President’s Message

Dear Compatriots,

First and foremost, I extend my thanks to the many chapter members, members of the CASSAR Ladies Auxiliary, and spouses who supported the CASSAR Annual Meeting, which happened to be the 150th anniversary meeting of CASSAR.  I hope every volunteer took advantage of the opportunity to meet compatriots from throughout the state as well as the national society officers in attendance.

I also extend my congratulations to John Ferris, a long-time friend and supporter of our chapter, who was elected and installed to serve as CASSAR President.  One of my pleasures in being a SAR member has been getting to know John (and his wife Liz, who is President of the CASSAR Ladies Auxiliary), who I now consider a friend.  I look forward to working with John over the next year and believe he will create incremental improvements for the state society.

As compatriots we have a variety of motivations for joining SAR, but beyond those initial motivations the lasting satisfaction will come from creating and building new friendships.  Indeed, it is about people whether that be our patriot ancestors or contemporary compatriots.  I can guarantee you will gain more from your membership through active involvement. 

As a reminder, our May dinner meeting will be our last until September.  I wish you all a great summer and look forward to seeing you once again in the Fall.  In the interim do not hesitate to reach out if I or other officers can be of assistance.

With warm regards and in patriotism,

Barry Michaels

April 2025

Dear Compatriots,

For our chapter, April will be an outstanding month as we host the 150^th meeting of the California Society of SAR.  Thank you in advance to the many chapter members who have volunteered to assist with registration, hosting at the hospitality suite, and other duties.  As our chapter President, I will be attending the working sessions of the meeting as will Scott Whitman, who will be attending as an officer of the California Society (Vice President and Membership Chair).  I hope many of you will be able to join us, given this event is local to us this year.

April 19^th marks the 250^th anniversary of the “shot heard around the world”, that is the battles of Lexington and Concord, a pivotal event that set our nation on a path to independence.  One of my patriot ancestors answered the call for minutemen at the battle of Lexington, as no doubt did ancestors for many of you.  

I look forward to seeing you at our April dinner meeting.

In patriotism,

Barry Michaels

President’s Message

Dear Compatriots,

We had a great turnout at our January dinner meeting, and I look forward to seeing more members at our February 18th meeting with a speaker addressing sunken treasure.

President’s day is Monday, February 17th.  Did you know that the official federal holiday is called “Washington’s Birthday”?  In a sense, calling the holiday President’s Day helps us reflect on not just the first president but also our nation’s founding, its values, and what Washington calls in his farewell address the “beloved Constitution and union, as received from the Founders”.

Thinking back on what was most significant during any February during the revolutionary war, it seems the signing of “a Treaty of Amity and Commerce” between representatives of France and the United States of America on February 6, 1778, in Paris would qualify. After the best part of three years of conflict between America and Great Britain, Americans had finally gained official support from Britain’s rival and fellow superpower, France, and suddenly everything changed.

Great Britain received a copy of the Franco-American treaty on March 17, 1778, and as a result declared war against France. French forces both on land and at sea would be brought to bear arms against the British and their assets in North America, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, and even India. It was the French naval victory at the Battle of the Chesapeake on September 5, 1781, that precluded the British navy’s evacuation of Lord Charles Cornwallis’ army at Yorktown, in part contributing to its capitulation to a combined Franco-America army five weeks later, on October 19.

Please help spread the word of our America 250 program, and consider joining our color guard, the primary face of our Chapter to the outside world.  Also, please remember our chapter has the honor of hosting the CASSAR Annual Meeting April 24-27, 2025. While we had a terrific response to our call for volunteers at the January dinner meeting, we still have a few open volunteer slots that need to be filled.  Please step up to volunteering for that event.  I believe you will enjoy the experience and learn a bit more about our great organization.  Feel free to call, text or e-mail anytime to discuss how you can help. 

In patriotism, 

Barry Michaels

President’s Message

Dear Compatriots,

Happy New Year to you all.  I hope you were able to enjoy the holiday period.  Thank you for renewing your membership in our Chapter and this outstanding national organization.  Looking back 249 years ago (January 1776), Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” was published anonymously. Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The plain language that Paine used spoke to the common people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain. The recent presidential election reminded me of how essential it is for us to continue with our mission of honoring our Revolutionary War patriot ancestors by promoting patriotism, serving our communities, and educating and inspiring future generations about the founding principles of our country.

This past December our Color Guard once again supported the Wreaths Across America event held at El Toro Memorial Park, presented the colors, lead a procession down to the veteran’s memorial and placed wreaths on graves of the veterans who are interred there. On February16th, our color guard will participate in the Massing of the Colors, the largest celebration of its kind in the western United States celebrating Washington’s birthday.  2025 will be the 41st annual celebration of George Washington’s birth sponsored by the Sons of Liberty Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution! The event begins at 3:00 p.m. at Forest Lawn Cemetery Hollywood Hills.  

The January chapter meeting will be held at Mimi’s in Irvine on January 21st at 7pm.  Please consider attending the chapter meeting.  The guest speaker for the meeting will be Jake Burack who will present a cybersecurity program about online safety and how individuals and businesses can protect their data from cybercrime.   Jake heads two cybersecurity companies, one for public figures in entertainment and the other for high-risk family offices. 

In patriotism, 

Barry Michaels