Member Reorientation Meeting

This is a chance for any members, especially those who may have missed a meeting or two, to become more informed on the Chapter's current programs and activities. Anyone interested in attending should contact Jack Sweeney.

Location: Vinson Hall

Time: 8:00 AM

Speaker and Business Meeting

Speaker: Andrew Gutowski

Topic: "The War Comes to Virginia: 1781" (Download Flyer)

Except for some parting shots by Lord Dunmore as he fled his post as royal governor in 1776, Virginia had largely been spared the ravages of war until 1781. From 1776 to 1779, the campaigns had mainly been in the northern colonies, especially in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York. But in late 1779 the British struck at the southern colonies, landing at Savannah and proceeding steadily northward toward Virginia. General Nathanael Greene conducted a masterful defensive campaign that wore out the columns of Lord Cornwallis. But now the British focused on Virginia - sending first the traitor Benedict Arnold to ravage and devastate the James River area. And Lord Cornwallis was fast approaching. Only Washington's brilliant French general, the Marquis de Lafayette, stood his ground to meet the British onslaught.

Location: Vinson Hall

Time: 7:00 PM

New Member Orientation Meeting

The new member orientation is aimed at introducing new members to the programs and activities of the Chapter. This is also a chance for new members to express their goals and interests as members of the Fairfax Resolves. A light breakfast will be provided. Anyone interested in attending should contact Larry McKinley.

Location: Vinson Hall

Time: 8:00 AM

* Continental breakfast will be provided

Constitution Day Recognition Ceremony

Location: Montpelier, VA

Time: 11:00 AM

Virginia Society of SAR Semi-annual Meeting

Location: Virginia Beach Resort Hotel, Virginia Beach, VA

Additional information is available at the VASSAR website.

Fire/EMS Awards Presentation CANCELLED

The October 3rd banquet awards presentation has been cancelled. Awards will be presented at a separate venue to honor the efforts of the Fairfax Country Fire and EMS personnel.

Location: TBD

Time: TBD

Battle of King's Mountain

Location: Blacksburg, SC

Website: http://www.kingsmountain.us

Yorktown Day Observance

Location: Yorktown, VA

Wreath laying at Thomas Nelson's tomb and parade.

Website: http://www.virginia.org

Speaker and Business Meeting

Speaker: Jerry Whipple

Topic: “The Forgotten Man of the Continental Navy” (Download Flyer)

Everyone has heard of the great naval heroes of the Revolution such as John Paul Jones and John Barry, justly famous for their exploits at sea. But few have heard of Abraham Whipple, an extraordinary sea captain from Rhode Island whose sea duty did much to advance the cause of independence. It was Commodore Whipple, then a merchant sea captain, who led the June 1772 attack on the British revenue schooner, Gaspee, one of the earliest shots fired in the Revolution. Not only that, but from 1775 to the war's end, Whipple clashed with British warships off New England and the Bahamas. In one daring episode, the Commodore and his "fleet" of three frigates captured a British convoy of ten ships off Newfoundland without a shot being fired. Yet after independence was won, Whipple was quickly forgotten and died penniless in Ohio in 1819. This great naval hero was certainly deserving of the title: “The Forgotten Man of the Continental Navy.”

Location: Vinson Hall

Time: 7:00 PM

Occoquan Workhouse Historical Marker

Fairfax County Chapter, NSDAR will dedicate a historical marker honoring the Suffragists imprisoned at the Occoquan Workhouse. The VASSAR Colorguard, including Chapter Guardsmen, will be participating in the event.

Marker and Ceremony Site: Building #3, Workhouse Arts Center - 9601 Ox Road - Lorton, Virginia

Time: 1:00 PM

Event Flyer: Workhouse Historical Marker.pdf

Christmas Social POSTPONED DUE TO WEATHER

The Christmas social originally scheduled for December 5th has been postponed to Sunday, December 6th. Please confirm/reconfirm your plans to attend with Dan Rolph.

Join us for the Christmas Social! There will be light hors d'oeuvres and plenty of holiday cheer as we celebrate the season with friends and family. We will also be taking the opportunity to induct new members, so come join us and welcome them to the Chapter!

Location: Vinson Hall

Time: 6:00 PM

* Please RSVP to Dan Rolph by November 30th

* Cost is FREE but you are invited to bring a favorite beverage or treat (finger food) to share!

