"Post Exchange"
Post 1297, (Arizona Highlanders) Prescott, AZ
1 December: Annual Christmas Parade in Prescott. The weather was clear and beautiful as we march down the streets. Our Color Guard and the trailer full of veterans and friends followed. It was a great day. Color Guards present were Don Klein, PC; Skip Roberts, VC; Manuel Lucero; Wolf Snyder; Bruce Piverotto; and Bill Robinson.
8 December: Santa and Mrs. Claus with Santa’s bag filled with toys for our Christmas Veteran and his family. It came as a big surprised that left them speechless, a little overwhelmed and thankful for a better holiday. Thank you to everyone that shopped, donated and was present to share in the Christmas for a Veteran. Present was Roy and Kim Abbott as Santa and Mrs. Claus; Don Klein, PC; Skip Roberts, VC; Duncan Scotland; Manuel Lucero; and Bill Robinson. It was a joyful day for all.
11 December: The Palace on Whiskey Row in Prescott was ringing with Christmas Bells as our members, families, and friends enjoyed a beautiful evening of celebration for the holidays. The spirit of Christmas will lived on.
15 December: Gathering at the Prescott National Cemetery for the placing of the Wreaths Across America and the Remembrance of our fallen heroes. The turnout was amazing as we stood and saluted our brothers and sisters. For the second year 1297 was the top fundraising group for Wreaths Across America Remembrance Ceremony. We want to give a very special Thank You to Irene and Clay Reed for their years of dedication and support to our Post and specially for all the hard work for making our Post the top fundraiser for Wreath Across America. Our committee was Don Klein, PC, Skip Roberts, VC, Clay and Irene Reed, and Duncan Scotland.
.
7 January: Colton William, Young Marines and a student at Granville Elementary School in Prescott Valley was the honoree of the Scottish American Military Society Color Guard. Colton was presented with a Plaque, Certification of Appreciation and thank you letter for his excellent service in our Color Guard on 9 November for a Veteran Day Program at Granville Middle School and the Veteran’s Day opening Ceremony at the Prescott Country Club in Prescott on 11 November. Present for Colton William presentation was his parents, Don Klein, PC Roy Abbott, Chaplin; Genevieve Klein, Treas. Kim Abbott, Duncan Scotland, Bill Robinson and the teachers and student body of Granville Elementary School. A job well done.
25 January: the Second Annual Robert Burns Supper was a great success. Our Pipers and Drummer was Russ and Renee Miller, and piper Paul Flanagan, the Arizona Highland Dancing Association were from Phoenix and local group from Prescott, Sister Ann Irish Dancers. Singer this year was Roy Abbott singing Danny Boy and Amazing Grace most heavenly. The entertainment of these wonderful groups gave our night a magical time traveling into past years. The Master of Ceremony was Archie Maclellan which kept the evening flowing with more entertainment of poems and stories. Manuel Lucero gave a Toast to the Lasses and his wife, Nichole gave the Toast to the Laddies. Mr. Maclellan did the “Address to the Haggis” as Don Klein and Larry Lamper marched thru the audience with the haggis and twirling the Scotts brought back so many memories of our Scottish heritage. We had a great attendance of members and community for our Annual Robert Burns Supper at the Stoneridge Golf Community center. The members that provided service this evening were Skip Roberts, Duncan Scotland, Don Klein, Larry Lampe, Roy and Kim Abbott, who made an outstanding evening. A special thank you everyone who participated in the Silent Auction, Capture a Moment in a picture, decorations, donations and help, that will make a veteran life better.
—Don Klein, PC, donaldklein62@gmail.com
Post 1298, (SGT John MacGregor) Central Texas
—George Shott, PC. shottgeorge@gmail.com
Post 1739, (The Frontiersmen) South Central PA
1739 have been quite busy. PC Eric Ferguson attended Post 1814 Burns Dinner in Baltimore in early February. The Mid-Maryland Burns dinner was held 23 Feb. Phil Conrad and PC Eric Ferguson performed Color Guard for the Rose and Shamrock festival in Lancaster on 16 Feb. Some members will be playing in the pipe and drum bands this St. Patrick’s Day. Sad news, Adj Bill Irwin’s mother, Betty, passed away.
—Eric Ferguson, PC. knight@fastmail.fm
Post 1775, (Col Patrick Ferguson) N. & S. Carolina
We celebrated our 25th Anniversary, and commemorated the event with Anniversary patches given out at our Christmas party in December. We had an impressive turnout, and may be outgrowing our event space with all the new members. The Christmas party was an excellent opportunity for us to gather and was topped off with a presentation by Jack Presley on the Battle of King’s Mountain. Our Post’s namesake, Col Patrick Ferguson, died in the battle, so the presentation was especially interesting to our members.
