State SAR changing the way referred to

 We all know that TXSSAR has been the abbreviated form used to refer to the State Society of the Sons of American Revolution for a very long time.  

That is changing to be in line with the National Society.  The National SAR is a Society.  The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.

The SAR of the States (including Texas) are dropping the Society designation from the names.

The States are now just Sons of American Revolution.  So, Texas is the Texas Sons of American Revolution.  I guess the abbreviation will be TXSAR.

I don't get the importance of it, but who knows!  Not sure if, or when various Site access that use TXSSAR will change.

Speaker for March 25 2025 Meeting is author Blake Pfeffer

 Blake Pfeffer lives in Houston, Texas, and has been enamored with Texas history since he was a young teenager, a passion he inherited from his father and his Texas-pioneering family.  

Note:  His book is available at Barnes and Noble as well as directly from author and a number of Sites.  It can also be found as an eBook.

Meeting Notice for Dinner Meeting on Tuesday March 25 2025

Please plan on attending our upcoming chapter dinner meeting on Tuesday March 25th at Spring Creek Barbeque. The address is 4895 Hwy Six in Missouri City. We will start to gather at 6:30 p. m. and the chapter meeting will follow at 7:00 p. m.

The featured speaker will be Blake Pfeffer and his book "Shouts from the Republic".

Please let Lovell Aldrich know that you will be attending, Text or call him at 281-451 4547.

I look forward to seeing each of you at the meeting.

Carl V. Hill Jr.

President

Alexander Hodge Chapter #49

281 773 1739

Welcome New Member Carl Dean Smith approved on Jan 24 2025

 Carl Dean Smith was approved the same month that Dr Randall Mark Glenn was approved.

Carl's patriot is Gabriel Smith who was a member of Captain Thomas Child's North Carolina Militia Company. 

 More will be given when I cover North Carolina in the War.

Welcome to new members, Dr Randal Mark Glenn and Robert Clark Rhodes II.

Dr Randal Glenn's patriot is David Norman.

David Norman served as a private under Colonel Thomas Brandon in 1780 in a Company from Union County S.C.    Colonel Brandon was commander of the 2nd Spartan Regiment of Militia.  Colonel Brandon's forces were attacked on either June 10, 1780, or July 12, 1780 by Loyalist forces.  The Battle is known as "Brandon's Defeat."  

Learn more about this Battle and the Patriots who served in South Carolina when I work on the story of South Carolina in the Revolution at a later date.

Robert Rhodes II's patriot is Mark Russell.

Unfortunately, I am unable to give more at this time due to his Patriot being Unindexed in the SAR Database.  However, there are 23 Russel/Russell patriot pension records available.  So, time will tell if he can be found by an alternate method.

p.s.  DAR A098499 Record shows that patriot Mark Russell provided Material Aid in North Carolina.  Also lists him as a soldier, but gives no details.

 

Recent Submissions to State Newsletter and National Magazines

 Fellow members,

I continue to try to get into the SAR media stories on the activities of our Chapter.  Often, there doesn't seem to be a reason why a general Chapter news item is not accepted.   But will keep trying.

On February 16th, I submitted to the State Newsletter, Texas Compatriot, a story about President, Carl V Hill, and past president, Lovell Aldrich, presenting the SAR Martha Washington Medal on behalf of Alexander Hodge Chapter to Jo Ann Vasina of LaGrange on January 18th.

She received the Award for supporting the Alexander Hodge Chapter #49 with three new chapter members: Daniel Joe Shaver, Michael Thomas Shaver, and James Julius Shaver.

On March 4th, I submitted the following to the National Magazine.  Hopefully, it will be accepted and appear in the Chapter News section.

Registrar Committe Report

Five new applications have been submitted to National SAR.  One is Supplemental.  Three additional applications are at the SAR State Level.  The Chapter's Registrar Committee is actively working on another seven new applications.  Sandy Barber, Alexander Hodge DAR Registrar is assisting by working on the completion of a SAR application for the son of a recent new DAR applicant and on a rather difficult application completion for one SAR applicant.

The Chapter Registrar Committee also reports working on 5-6 additional applications that have recently expressed interest in joining the Alexander Hodge SAR Chapter.

Other Chapter Activities

1)    Carl Hill, Chapter President presented the six SAR Vietnam Veteran Lapel pin One to Chapter member, Lovell Aldrich in honor of his service in the US Army in Vietnam and five to fellow Marines is honor for their service in Vietnam.  Jim Penny, Chapter Webmaster, presented an additional one to an Army and to a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War.

2)    Carl Hill presented to all the Chapter Officers the Texas Society Sons of the American Revolution 100 Anniversary medals (1896-1986) that were available at the 106^th State Congress in San Antonio, TX.

 

Alexander Hodge Chapter No. 49

Business Meeting Minutes

        February 24, 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) Michael Green (Registrar) Jim Penny (Newsletter and Web Master), Don Rollins (Sgt. Of Arms) and Steve Barber (Secretary)

Secretary Report: Steve Barber provided copies and reviewed the Chapters January 28, 2023 Chapter meeting minutes. The minutes were approved by the attending officers.

Treasury Report:

Carl Hill presented the Treasures Report. The Chapter’s Treasury has a balance of $9,037.44. after the following expenditures,

Expenditures Since January 1^st, 2025:

1)    $85.00 To Alexander Hodge DAR Chapter – Wreaths Across America program - 5 wreaths purchased. .