George Washington SAR Chapter Awards Banquet

The George Washinton SAR Chapter has invited all Fairfax Resolves Chapter members and their spouses to their January Awards Banquet. The Chapters will be recognizing General Eric Shinseki, former Army Chief of Staff and current US Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

Location: Mt. Vernon Inn

Time: 6:00 PM

6:00-7:00 PM - Cocktail hour

7:00 PM - Dinner

* Black Tie Optional

* Cost is $50 per person

* Make reservations by sending an E-mail to the GW Chapt Treasurer Paul Briggs at gnpbriggs@cox.net or or calling 703-768-6910. Payments should be made out to the George Washington Chapter SAR and sent to Paul Briggs at 7213 Regent Drive, Alexandria, VA 22307 NLT 31 Dec 2009.

* Reservations are 1st come basis because of limited seating.

Cowpens National Battlefield Commemorative Ceremony

Wreath laying ceremony at the statue of Gen. David Morgan

Location: Gaffney, SC

Website: http://www.nps.gov/cowp/

Annual Oration Contest

Topic: Revolutionary War and related topics

Students from local high schools participating in the Rumbaugh Oration Contest will present orations on some aspect of the Revolutionary War. The winning oration will be eligible to participate in the state competition.

Location: Falcons Landing

20530 Falcons Landing Circle, Sterling, VA 20165-3583

The main entrance to the facility is very apparent with impressive columns and brick stairway to the multiple door entrance in the center of the arch that is formed by the main complex of condominium type unit complexes each with somewhat less grand entrances.

Time: 7:00 PM

Event Flyer: Rumbaugh Oration Contest Flyer

Virginia Society of the SAR Annual Meeting

Location: Richmond, VA

Download: 2010 Annual Meeting Registration Form

Download: 2010 Annual Meeting Hotel Information

George Washington’s Birthday Celebration Luncheon

The District of Columbia Daughters of the American Revolution cordially invites you to join them in celebrating the 278th Birthday of General George Washington, First President of the United States of America.

Guest speaker David O. Stewart, author of The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution and Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln's Legacy, will discuss George Washington and the Constitutional Convention.

Location: Fort Myer Officers Club

Time: 12:00 PM

11:30 - 12:00 PM - Cash Bar

12:00 PM - Luncheon

* Cost, RSVP form, base access, and other information can be found in the luncheon flyer.

George Washington’s Birthday Wreath Laying and Parade - 278th Anniversary CANCELED DUE TO WEATHER

The George Washington Chapter President, Robert Carr, has invited all VASSAR members to attend the wreath laying ceremony to honor the Revolutionary War Unknown Soldier. The Wreath laying ceremony will include participation by the Kate Waller Barrett DAR Chapter and the Honor Guard form the 1st Virginia Regiment. VASSAR President William Simpson and President Elect Robert Bowen will be in attendance at the wreath laying ceremony and request that SAR members also participate in the Washington's Birthday parade through Old Town Alexandria which starts at 1:00PM. Parade participants shoud assemble at the corner of Wilkes and St. Asaph Streets at 12:30PM, a short walk from the Old Presbyterian Meeting House.

Location: Old Presbyterian Meeting House located at 323 South Fairfax Street, Alexandria, VA

Time: 11:00 AM

Website: http://www.washingtonbirthdayparade.net/

Flag Certificate Presentation - Oak Hill Elementary School

New Date!

Fairfax Resolves will recognize the Safety Patrol Captains at the Oak Hill Elementary School for their dedication to the proper care and display of the Flag of the United States.

Time: 8:30 AM

Location: Oak Hill Elementary School

Directions: http://www.fcps.edu/maps/oak.htm

Speaker and Business Meeting

New Location!

Speaker: Tom Wilkerson

Topic: Washington's Officer Corps

When the “shot heard 'round the world” was fired in 1775, the Colonies had only militia forces available to oppose the British regulars sent to America to restore royal power. The militia officers were a mixed bag of merchants, farmers, attorneys, and even a few clergymen. As the American War for Independence raged on into the late 1770s, officers in great numbers were needed for units of all sizes -- whether state militia forces, county defense units, or "regular" forces of the Continental Line. Where did Washington's officer corps come from? How was it trained and disciplined? How did it develop the leadership qualities required to hold ragged units together despite hardship and defeat? And of great importance, what practices date from that time that still influence officer selection and training to this day?