2019 is shaping up to be a busy year. We’re kicking off our season with 9 March Coastal High Games in Myrtle Beach, SC, and we will participate in the 6 April 9th Annual Tartan Day South at the Columbia Speedway in SC. Our third event of the year will be our “Home Games” at the 12-14 April Rural Hill Scottish Festival & Loch Norman Highland Games, near Charlotte, NC. These games will include opening ceremonies, calling of the clans, posting of the colors, and a flag retirement ceremony by our members. This is one of the largest games in the area, and we encourage all to stop by our tent during the event.
The remainder of the spring and summer will continue to very active for 1775, with the 4 May Bethabara Highland Games in Winston Salem, NC, and the 24-25 May Greenville Highland Games at Furman University, SC, rounding out our spring season. We will also be hosting a Picnic to start the summer, and will have members attending the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in July.
We welcome all Veterans and their families to stop by our tent during these events, and are looking forward to seeing you at the Games in 2019.
Christopher Carter, VC,
Christopher.J.Carter@gmail.com
—Ken Lloyd, PC, kennethalloyd01@gmail.com
Post 1787, (MG Caesar Rodney) Odessa, Delaware
—Jim Grant, PC, uncle.duck@verizon.net
Post 1806, (Zebulon Pike) Colorado
With the lead of Post 100’s PC Roy Poole, we have identified the burial location of all known deceased Medal of Honor recipients in the state, and as resources permit in future years we will go out to honor them in conjunction with Wreaths Across America. This year we recognized the memorial of MSG Wm. Crawford, a WW II recipient and POW from the Italian campaign.
That was done along with the inaugural Wreaths Across America ceremony at the new Pikes Peak National Cemetery. After a decade of lobbying and land purchases the new veterans cemetery was dedicated in October 2018, and already has over 300 in-ground burials. Having seen the ground when it was just a prairie dog habitat, it has been developed into a beautiful landscape with broad views of the Rockies Front Range dominated by Pikes Peak. It is indeed a piece of “the fruited plain,” from Katherine Lee Bates’ song, “America.” PPNC is located on the high plains east of the Colorado Springs Airport and Peterson Air Force Base.
Post 1806 conducted their Annual Scots Pot Luck at the Palmer Lake Town Hall in February with 24 members and guests. Our next step in that regard may be to revive a Burns Supper in the Colorado Springs area. Now that we have sufficient steady membership to share the load by populating necessary offices, at our March meeting we will adopt by-laws and prepare for our first election cycle. April brings our 5th Birthday and AGM at Jack Quinn’s Irish Pub in Colorado Springs, while the May meeting at Red Leg Brewing Co. is set aside for planning and preparation for the Pikes Peak Celtic Fest in June (new location: Western Mining Museum at the North Gate exit off I-25), followed by the Elizabeth Celtic Fest in July.
Going back to April, several members will participate in the St. Andrew Society of Colorado (Colorado Scots) Kirkin ‘o the Tartan at Saint John’s Cathedral in Denver.
Another “first” to get past our birthing pains will be presentation of JROTC medals and certificates at several local high schools in May.
Our August highlight is to present the Colors for the national reunion of the 101st Airborne Division in Colorado Springs.
We now have a seat at the Pikes Peak National Cemetery Support Group alongside many other veterans support groups. Coupling that with a seat at the El Paso County Homeless Veterans Coalition, we appear to be appropriately established to fulfill the Service part of our three adopted values of Heritage, Culture and Service. That is indeed a good feeling as we take the next steps to organizational maturity.
—John Russell, PC. johnnyboy80133@comcast.net
Post 1812, RI, E Mass, E CT
—H J Farquharson, PC, newkent27@gmail.com
Post 1813, Columbus, OH
—Glenn Morrison PC, gmorrison@columbus.rr.com
Post 1814, (Ft. McHenry) Baltimore, MD
The 1814 “Wildcats” continue participating in monthly socials, festivals, parades and missions to help veterans. Our 2019 schedule continues to be full of fun and excitement as recruiting efforts continue.
Our fundraiser for Wreaths Across America did excellent again this year ending with more than 80 wreaths donated to Arlington and Baltimore National Cemeteries. We didn’t just match last year’s donation but tripled it when all was said and done. Bravo Zulu to everyone that participated. We are expanding the WAA program this year and will have cards so people will be able to donate at events throughout the year, not just the few weeks as the Holidays arrive. No greater effort can be laid in our hands but to remember those brothers and sisters gone before us to lay silent, cold and forgotten at Christmas time. What a great sight to see a wreath adorned with a red bow on each veteran’s headstone.
