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Sons of the American Revolution

Rochester Chapter of the Empire State Society

Descendants of America’s First Patriots

President’s Newsletter for November/December, 2012

Compatriots,

Once again we all enter the busy holiday season. The months of November, and December always seem to pass at a frantic pace. Before I begin to mention our most recent accomplishments, first please let me remind you that if you are interested in attending the annual Christmas Party on December 19th, you do not have much time to make your reservation with Treasurer Coomber. For your convenience, I am attaching a copy of our Secretary’s notice which was sent out earlier. This year, among other things, the chapter is taking the opportunity to publically honor a few of our own and we will also have some welcome guests. Festivities will begin at 6:00 at the Lehigh Restaurant. Hopefully this later start time will enable more working folks and their families to attend. We look forward to sharing the Christmas spirit with all of you. Please don’t forget a small gift for the veterans at the Batavia VA. No need to wrap it as there are volunteers who do so. Hopefully many of you and yours will be able to attend.

Next, for those who may have not yet heard, I would like to give an update on the most recent status of the Porter Pastels Project. There has been some long awaited and very important progress. Before each pastel can be let out of the State Museum, they must have a high definition photographic record on file. After almost a year’s wait, the photography has finally been accomplished and we anxiously await notification that the remaining items are ready for matting and framing. I have received a disk of the recent photographs from the museum and we hope to have a revolving slide show of all of the pastels playing on a computer at the Christmas party. With VP Dave Richardson’s help, we might just have the same slide show permanently placed on our new web page. For anyone who might be interested, it’s not too late to adopt a pastel! Contact Mike Tunison, Bob Coomber or myself for more information.

Your Board of Managers is presently spearheading a project with the goal of urging former chapter members to reactivate their membership. The bigger we are, the stronger we are! Right now the membership is just over a hundred members and thanks to everyone’s efforts, continues to climb. Compatriot and Board Member Ron Hanley is taking on most of the project efforts and he has been helped by myself, Treasurer Bob Coomber, Secretary Jack Chambers, Registrar Stephan Clarke, and Board Member Robert Fuller. Should you know of any former member who might want to again join our group, please let one of us know.

With your chapter’s help, another veteran’s grave is now marked with a new stone. Thanks to Treasurer Bob Coomber, the resting place of the remains of James Billings at Sage Family Pioneer Cemetery in the Town of Parma, now has a new marker. Thanks must also go out to Former Chapter President Mike Tunison for his assistance. Reprinted below is a recently published article authored by Bob that tells the story far better than I could:

James Billings enlisted in May 1775 in Stonington, Connecticut and served six months as a private in Captain James Eldredges company, Colonel Samuel H. Parsons' Regiment. He reenlisted in the fall of 1776 and served three months as a private in Captain Oliver Grant's company, Colonel Ely's Connecticut regiment. He enlisted again in February 1777 and served as a private in Captain William Belchers company in the 1st Connecticut Regiment. He was discharged in February of 1780

He was living with his son Walter in what was then Murray (now Clarkson) when he died in 1829 at the age of 78 and was buried in the Sage Cemetery on Parma-Clarkson Townline Road. If there was a gravestone originally, it no longer existed.

The Rochester Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution searched to find a descendant that would apply to the Veterans Administration for a gravestone for this Revolutionary War patriot. Mr. Mark Goslin from Sarasota, Florida made the application and a stone was eventually delivered to the cemetery.

On November 5th, SAR members, with the help of John Toal, a nearby resident, installed the stone to commemorate one of our oldest veterans.

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Speaking of veterans, did you have a good Veterans Day? There were some excellent memorial services in Central & Western New York and the chapter participated in a few of them. As your president, I represented our chapter on Saturday, November 10th at the 2012 CNY Veterans Parade & Expo at the NYS Fairgrounds. In addition to the huge parade, the Center of Progress was filled with interesting displays and kiosks. I helped man the Syracuse Chapter SAR kiosk which was adjacent to the War of 1812 display. I would recommend that members consider attending this event next year. The parade is excellent! To get out of the weather the Center of Progress building is kept toasty warm and the exhibits therein are quite interesting. Tops on my list this year was the West Point Academy Drill team.

A little closer to home was the annual laying of the wreaths and accompanying ceremonies at the Rochester Community War Memorial. Once again we joined with the ladies (DAR) and the CAR in attendance. In the photograph below, how many smiling faces do you recognize? Our attendance did not go unnoticed and we have been asked to do a presentation for next year’s event. In addition to attending this event, Compatriot Brewer (center in picture) also represented us at the Brighton Veteran's Day ceremony.

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Our State Society also met during the month of November. VP Brent Downing and I both attended. The next ESSSAR meeting is planned for March and will be at the historic Beekman Arms in Rhinebeck NY. Please let me know if your plan on attending. Rochester Chapter has been asked to help plan the May event. It was announced at the meeting that our very own VP Brent Downing was named the State Chair for the ROTC and JROTC programs. Kudos and thanks go out to him.

Always last, but never least, below you will find the most recent copy of the chapter Calendar of Events maintained by Past President Tunison. Please contact him via email at mlt7135@ if you hear of any events that would be applicable.

Best Wishes,

President Jim Eagan

Rochester Chapter SAR

Calendar of Upcoming Events

December 2012

• Rochester Chapter Christmas Luncheon and Collection of Gifts for the Batavia Veterans Hospital, Wednesday, December 19, Lehigh Restaurant, Henrietta.

Planned Events for 2013

In addition to events and activities organized, sponsored and promoted by the Rochester Chapter SAR, this calendar includes items from the Buffalo, Newtown Battle and Finger Lakes Chapters. Other SAR chapters, especially those in Western and Central NY, are encouraged to submit events for inclusion in our calendar. (In addition to Revolutionary War events, other historic or patriotic events are often included for your consideration.)

• Rochester Chapter Board of Managers meetings are held at 11:30am on the third Wednesday of each month, at the Lehigh Restaurant on West Henrietta Road. The first monthly meeting of 2013 will be held on Wednesday, January 16. All chapter members are welcome to join us.

• George Washington’s Birthday Luncheon will be again sponsored by the Buffalo and Rochester SAR Chapters this February. It will be held at Bohn’s Restaurant in Batavia on Saturday, February (exact date TBA) All SAR, DAR and CAR members and guests are welcome!

• DAR District VII Roundtable will be held on Saturday, April 27 at the Bristol Fire Department, 6740 County Rd. 32, Canandaigua, NY. SAR member Mike Tunison will be the guest speaker. Topic: Flags of the Revolution.

• Patriot Richard Sebring Grave Rededication, Sebring Settlement Cemetery, Newfield, Tompkins County, NY. (Still being organized by the Finger Lakes Chapter SAR. Date TBD).

• Graveside ceremony honoring the Livingston family at their family plot in Mt. Hope Cemetery. (Date TBD.) Father and son were members of the Rochester Chapter SAR; son died in POW camp during WWII; mother’s will established the Rochester Chapter’s Livingston Fund.

• Celebrate/Commemorate Memorial Day Parade in Waterloo, May.

• Rochester Chapter SAR Celebration of American Independence, late June or early July.

• Battle of Newtown SAR Chapter Picnic and Annual Battle Reenactment, August.

• Rochester Chapter SAR Annual Meeting and Picnic, Groveland Ambuscade, September.

• Annual Wreath-laying Ceremony at Rochester War Memorial, November.

• Annual Christmas Luncheon and Collection of Gifts for Batavia Veterans Hospital, December.

• War of 1812 Bicentennial Commemoration, throughout 2012-2014.

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