Our presenter, Tom Wilkerson, himself a retired U.S. Marine Corps flag rank officer, and a descendent of one of Washington's own officers, will tell us where Revolutionary officers came from, how they were welded into an effective leadership corps, and how selection processes developed in Washington's time have come down to the present.

Location: Vinson Hall - Arleigh Burke Pavilion: Activities Room

Enter under the arcade which begins at the flagpole circle. The Activities Room is off the entrance lobby.

Time: 7:00 PM

Event Flyer: Washington's Officer Corps Flyer

Crossing of the Dan Commemorative Ceremony - 229th Anniversary

The SAR and DAR will host the annual Crossing of the Dan program that will include greetings and presentations of wreaths by SAR, DAR, and local officials, recognition of the 6th grade essay contest winnner, and a presentaion by Gary Sandling, VP of Visitor Programs and Services at Monticello. His talk, entitled "Jefferson's Honor: Histories of the Virginia Invasions of 1781," will highlight Thomas Jefferson's challenges as a wartime governor of Virginia.

A catered BBQ luncheon will be held in the banquet hall at the Prizery (community and arts center, located at 700 Bruce Street, South Boston, VA). Reservations and payment of $12 per person.

Additional events at 7:00 PM on February 18th will feature the 6th grad Crossing Players and Singers from Halifax County Middle School presenting the story through verse and song for the community.

Location:Chastain Theater, South Boston, VA

Time: 10:00 AM

Website: http://www.prizery.com/Crossing/Celebration.htm

Reservation Form: 2010 Crossing of the Dan Commemoration Reservation Form.pdf

Speaker and Business Meeting

Speaker: Steve Bashore

Topic: George Washington: Entrepreneur

Everyone is familiar with the eulogy offered by Henry ‘Light Horse’ Harry Lee at the death of George Washington, “First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen.” But most of us do not recall the next portion of Henry Lee’s famous eulogy, it reads, “he was second to none in the humble and endearing scenes of private life.” That private life which Washington pursued involved the operation of an 8,000 acre farm he called Mount Vernon. In fact, Washington thought of himself as a farmer before all else. It was his greatest passion and he was one of the first farmers to adopt advanced farming methods, known as the ‘new husbandry.’ Washington was also a merchant miller exporting flour to the West Indies and southern Europe. Late in life he constructed what may have been the largest whiskey distillery in the United States, producing nearly 11,000 gallons of rye whiskey in 1799.

Our speaker, Mr. Steve Bashore, Manager of George Washington’s Gristmill, Distillery & Pioneer Farm, will explore the many facets of Washington’s career as a businessman and farmer.

Speaker: Brigitte Tondreau

Topic: The Articles of Confederation: An Under-Appreciated Success

Brigitte Tondreau is the winner of the Fairfax Resolves 2010 Knight Essay contest, and her essay went on to win the state level contest. Ms. Tondreau will be reading her winning essay and accepting over $1000 in prize money for her accomplishments.

Location: Vinson Hall

Time: 7:00 PM

Event Flyer: George Washington: Entrepreneur

Battle of Guilford Court House Memorial Service

Location: National Memorial Park, Greensboro, NC

Website: http://www.guilfordbattlegroundcompany.org

National History Day Competition

Location: George Mason Univ.

Time: TBD

Website: http://groups.google.com/group/northern-virginia-history-day

Speaker and Business Meeting

Speaker: Mike Cecere

Topic: The Sinew of the Army: Captains John Chilton and Tom Posey of the Virginia Continental Line

Author and educator Mike Cecere will focus on the service and sacrifice of two Virginia officers of George Washington's army, Captain John Chilton of the 3rd Virginia and Captain Thomas Posey of the 7th Virginia. These two officers served in the same brigade, but commanded very different companies and had very different experiences in the war. Captain Chilton commanded a company of musket men, (the backbone of the American army) and served at Harlem Heights, White Plains, Trenton and Princeton, and Brandywine. Captain Thomas Posey commanded a company of riflemen -- the light infantry of the American army -- and served at Gwynn's Island, Saratoga, Valley Forge, the New York Frontier, and Stony Point. The service and sacrifice of each man makes for a compelling story and is the focus of Mr. Cecere's presentation.