February shown bright on recruiting and Burn’s Night Support, we had enlisted three new members. We would like to welcome aboard (I’m Navy) Michael Warren SFC US Army, his beautiful wife Katherine White a school teacher and Navy Veteran Eric Bell. Mike Warren has already stepped up and volunteered to take over as Post Sgt. Major and train and coordinate the Color Guard.
We continue to support and coordinate with Post 2 and Post 1739, Scottish Societies, St. Andrews of Mid-Maryland and St. Andrews of Baltimore as well as the Highland Society of Harford County and local community organizations WAA, The Veteran’s Administration and Emma’s Tea Spot (Teaching British Tea Customs to the community). We continue parades, festivals and community activities keeping the face of SAMS in the public eye whenever possible.
It was such a pleasure to present Britt Stouffer of Stouffer Legal with the Veterans Service Award for her Pro-Bono work in educating and assisting veterans with their VA claims and benefits. We also presented Emma Canoles with the Community Service Award for the various programs bringing British teas, holistic health and food to the Community. Our PC also presented the Commander’s Commendation Award to Marianne and Bill Elliott of Post 2 for their work supporting Post 1814 at many events and by mentoring our PC and other Officers with events such as the Burns Night Supper. Both have been instrumental in making the Post the success it is today without even being members.
Big changes in store this year as we elect a new PC and QM in June. I learned in the Navy, that though a Ship is still the same piece of medal with the same engines, armor and weapons, it takes on the personality of it’s Commander, be he an Admiral, Captain or Commander. So after five years at the helm, the Heart of the Post will be a bit different in the coming years.
We invite all to check out additional pictures of our events on our web site www.samspost1814.org or our Facebook page - SAMS Post 1814 Baltimore.
—Bruce Dull, PC, bdull.sams1814@gmail.com
Post 1821, (John J Pershing) St Louis, MO
On 6-8 Sept. we recruited at the Marine Corps Combat Helicopter “PopaSmoke” convention.
Jack and Meggie Grothe and Steve Butler attended POW-MIA Remembrance Ceremony at Jefferson Barracks Park visitor’s center.
With the Knights of St Andrew, hosted a food booth at the St Louis Renaissance Faire in Wentzville, as a fund raiser for both groups. Post 1821 and KSA have overlapping membership. Hosted a recruiting booth and provided Color Guard at the St Louis Scottish Games and Ceilidh the last weekend in September.
Assisted at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery for Wreaths across America. Attended the Air Force Band of Mid America concert at Scottish Rite Cathedral, Valley of St Louis. Provided Color Guard for Scottish St Andrew Society of Greater St Louis Burn’s dinner.
—Steve Butler, Adj, for
—Jack Grothe, PC, jackgrothe@att.net
Post 1824, (Ozark Highlanders), MO
We hope that everyone had an enjoyable Burns Supper. The only event that we had during the last quarter was piping for Four Chaplain’s Day.
We also received word that the September St Louis Games have been cancelled this year, as they have had a major change of personnel in charge and will resume again in 2020. On another note, Caledonia, Missouri will be celebrating their Bicentennial with a one day Scottish Festival on 18 May. Gates open at 0900 and close at 1800.
—Mike Gibbens, PC. mike3517@hotmail.com
Post 1836, San Antonio, TX
Members attended two Burns night dinners.
The Scots of the Texas Hill Country held their dinner on 19 January in Kerrville. Members Karyn Wright, Kent Farquhar, George Vieyra attended and had a splendid time.
The Scottish Society of San Antonio held a Burns dinner on 26 January. George Vieyra attended and had a great time.
Our next event is the San Antonio Highland Games being held on 6-7 April.
—Mike Canion, PC, mikecanion@gmail.com
Post 1839, (Lone Star), Kerryville TX
We will be mailing the Petition for formation of a SAMS Post to Bill Stevens. Presently, we have 11 SAMS members.
—Roy M. Garrison, PC. roygarrison@yahoo.com
Post 1845, Ft Worth / Dallas
Well, it's the time of the year when we become busy. In January we attended two Burns dinners; in Dallas hosted by the Dallas Scottish Society and in Arlington hosted by the Cowtown Scottish Society. Both had great programs and excellent food. Coming up on the second weekend of February is the North Texas Irish Festival (I really don’t know why it is called an ‘Irish’ festival since I think more than half attending are Scots) at Fair Park in Dallas. Two weeks later is the Sherman Celtic Festival and Highland Games (now two-day) in Sherman. Every year this has grown more than anticipated. We are having three spaces this year and hope to fill one with WWII vehicles. Then on the second weekend in May is the Texas Highland Festival located in Decatur followed the next weekend with the Tyler Scottish Festival. Many other games and festivals are also scattered across Texas but not in our Post area. Looking forward to having a busy but fun time.
—Thomas J. Duncan, PC. duncan163@gmail.com
Post 1846, State of Iowa
—TO BE DETERMINED PC