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Newsletter of the Cincinnati Chapter, OHSSAR

Volume Number 27 Issue Number 5 October 2013

President:

Donald C. McGraw

Editor:

Ian M. Cunningham

8380 Shawnee Run Rd P.O. Box 427

Cincinnati, OH 45243 Sardinia, OH 45171

Tel: (513) 404-4982 Tel: (937) 446-2538

E-Mail: Donald.c.mcgraw@gmail.com E-Mail: Ian_cunninghan@Frontier.com

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MESSAGE FROM THE CINCINNATI CHAPTER PRESIDENT

Greetings Fellow Compatriots,

It’s on – the annual Dues Collection Drive for 2014. Hopefully by now you have received a letter or an email

from me (both, I trust, if you have an email account). We started this a little earlier this year and as of my writing

this note, we sit at about 40% of the membership having responded. If you have not already responded, your

prompt attention to this matter is sincerely appreciated.

As always, if anyone has any suggestions, questions or just general comments, please do not hesitate to contact me.

You may email me at Donald.c.mcgraw@gmail.com or call me at (513) 404-4982.

Fraternally and Patriotically,

2013 CHAPTER OFFICERS AND BOARD OF MANAGEMENT

The Cincinnati Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, Officers and Board of Management for 2013 are:

President - Donald C. McGraw Jr. Chaplain - Kenneth G. Carpenter

First Vice-President - Ian M. Cunningham Board of Management Member - Michael J. Blum

Second Vice-President - Kenneth R. Burck Board of Management Member - Larry W. Collins

Secretary - Christon J. Hurst Board of Management Member - Larry J. Denny

Treasurer - Gerald P. Knight Board of Management Member - Thomas R. Luce

Registrar - Franz B. Ott II Board of Management Member - George Stewart Jr

Historian - Ervin Dalton And All Living Past Presidents

STAYING CONNECTED on the WEB

1. Cincinnati Chapter website: www.cincinnatisar.org 2. Cincinnati Chapter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cincinnati.sar

3. OHSSAR Activities from around the state: http://ohssardispatch.wordpress.com/

OHIO SOCIETY SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Oct 4-6, OHSSAR BOM, and Point Pleasant Battle Days; (Click for more info)

SAR CENTRAL DISTRICT

The Central District is made up of OH, IN, KY and WV SAR State Societies. The web address is

http://www.CDSAR.org The next meeting is to be held October 25-26, in Barboursville, WV. (Click for

reservation form) See also wvssar.org

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NATIONAL SOCIETY SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

* Ten members of the Ohio Society

attended the National Fall Leadership

Meeting in Louisville the last weekend of

September, including Compatriot Paul

Wilke. Pictured are the Ohio delegates

after the Friday evening dinner. Speakers

were from Texas and Wisconsin. Com-

mittees met on Friday with the Board of

Trustees meeting on Saturday. As of

September 27th, the national member-

ship stood at 31,675.

RECENT CINCINNATI CHAPTER SAR ACTIVITIES * A Naturalization Citizenship Ceremony was attended by Compatriots Jerry Knight and Ian Cunningham on September 20th, at The Summit Country Day School on Grandin Rd, Cincinnati. Seventy-two new U.S. citizens from 32 different countries were sworn in. The Honorable Stephanie K. Bowman, U.S. Magistrate Judge, presided. Compatriot Knight is a frequent SAR representative and passes out patriotic literature to each new citizen. School children had the wonderful experience of witnessing firsthand the formal process by which immigrants can become naturalized citizens of the United States of America. Additional Naturalization Citizenship ceremonies are scheduled for October 11, 25 & November 8, 22.

* On September 23rd, the Ripley - Lt. Byrd Chapter, NSDAR invited Compatriot Ian Cunningham to ride on their float in the Brown County Fair Parade in Georgetown. Locally called the "Little State Fair", it is usually the last county fair held in Ohio. Two accompanying children were instrumental in tossing all of the candy contained in a 5-gallon bucket to eager fair-goers along the one and one half hour parade route.

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* The American Spirit Education Alliance (ASEA) is a non-profit, patriotic organization dedicated to the preservation of our American heritage. On Sept 28th, they hosted the Patriot Fair in Mason, Ohio, a well attended celebration of every-thing patriotic, with many organizations participating and displaying. The Cincinnati Chapter Color Guard was present, along with the Capt. Miller Historic Flag Collection, presented by Chapter President Don McGraw and Compatriot Paul

Wilke. SAR Chapter Compatriots participated in a Molly Pitcher re-enactment with a live cannon, there were historical and firearms displays, and an SAR recruitment table. Educational activities were enjoyed by school children and adults, and many circulating period-dressed characters were photographed.

In conjunction with the Patriot Fair, two Chapter Compatriots had individual displays. Mike Gunn had a tent full of black powder muzzle-loaders, and some young Civil War enthusiasts.

Gerry Hounschell demonstrated building replica muzzle-loaders, and fired his replica RW cannon, a 3-pounder "Grasshopper", during the Molly Pitcher re-enactment, Saturday afternoon. * At the confluence of the Kanawha and Ohio Rivers, the Battle of Point Pleasant was fought on October 10, 1774. Colonel Andrew Lewis' 1,100 Virginia militiamen decisively defeated a like number of Indians lead by the Shawnee Chieftain Cornstalk. Considered a landmark in frontier history, some believed the battle to be the first of the American Revolution. This action broke the power of the ancient Americans in the Ohio Valley and quelled an Indian war on the frontier. Significantly, it also avoided an alliance between the British and Indians, one which could have caused the Revolution to have a different

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outcome, altering the history of the United States. In addition, the ensuing peace with the Indians enabled Western Virginians to return across the Allegheny Mountains to aid Revolutionary forces. OHSSAR leads a parade to commemorate this National event each year at the site of the battle. Chapter Compatriot Michael Gunn and Anna Insprucker (C.A.R.) marched in the parade October 5th, Point Pleasant, WV.