2)    $200.00 Galvez Memorial Bricks purchase in the name of Alexander Hodge SAR and DAR Chapters.

3)    $329,00 Junior TOTC Medals purchased for 2025- Approved and signed off by Don Burns and Steve Barber

4)    $186.19 - Various administrative expenses on process new applicants with Registrar’s activities. Approved and signed off by Steve Barber and Don Rollins,

The Chapter received a donation of $125.00 from Mrs. Bernice Mistriot.

Steve Barber reported that the State of Texas SAR office reported 24 Alexander Hodge Members failed to submit their 2025 annual dues. This was investigated, finding the State office was late sending out the notices in 2024 and their on-line reporting system is slow to be update, 20 emails were sent out to listed members showing not paid, resulting in 5 emails coming back as not active emails. One email was entered with an error and that was corrected and sent back out after calling the member. The other 4 members with bad email addresses shown as not paying and 2 others that had no email listed in the State roster. were contacted by telephone. Corrected emails were provided along with commitments to pay those dues from those 6 individuals. To this date we still have 11 members that have not responded to the emails sent, even though the State still reports that our Chapter still has 20 members not paying 2025 dues. To illustrate the State Roster system not being always updated, Jim Penny, who sent his payment in November 2024 is still listed as not paid, even though the State was verbally contacted and it was confirmed payment was received. Will send second emails and will completing telephone calls to those remaining 11 members shown as not paying 2025 SAR dues.

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.

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 Penny produced a 2025 Calander to track 2025 Alexander Hodge Chapter events.

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 paper work, a Power Point presentation, a list of mentor responsibilities and a State lapel pin recognizing mentors’ participation.

Jim Penny presented a short draft of the history of the Alexander Hodge Chapter #49, recognizing that 2025 is the 32^nd year of the founding of this chapter.

 

Other Business and Activities:

1)    Carl Hill presented the SAR Vietnam Veteran Lapel pin to 6 Alexander Hodge Chapter members. Lovell Aldrich in honor of his service in the US Army in Vietnam and 5 Marines is honor for their service in Vietnam were Greg Phillips, Jim Howse, Jerry Hoffman, Bill Knight and David Singleton.

2)    Carl Hill presented to all the Chapter Officers present at this meeting, Texas Society Sons of the American Revolution 100 Anniversary medals (1896-1986) that were available at the 106^th State Congress in San Antonio, TX.

 

3)    The Texas SAR Achieves committee will be 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. Am example of a biography is available on request. The deadline for submittal of your biography is July 1^st, 2025.

 

4)    Nathan Simoneaux submitted a competitive 500-word patriotic essay with a four-generation ancestry chart into the State SAR Eagle Scout program, through the Alexander Hodge Chapter #49.

 

Upcoming SAR Chapter Opportunities to Participate:

1)    Carrie Isaak’s has setup a VA Hospital Visit for 8 members for the Alexander Hodge Chapter #49. The Michael DeBakey VA Medical Center is located at 2002 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, Texas.

This event is approved for March 11^th at 10:00 a.m. Small gift bags for the veterans have been arranged for this event. We encourage anyone that wants to attend this event to wear their SAR uniform or a SAR shirt. Please let Carl Hill know of your interested in attending this very rewarding event.

2)    March 1^st, 2025 there is an SAR Black Powder event at the Humble Museum, in Humble, TX at 9:00 a.m. This is the annual Revolutionary Education event this year entitled “Spanish Gamble”. This event for kids is a mini reenactment event with period costumes worn.

 

3)    April 12^th, 2025, there is a similar mini-reenactment event planned at Jessy Jones Park located at 20634 Kenswick Drive, Humble, TX. Details to be announced.

 

4)    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 4^th, 2025 at the Genealogy Department at the George Library in Richmond, Texas. Looking for members to assist in these presentations, Details to be announced.

Carl Hill has volunteered to remain as Chapter President, Treasure and Registrar and will be available to assist any one that would volunteer for any of these positions.  Don Burns has volunteered to be Chapter Vice President.  Phil Whitney has agreed to continue to be the Chapter Chaplain. Jim Penny has agreed to continue to be the Newsletter Web-Master for the Chapter. Steve Barber has agreed to continue as the Chapter Secretary and Don Rollins to continue as Sgt. Of Arms.  Michael Shane Steele has volunteered to remain Color Guard Commander. There are other officer and committee position available to Chapter members. The officers list as expressed above has been sent to the State SAR to update the officers’ roster.

END OF BUSINESS MEETING REPORT

Prepared by Steven J. Barber, Secretary

Dress for the part by visiting the National SAR Store Online

 It was nice to see all the members who attended yesterday's Business Meeting wearing an SAR shirt.  

It is good advertisement.  There are several styles to choose from.

I didn't purchase mine all at one time, but they not overpriced for a good looking shirt.

Here are the ones I own, but there are several other ones available.  There is also one under the 250 Anniversary banner.

I encourage every member to purchase at least one to wear to Meetings and Events. (jgp)

March 11 planned visit to Micheal Debakey VA Medical Center.

 The Chapter is planning a visit to the VA Hospital on March 11 at 10 am.  There is a limit of 8 people allowed.  Contact our President, Carl Hill if you would like to attend.

New Member Training Manual in progress

 I am currently customizing the template that National SAR sent out to members to the Alexander Hodge Chapter.

When it is completed it will be electronically sent to all members, it provides a good view of SAR and what is available to members.