Fincastle Resolutions Chapter 2014 Meetings

2014 Membership Meetings

11/18/2014 Member Luncheon 11:30AM

Election of 2015 officers:

President: Duane Lenart
1st Vice-President: Phil Sheridan
2nd Vice-President: Chuck Poland
Secretary: vacant
Treasurer: Fulton Galer
Chaplain: Ottis Burgher
Historian: John Gurley
Chancellor: Mike Smeltzer
Registrar: Danny Huffman
Ambassador (and immediate Past President): Charlie Coale

Induction of new member Jerry Webber

Danny Huffman, Jerry Webber, Jerry's Daughter, Charlie Coale

A Bronze Distinguished Citizen Award was given to Shelly Winterer, Teacher of the Year, from Hidden Valley High School. Jacob Miller, of the Salem Police Department, received the Heroism Award. Wayne Barnes accepted the Corporate Flag Award for Advance Auto Parts. Judy Pendleton received a Certificate of Appreciation. John Brown received the Chapter President's Award.

Shelly Winterer Jacob Miller Wayne Barnes Judy Pendleton John Brown and Reverdy Wright

with Phil Sheridan

Dr Rupert Cutler gave an update on the Preston Memorial status. The two pase approach to the Memorial development has been agreed with the Botetourt County Executive. $125,000 has been placed in the draft 2015 County budget for phase two of the Memorial. However, the budget will not be adopted until December.

Reverdy Wright and Dr. Cutler reviewed preliminary planning for the VASSAR semi-annual meeting, to be held in the Roanoke area on September 18-20, 2015 under the sponsorship of our Chapter.

The DAR has agreed to a joint trust for the Reed-Fleming Cemetery. Charlie Coale signed the papers at Mike Smeltzer's office after the Chapter meeting.

Charlie distributed a description of the 2015 Chapter Committee structure, and encouraged mebers of the Chapter to volunter to join any committee that interested them.

Spurgeon Keith is collecting books, magazines, and games for the Veterans at the VA Hospital.

Speaker: Chapter member Chuck Poland spoke about his 5th great-grandfather, Reverend Thomas Davis, Jr., who was a Patriot before the Revolution, a Revolutionary War Chaplain, a Prisoner of War, a friend of George Washington, and conducted the funerals of both George and Martha Washington.

10/21/2014 Member Luncheon

Nomination of 2015 officers

Speaker: Minter Jackson, Lt. Colonel, US Army, ROTC professor at Virginia Tech. Subject: Yorktown, the battle that ended the Revolutionary War. Col. Jackson gave a very interesting talk about the Battle of Yorktown using modern military analysis techniques.

Flag Awards were made to the Montvale Boys Scout Troup 417, the Bedford Elks Lodge, and the National D-Day Memorial.

The Roanoke and Salem Swift Water Rescue Teams received Rescue Squad Awards. Only the Salem representative

was present at the luncheon.

William Gordges, MD received the Bronze Distinguished Citizen Award for his sustained work on the Roanoke Valley Greenway system.

John Shelton, Past Registrar of our Chapter received an Award for recruiting more than 10 new members in a single year.

Curtis Finch of our Chapter received a National SAR Award for his support of the SAR Center for Advancing America's Heritage.

9/16/2014 Member Luncheon

Speaker: Mrs. Karen Finch, who is a retired history and social studies teacher. She is a volunteer interpreter at Historic Smithfield Plantation and is chairman of the volunteers' organization, The Smithfield Patriots. Subject: Col. William Preston. He was a

Scotch-Irish immigrant, an officer in in the French & Indian War and the Revolutionary War, a signer of the Fincastle Resolutions, a surveyor of much of western Virginia, a politician, and a firm believer in the importance of education. His descendants made major contributions to American history.

William Martin received a Good Citizen Bronze Award for his work in making flag stands for Color Guards all over Virgina.

William Martin and Color Guard

member Dennis Fritts

Jeff Beckner, Botetourt County Fire Chief, received the Fire Safety Commendation Award for his long career in firefighting.

Jeff Beckner and 2nd VP Phil Sheridan

Kroger Card Chairman John Brown reminded members that the program has changed. Gift cards are no longer used. It's necessary to register your Kroger Plus card on the Kroger website with the program number 83355 in order for the Chapter to get credit for your purchases, and then receive a quarterly donation from Kroger.

