during the ceremony.
7) Attend the “Honor Flight” Welcome Home
Event, Saturday April 26th, 2025 at 7:45 pm at Hobby Airport. This
event welcomes home a plane full of Veterans returning from overnight trip
visiting all the War Memorials in Washing DC. A flyer on this event was handed
out at the meeting.
Unfinished
Business:
1) The TX
SAR Archives Committee will be publishing Volume 3 of the Texas Society
History. In volume 2, The Alexander Hodge Chapter had 13 members who had
submitted biographies in the 2005 addition. Each Chapter member is encouraged
to provide a short one-page biography on his patriot’s linage and being a
member of the Alexander Hodge Chapter #49. An example of these biographies is
available on request from Carl Hill or Jim Penny. The deadline for these to be submitted to the
State is July 1st.2025, so get your biography submitted soon to Jim
Penny.
New
Business and Future Opportunities to Participate:
1)
April 12th, 2025- Revolutionary War
Camp Reenactment planned at the Jessy Jones Park located at 20634 Kenswick
Drive, Humble, TX.
2)
April 13th CAR Lineage Day at the
Constellation Field Baseball field and game. Tickets purchased in advance at
ballfield $19.00, parking $4.00. SAR Color Guard during National Anthem. See
flyer for details
3)
April 26th, 2025 at &:45 pm
-Welcome Home “Honor Flight” for US Veterans at Hobby Airport. See attached
flyer for details.
Evening
Speaker: Mr. Blake Pfiffer “Shouts from the Republic”
Blake
Pfiffer's family goes back to the original 300 settlers of Americans that came
to settle Texas, originally as citizens of the Mexican nation. Mr.
Pfiffer has written a book chronologizing the events that occurred prior to the
Texas Revolution and events during the fighting and settling of the Texas
Revolution. The book published in 2024 entitled “Shouts from the Republic”,
reviews the events in this time in history of Texas and of the settling of
Texas.
Several
hundred Americans came to the area known as Texas for several reasons. Originally
the land was promised as cheap or even free if you agreed to settle on the
land. ($0.50 per for 45 acres) Secondly, the forming of the Nation of Mexico
from the Spanish was based upon the same constitutional rights and freedoms
that were established in the forming of the United States with its Bill of
Rights and the US Constitution. This attracted American’s that were poor,
running from debt or from criminal charges back in Eastern US, and looking to
start new lives and opportunities.
At
first the relations of the Angleton Americans with the Mexican government were
good, being treated as any other Mexican citizen. The primary issue with having
Mexican support was issues with raiding Indian’s out of Oklahoma and in parts
of Texas. When Mexico started to pull back from those responsibilities, the
leader of the Angleton American settlers, Steven Austin went to Mexico City to
protest the lack of support to the Texas territory and demand better
representation in the Mexican government. Steven Austin was thrown in prison in
Mexico City and held for weeks. Now the American immigrants were being treated
as illegal immigrants. Of course, this led to an uprising of the people living
in the Texas territory. Another fact in these events is many Mexican citizens
did not like the Mexican leader Santa Ana and either supported the Angleton
Americans or were chose to not support the Mexican government in their actions.
Mr.
Pfiffer then reviewed much of the military action that took place between the
700,000 in strength Mexican Army and the small militia groups that fought
against the Mexican army. The first skirmish in Gonzalez, Texas the Angleton
Texans did well with losing only one Texan killed, with 80 dead Mexicans and
the Texans capturing 21 cannons. However, the mobilization of the main Mexican
army had yet been completed. The next
battle, several months later was the Alamo, in San Antonio, TX, where all 170
Texans that were defending the Alam were killed by the Mexican army.
Future
skirmishes and troop movements occurred as the Mexican army attempted to corral
the much smaller Texans army. Through effective scouts reporting the movement
of the Mexican army, misleading the Mexican army on the whereabouts of the
Texans army and sheer luck, Sam Houston’s small army overwhelmed a small
contingency of the Mexican army left with its leader Santa An at San Jacinto,
Texas.
Closing
Remarks:
President
Hill announced that the next Alexander Hodge Chapter #49 meeting will be held May 27th, 2025-7:00 P.M., at the Spring Creek Barbeque restaurant on Highway 6 in
Missouri City, Texas. The next Chapter Business Meeting will be at the same
restaurant on April 29th, 2025, at 1:00 P.M. 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
Whitney, Chaplain.
Meeting
adjourned; Carl Hill, President
Prepared
by Steven Barber, Secretary
Alexander
Hodge Chapter #49
