Alexander Hodge Chapter No. 49
Business Meeting Minutes
April 29, 2025
The officers of the Alexander Hodge Chapter #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 1:00 P.M.
Attending: Carl Hill (President), Don Burns (Vice President),
Jim Penny (Newsletter and Web Master), Don Rollins (Sgt. Of Arms), Lovell
Aldrich, and Steve Barber (Secretary)
Secretary Report: Steve
Barber provided copies and reviewed the Chapters March 25th, 2025 Chapter
meeting minutes. The minutes were approved by the attending officers.
Steve Barber reported that, as
of April 29, 2025, the State of Texas SAR office reported that only 8 Alexander
Hodge Members failed to submit their 2025 annual dues. All of these members
were contacted by email and or telephone concerning the current dues due for
2025. One member did commit to paying those dues and a copy of his statement
was sent to him for that payment.
Treasurers Report:
Carl Hill presented the Treasurer’s
Report. The Chapter’s Treasury has a balance of $9,459.12. after the following cash
transfers to the Chapter,
1)
$513.00 To Alexander
Hodge SAR Chapter from State SAR– Refund for Junior ROTC metals and
certificates.
2)
$133.00 To Alexander Hodge SAR Chapter from
State SAR – Perpetuals\ Member Fund.
3)
$1333.33 – Alexander Hodge Chapter additional share
of funds raised by Richard Zdanowicz, previous District 7 VP for the Junior
ROTC Scholarships for 2025. This brings
the total JROTC scholarship money raised for the Alexander Hodge Chapter to
$1891.66. To allow the reward of two $500.00 Fort Bend High School cadets and
3- $300.00 scholarships to Lamar High School cadets, it was voted on to add $8.34 from the
Chapter’s Treasurer funds to these funds to allow these schlorship awards in
2025.
4)
The Chapter received a donation of $125.00 from
Mrs. Bernice Mistrot.
Registrar’s Report:
Five (5) new applications have
been submitted to National SAR for Robert Rhodes, Joshua Evans, Sean Hicks and
Dr. Randal Glenn. The approval for Dr. Randal Glenn was just received. The
fifth application was a supplemental for Gayle E. Barber, father of Steven
Barber. For this supplemental, National required a birth certificate, even
though Mr. Barber was listed on the applications for his son Steven Barber and
Grandson Matthew Barber. A birth certificate was acquired and sent to National.
The other applicants are pending.
Three (3) applications are at
the SAR State Level for Dr. Thomas Cool, his son Jack Phillp Cool and Doug
Thorpe.
Registrar committee is
actively working on applications for Brandon Draper, Micheal Bishop and three
of his relatives, and Thomas Whitenton, the 2-year-old grandson of Tim Birtcher.
Sandy Barber, Alexander Hodge DAR
Registrar is working on the completion of a SAR application for the son of
Sylvia Garcia, who is a recent new DAR applicant and a rather difficult
application completion for. Richard Laughlin.
The committee also reports
working on 5-6 additional applications that have recently expressed interest in
joining the Alexander Hodge SAR Chapter.
Web Site and Newsletter
Report:
Jim also presented a Mentor
Training program for new members to improve Chapter recruiting and retention of
new Chapter members. This structure program from the State SAR looks very promising
as program to adopt to improve Chapter membership and participation in Chapter
activities. This program would require active participation of existing members
as mentors to use this program to recruit new members and having new members
actively participating in Chapter events. The program has sign on paperwork, a
Power Point presentation, a list of mentor responsibilities and a State lapel
pin recognizing mentors’ participation. Jim produced an “Alexander Hodge #49
New Member Orientation Manual for 2024-2025”, for new members coming into the
chapter. This manual explains the history, the organization, where to find SAR
items and functions of the SAR organization from a local, State and National
SAR level.
Jim Penny is also working on a
Chapter May 2025 newsletter
Finally, Jim bought up the
need for Chapter SAR biographies from Chapter members for The Texas SAR
Achieves committee publishing volume 3 of the Texas Society History in 2025.
The last time this was published as volume 2 was 2005. Each Chapter member is
encouraged to provider a short one-page biography and a portrait picture to Jim
Penny to be included in this publication. The Chapter had 13 members listed in
volume 2. An example of a biography is available on request. The deadline for
submittal of your biography is July 1st, 2025. Today there are only
2 biographies submitted.
Upcoming SAR Chapter
Opportunities to Participate:
1) Two Historical
Flag Presentation are being planned for the first half of 2025. One event has
been requested by the Saint Lawence Church Scout program in Sugar Land, TX. The
second event is being requested for around July 4th, 2025 at the Genealogy
Department at the George Library in Richmond, Texas. Looking for members to assist
in these presentations, Our District 7 VP Art Byram suggested we should
consider giving this flag presentation to JROTC groups. Details to be
announced.
2) Another
VA Hospital visit for the Alexander Hodge Chapter #49 is being planned for late this year. The Michael DeBakey VA Medical Center is located at 2002 Holcombe
Blvd, Houston, Texas.
Please let Carl Hill know of your interested in
attending this very rewarding event.
3) Carl
Hill President of the Alexander Hodge Chapter is being awarded the “Patriots
Metal” at a State Business meeting for his dedication and contributions to the
SAR organization.
4) A
reminder was made that fall State Board of Managers Meeting is going to be in
Houston October 24th through the 26th, 2025. Ther
Alexander Hodge and Carrington SAR Chapters are hosting this event. Planning for
the site must be made and events planned and organized. The event being
considered for the delegates is to visit to the Christian University Freedom
Hall.
The next Alexander Hodge
Chapter #49 meeting is scheduled for May27th, 2025 at 7:00 P.M. at Spring
Creek Barbecue restaurant on Highway 6 in Missouri City Texas. The speaker will
be Chrisy Campbell, discussing the Artillery at the Battle of Yorktown.
END OF BUSINESS MEETING REPORT
Prepared by Steven J. Barber,
Secretary