President’s Message

Greetings Compatriots,

One of the initiatives of the CASSAR associated with the America 250 campaign is to have an America 250 Minute.  So, here’s the America 250 Minute for this month.  It was on May 10, 1775, that the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with John Hancock elected president. Also on May 10, 1775, American forces led by Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold captured Fort Ticonderoga and its artillery in New York. On May 15, 1775, the Second Continental Congress placed the colonies in a state of defense.

May 30th is Memorial Day.  Let us all take time to honor those who served and sacrificed their lives while fighting in the U.S. Armed Forces.  This includes my mother’s brother and my father’s brother who both died in the line of duty during WWII.  It’s a holiday steeped in somber American history and tradition. The holiday began as “Decoration Day,” following the Civil War, when mourners placed flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers. 

The National Moment of Remembrance, established by Congress, asks Americans, wherever they are at 3 p.m., local time, on Memorial Day, to pause in an act of national unity for a duration of one minute to honor those who died in service to the United States.

As your Chapter President I attended the 147th Annual Meeting of the California Society held April 21-23 in downtown Sacramento.  As at most of these meetings I came back with a few ideas to enhance our own chapter which I will be sharing with the board members at our next board meeting.  

Hope all is well with you and yours.  Hope to see you at our next chapter meeting, Tuesday, May 17th at Mimi’s in Irvine.  

In patriotism,

R. Scott Whitman

President’s Message

Greetings Compatriots, 

It’s April and April showers bring May flowers. We are behind the rain curve by 9 inches for the first 3 months of 2022 and we could use some rain. Please do your part to conserve water consumption. Fortunately, the COVID is mostly behind us, and the chapter can meet in person. Meeting at Mimi’s in Irvine is working out well but as you venture out in the community, please be on the lookout for other venues in South County that can host our meetings. 

It was on April 5, 1764, that Parliament passed the American Revenue Act, a modified version of the Sugar and Molasses Act (1733), which was about to expire. Under the Molasses Act colonial merchants had been required to pay a tax of six pence per gallon on the importation of foreign molasses. The molasses was turned into rum. The Brits should not have messed with colonist’s booze! 

Looking ahead, the 147th Annual Meeting of the California Society is on April 21-23 in downtown Sacramento. I plan on attending and representing the South Coast chapter. 

Several friends of mine got the COVID even though they were vaccinated and boosted. So, remain cautious while in public. 

In patriotism,
R. Scott Whitman

President’s Message

Greetings Compatriots,

Here we are in March and the onset of Spring on March 20th.  Daylight Savings Time begins on March 13th and St. Patrick’s Day is on March 17th.  

The Stamp Act was passed on March 22, 1765, imposing a tax on legal documents, newspapers, even playing cards. This is the first direct tax on the American colonists and is hotly resisted. What if you were a tax collector?  Tax collector’s families went into hiding, it ruined the trust people had in tax collectors, and it made the colonists so angry they tortured the tax collectors. Another consequence was the formation of the Sons of Liberty in Boston, Massachusetts. 

On March 10, 1783, the last naval battle of the revolution was fought off Cape Canaveral, Florida, as Captain’s John Barry and John Green try to deliver a shipload of 72,000 Spanish silver dollars to the Continental Congress.  The silver made it to Philadelphia and a few days later, word arrived that the Treaty of Paris had been signed on February 3, bringing the Revolution to a close and making this engagement the last naval battle of the Revolution.

The COVID pandemic is finally nearly behind us.  The requirement to wear masks is being relaxed.  This give you all the more reason to join us at our March chapter meeting on March 15th at Mimi’s in Irvine.

In compatriotism,

R. Scott Whitman

President’s Message

Greetings Compatriots,

It’s February and the month when our great nation celebrates President’s Day on Monday, February 21st.  Did you know that Lincoln is enshrined in the Wrestling Hall of Fame?  Thanks to his long limbs he was an accomplished wrestler as a young man. Defeated only once in approximately 300 matches, Lincoln reportedly talked a little smack in the ring. According to Carl Sandburg’s biography of Lincoln, Honest Abe once challenged an entire crowd of onlookers after dispatching an opponent: “I’m the big buck of this lick. If any of you want to try it, come on and whet your horns.” There were no takers. Lincoln’s grappling exploits earned him an “Outstanding American” honor in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

The chapter had a great turnout at the January dinner meeting and the speaker, Major General William J. Mall, USAF (ret.), provided some interesting insights into the Strategic Air Command and the B-47 bomber.  Also at the January meeting, Dylan Glatfelter, the son of the chapter’s newly elected Registrar, Tim Glatfelter, was awarded the Eagle Scout Medal and certificate.  Please consider joining us on February 15th at the next dinner meeting.  

The Color Guard could use a few more members.  Please consider joining this outfit.  It does not require a lot of your personal time and is a very rewarding experience.  The Color Guard is the face of the SAR to the local community and helps promotes the patriotic ideals of the SAR.  

Be on the lookout for ways to spread the word of the America 250 campaign as we progress towards the 2026 celebration of our country’s independence.  Please share any ideas you may have with the chapter.

In compatriotism,

R. Scott Whitman