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