Location: Vinson Hall

Time: 7:00 PM

SAR President General to Speak at Luncheon and Lay Wreath at Arlington

President General Ed Butler will be in the Washington, D.C. area on Saturday, April 10, 2010, for two special events, and you are invited! At 11:30 a.m., the President General will attend the April luncheon meeting of the George Washington Chapter. New members will be inducted, and the President General will speak to the assembled members and guests. Then, at 4:15 p.m., the President General will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery on behalf of the Sons of the American Revolution.

Location: Belle Haven Country Club in Alexandria, Virginia

Time: 11:30 AM Luncheon; 4:15 PM Wreath Laying

* Please RSVP via email to GWSAR Treasurer

* Cost for the luncheon is $35 per person

Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday - 267th Anniversary

The District of Columbia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution cordially invites you to participate in commemorating the two hundred sixty seventh anniversary of the birth of Thomas Jefferson, founding father, statesman, third president, leader in education, inventor, and author of The Declaration of Independence.

Location: The Jefferson Memorial Tidal Basin, Washington, D. C.

Time: 10:45 AM Musical Prelude, 11:00 AM Program

Event Flyer: 2010 Jefferson Birthday Announcement.pdf

McLean Day

Fairfax Resolves will attend McLean Day to promote Fairfax Resolves and the SAR.

Location: McLean, VA

Time: 10:30 AM- 5 PM

Website: http://www.mcleancenter.org/special-events/mcleanday.asp

Fairfax Resolves Annual Awards Banquet

Location: Vinson Hall

Time: 5:30 PM Wine and Cheese Social; 6:15 PM Dinner

* Business Attire (Coat and Tie)

* Cost is $32 per person - send to Dan Rolph or bring to the banquet

* Dinner includes choice of: Tenderloin Beef or Crab Stuffed Flounder

* RSVP with Dan Rolph by May 1st. Be sure to provide your choice of entree.

Event Flyers: Event Details and RSVP Form

Reception at the Blockhouse and to the Tribute to Patriots and Pathfinders

The District of Columbia Society of the Sons of the American Revolution cordially invites you to participate in commemorating the two hundred sixty seventh anniversary of the birth of Thomas Jefferson, founding father, statesman, third president, leader in education, inventor, and author of The Declaration of Independence.

Location: Gate City, Virginia

Time: See flyers for events and program

Event Flyers: Reception Invitation and Monument Brochure

Herndon Festival Community Outreach Booth

The Cameron Parish Chapter DAR has invited the Fairfax Resolves to support a joint C.A.R. / DAR / SAR booth at the Herndon Festival. This is a great PR and synergy activity, and visibly shows how our organizations are "family-friendly." All local DAR, C.A.R., and SAR members are invited to come out to help staff the booth, or come to the festival and stop by. Parking is available at Casa Schmidt (which is adult walking distance from downtown) or at the designated shuttle stations (Herndon High / Worldgate). Contact Darrin Schmidt for additional information.

Location: Downtown Herndon, VA

Time: Approx. 11 AM - 5 PM Each Day

Additional Event Information: Herndon Festival 2010.pdf

Website: http://www.herndonfestival.net

Flag Day - Flag Retirement Ceremony

Fairfax Resolves will participate in a flag retirement ceremony sponsored by the Children of the American revolution. All community members are invited to attend and to bring well-worn flags. Flags can also be dropped off at the Great Falls Library.

Location: Great Falls Library, Rear Parking Lot

Time: 6 PM

Joint Grave Marking Honoring Revolutionary War Soldier Jacob Smith

The Fort Harrison Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution has invited the Fairfax Resolves to an event honoring Revolutionary War Soldier Jacob Smith.

Location: Jollett Cemetary

Time: 2 PM

Additional Event Information: 2010 Jacob Smith Grave Marking.pdf

120th Annual NSSAR Congress

From 25 June to 1 July 2010 the SAR Congress is to be held in Cleveland, OH. Our own Past Chapter President, Past VASSAR President, and current Chapter Registrar and Chaplain, Larry McKinley, is to receive the SAR Minuteman Award and will be installed as the new Vice President General of the SAR.

Location: Cleveland, OH

Additional Event Information: Ohio Society website, and additional information can be found here.