* On October 9th, the monthly Chapter meeting began as usual with supper at 6:00 in the Atrium at the Crowne Plaza, Blue Ash, followed by reports of officers and committee chairs. We were brought up to date on the September 27th National Fall Leadership meeting held in Louisville, and the OHSSAR BOM and Battle Days held October 4, 6 at Point Pleasant, WV. Compatriot Mike Gunn outlined progress being made toward gathering some loose ends in the local Revolutionary War burial records.

* Several Compatriots visited the Vietnam Veterans Traveling Memorial in Clermont County, October 10-13. The reduced-scale wall included 58,272 names of the fallen in that conflict. Also on display were memorials relating to military and civil losses in national incidents since the Vietnam War.

* On October 11, Compatriots Gerald Knight and Ian Cunningham attended a Naturalization Citizenship Ceremony in Cincinnati at the U. S. District Court, Southern District, the Honorable Michael R. Barrett, U.S. District Court Judge, presiding. Sixty-nine new citizens were sworn in, representing thirty-five foreign countries. Many families requested photos with SAR members in uniform. Patriotic literature is handed to each new citizen, welcoming them to their new country. * On October 12th in Mt. Sterling, Ohio, a ceremony was conducted to mark the grave of Revolutionary Patriot Thomas Davis, of the Maryland Militia. Present were family descendents, Color Guard members from General Henry Knox, Camp Charlotte and Hocking Valley SAR Chapters, Lucy Knox DAR Chapter, and the Cincinnati Chapter was represented by your newsletter editor.

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* On October 19th, in the rain, a ceremony commemorating the defeat in 1781 of Col. Lochry was conducted by Wm. E. Sharp, President of the INSSAR, near Aurora, Indiana. Present were Color Guardsmen from Indiana, Kentucky, and Cincinnati Chapters, and DAR and veterans organizations.

* On October 22nd, the Miller Historic Flag Collection was displayed at the Milford United Methodist Church, at the monthly meeting of the Prime Timers. Compatriot Paul Wilke described the history of each of sixty flags, ablely assisted by Compatriot Jim Schaffer. At the conclusion of a spirited Q & A session, a luncheon was enjoyed by the group, including the four attending Cincinnati Chapter SAR members.

* On the evening of October 22nd, the last Tri-State Honor Flight of the season returned to CVG, to a welcoming crowd of hundreds of family and well-wishers.

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. . . and the Bags and Pipes lead the parade of Veterans and Guardians into the visitor's welcoming area, to the sound of cheers, clapping, noise makers, and the skurl of the Bag Pipes.

Honor Flights are now being scheduled for 2014 from CVG.

* REMINDERS *

1. Chapter members who are interested in serving on a Standing Committee are invited to explore Section 12 of the By-Laws for detailed descriptions of each committee. By-Laws Section 12, p 14 2. Dues are due for the year 2014. NSSAR $30.00 + OHSSAR $10.00 + Chapter $12.00 = Total $52.00. New members, please check with Chapter Treasurer Gerald Knight for correct amount for next year. 3. November 16th, 12:00 noon is the Chapter Thanksgiving Day Luncheon, at the Crowne Plaza, Blue Ash.

MEMBER APPLICATION STATISTICS

2013 thru September New Members Approved 16

New Members Pending Approval 3

Supplemental Approved 7

Supplemental Pending Approval 0

Application in processing 4

Sixteen new Cincinnati Chapter SAR members have been approved by NSSAR thru September 2013.

2013 CHAPTER MEETING SCHEDULE

6-Nov-13 Dinner & BOM Meeting – Crowne Plaza-Blue Ash (6PM)

16-Nov-13 Thanksgiving Luncheon – Crowne Plaza-Blue Ash (12PM)

4-Dec-13 Dinner & BOM Meeting – Crowne Plaza-Blue Ash (6PM)

14-Dec-13 Annual Meeting/Awards Dinner – Crowne Plaza-Blue Ash (6PM)

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REMEMBERING HISTORY

Our Founding Fathers officially recognized the importance of a day for giving thanks for our nation's blessings by one of the first acts of the constitutional government. Soon after adopting the Bill of Rights, a motion in Congress was approved to initiate the proclamation of a national day of thanksgiving. This first national Thanksgiving Proclamation was issued by the revolutionary Continental Congress on November 1, 1777, expressing gratitude for the Colonial's October victory over British General Burgoyne at Saratoga. Cognizant of the need for a warring country's continuing grateful prayers to God, the Continental Congresses proclaimed yearly Thanksgiving days during the Revolutionary War, from 1777 to 1783.

**************************** Lt. Col. Henry Dearborn's diary entry for December 18th, 1777, reads thusly; "This is Thanksgiving Day. God knows we have very little to keep it with, this being the third day we have been without flour or bread, and are living on a high, uncultivated hill, in huts and tents, lying on the cold ground. Upon the whole I think all we have to be thankful for is that we are alive and not in the grave with many of our friends."