VASSAR 1st VP Reverdy Wright discussed plans for the VASSAR semi-annual meeting in September, 2015 to be held in Roanoke.

Dr. Rupert Cutler gave an update report on the status and plans for the Col. William Preston Memorial.

5/20/2014 Member Banquet

Ladies were invited, including many members of the DAR. A total of 65 people attended.

Speaker: Col. Wesley Fox, USMC (Ret.), Medal of Honor recipient, discussed the role of US Marine Corps during the Revolution and the Marine Corps history for the period of 1776 to about 1804. He received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Chapter.

President Charlie Coale, Col. Wesley Fox, and 1st Vice-President Duane Lenart

Susannah Day, a 14 year old, who started a charitable organization called the CHEERS4SAVANNAH Program and Foundation to deliver toys to children who are confined to hospital at Christmas, as she herself was, received a Distinguished Citizen of the Year award from the Chapter.

Secretary Chuck Poland and Savannah Day, holding her certificate and medal, and her copy of Col. Fox's book

New members Fred Anderson, Mike Henderson, and Larry Hunt were inducted.

Fred Anderson President Charlie Coale and Mike Henderson Larry Hunt

3/18/2014 Member Luncheon

Speaker: M. Rupert Cutler, Ph.D., discussed the travels of his relative, Mr. Jake Van Meter, who accompanied George Rogers Clark on his campaign to Vincennes. The outcome of their travels helped to influence the decision that territory west of Ohio would join the USA.

Then a tour of the local endangered historical sites, led by Alison Blanton and George Kegley of the Roanoke Valley Preservation Society began about 1:30 PM. Our members travelled by RADAR mini-bus.

We left the Shenandoah Club to go by Nestle Brooke at the intersection of 24th Street, NW and Salem Turnpike. The handsome antebellum Nestle Brooke house, built in 1850, was acquired by Good Will and since our tour has been razed to make room for a community garden.

Next stop, also in northwest Roanoke, was the Villa Heights house, built in 1835 and owned by the City of Roanoke. Damaged by fire in 2011, it may be razed if the City doesn’t find a good use for it and funds to repair it. Then we stopped at the little house in Washington Park on Orange Avenue that may have been Roanoke’s first dairy. Built in 1837, it is partially covered by a tarp and its future, in the hands of its City of Roanoke owner, also is uncertain.

The bus took us to Huntingdon, an 1822 house on Huntington Boulevard, and on to the 1796 Hershberger House where we were able to visit the interior thanks to the hospitality of the owner. Located near the intersection of Tinker and Carvin’s Creeks, it may be the oldest home in the Roanoke Valley.

We visited Belmont on Tinker Creek near the Ole Monterey Golf Course, the home of William Fleming who led the Botetourt militia in the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774, and then Monterey, built in 1845 and now adjoining the Blue Hills Golf Course.

We drove by an early 1800s log cabin on Walnut Spring in the Roanoke Industrial Center and, finally, stopped at the Mt. Moriah Church on a hill above Route 460.This little African-American church began in the 1850s as a Sunday school for slaves, the current church building having been built in 1908.

1/28/2014 Member Luncheon (Postponed from 1/21 due to weather)

Installation of Officers by Reverdy Wright

Revised By-laws were approved.

Speaker: Spurgeon Keith discussed VASSAR and NSSAR Initiatives.

The Chapter winner of the 2014 Rumbaugh Oration contest, Claire Mitzel, presented her oration. The Knight Essay contest winner, Amanda Fike, Michele Walling, and their teacher, Mary Walker, all of Franklin County High School, also attended. Award certificates were presented to Claire, Amanda, and Mary by 2nd Vice President Phil Sheridan.

Claire giving her oration 2nd VP Phil Sheridan giving Claire her award Phil giving Mary her award Phil giving Dave his award

David Wright also received a Chapter Service Award for his work as Chapter Historian.

Secretary Chuck Poland summarized the minutes of the 1/14/2014 Board of Managers meeting. He also presented an overview of the Chapter website.

Rupert Cutler gave an update of the Preston Memorial project status, including the Chapter's formal request to Botetourt County that they include the funding required to complete the project in their planning for this year's budget.2014 Membership Meetings