Washingtonburg Chapter, PASSAR Newsroom
Welcome to the Washington Chapter, SAR newsroom! You'll find all of latest news about our organization here.
Stop by our booth! The Washingtonburg Chapter, SAR is present this weekend at this year’s Army Expo ‘24 at the United States Army Heritage and Education Center. Come visit us today or tomorrow (September 14th and 15th) between 9 A.M. and 5 P.M. each day. Past President Dale Leppard and President Jeff La Marca are present. Several Chapter members have already stopped by.
As previously reported, the Washingtonburg Chapter held elections at our recent meeting; our new board consists of:
| President | Jeffry Peter La Marca, Ph.D. |
| 1st Vice President | Most Rev. William Martin Sloane, Ph.D., J.D., Ed.D. |
| 2nd Vice President | TSgt. Eric Nolan “Dutch” DeVries, USAF (Ret.) |
| 3rd Vice President | Steven Pearson Messner, Ed.D. |
| Secretary/Treasurer | Steven Scott Burd |
| Registrar/Genealogist | Dale John Joseph Leppard |
| Chancellor | Maj. James Bryan Oerding, USA (Ret.), Ph.D. |
| Chaplain | Most Rev. William Martin Sloane, Ph.D., J.D., Ed.D. |
| Sergeant at Arms | Douglas Reginald Cubbison |
| Historian | Douglas Reginald Cubbison |
| Past President | Dale John Joseph Leppard |
During the meeting, several members received awards, accolades, or kudos for their contributions to our organization; including the following:
President Dale Leppard presents the Bronze Henry Knox Achievement Medal to the Most Rev. William Martin Sloane.
Washingtonburg Chapter conducted its Quarterly Meeting and Annual Elections August 17th, 2024 at the USAHEC in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Officers elected were President Dr. Jeffry Peter La Marca, 1st Vice President and Chaplain The Most Rev. William Martin Sloane, 2nd Vice President TSgt Eric Nolan “Dutch” DeVries, USAF (Ret.), 3rd Vice President Dr. Steven Pearson Messner, Secretary/Treasurer Steven Scott Burd, Chancellor MAJ James Bryan Oerding, USA (Ret.), Registrar/Genealogist Dale John Joseph Leppard, Sergeant at Arms and Historian Douglas Reginald Cubbison.
Attending were Dale J. J. Leppard, William M. Sloane, William S. Sloane, Charles L. Brackbill, Steven P. Messner, Douglas R. Cubbison, Samuel L. Russell, James B. Oerding, Sandra Oerding, Gregory T. O’Brien, Raymond A. Mowery IV, Todd A. Hockensmith, Jeffry P. La Marca, Douglas H. Reagan, Alexander Rushton. “Dutch” DeVries provided technical support and Steven S. Burd provided reports by proxy.
In addition to the Washington handshake tradition, which is an unbroken line of transmission of a handshake beginning with George Washington through Chapter founder and first Chapter President, John Cecil Fralish, Jr., outgoing Chapter President Dale J. J. Leppard instituted a new tradition of a Chapter sword which will be passed from Chapter President to Chapter President for use as a symbol of office during their incumbency.
Sources:
Sea Islander, “A View of Thomas Heyward, Jr.”, by Robert E. H. Peeples, August 1975, pp. 9-11.
The Revolutionary Soldier 1775-1783, by C. Keith Wilbur, Rowman & Littlefield, Guilford, pp. 10-12, 14, 19, 40-42.
https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_beaufort.html
https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_fort_lyttleton_1.html
https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_fort_lyttleton_2.html
https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_port_royal_island_1.html
https://www.carolana.com/SC/Revolution/revolution_port_royal_island_2.html
https://www.hussarsaddlery.com/rev-war-american-copy
https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/declaration/bio19.htm
https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/declaration/bio43.htm
The Washingtonburg Chapter, PASSAR sponsored a grave marking ceremony, which recognized the contributions of five Revolutionary War Patriots buried in the Big Spring Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Newville, Pennsylvania. The Patriots who received the SAR Grave Markers are: Capt. Thomas Buchanan, Major William McFarlane, Sgt. William Denning, Artificer William Ferguson, and Pvt. Peter Tritt.
The Washingtonburg Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) is hosting a commemorative event to honor fallen patriots from the American Revolution. This solemn ceremony will be held on Saturday, June 15th, 2024, at 10:00 A.M. at the historic Big Spring Presbyterian Church in Newville, Pennsylvania.
The event will feature an official SAR Grave Marking Ceremony at the Big Spring Cemetery, located next to the church. Participants are welcome to wear 18th-century attire to add to the historical significance of the occasion.
Following the ceremony, attendees are invited to a catered lunch at a nearby pavilion within Colonel Denning State Park. A nominal fee will cover the meal, with details provided upon RSVP (reservation) to help with headcount.
This gathering coincides with the 250th anniversary of the Intolerable Acts, a series of punitive laws passed by the British Parliament in 1774 in response to colonial resistance, culminating in the Boston Tea Party.
The afternoon will feature a brief presentation on the Intolerable Acts, followed by the Washingtonburg Chapter SAR regular quarterly business meeting with award presentations.
All participants are eligible to earn points towards the Bronze 250th Anniversary Medal program. This program recognizes individuals who contribute to events commemorating the American Revolution.
To RSVP for the event and the catered lunch, please contact us. Indicate the number of people attending in your RSVP.
We encourage everyone to join us in honoring the sacrifices of the patriots who secured American independence. This event is a meaningful way to connect with history and celebrate the legacy of our forefathers.
The NSAR Washingtonburg Chapter awards medals for participation in commemorative events. For details on the Bronze 250th Anniversary Medal program, please contact us.
The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR) is a lineage society composed of male descendants of the patriots who fought for American independence in the Revolutionary War. The NSSAR is dedicated to preserving American history and promoting good citizenship.
Respectfully,
Dale J. J. Leppard
President and Genealogist, Washingtonburg Chapter SAR
May 4, 2024 – The Washingtonburg Chapter received the Trimble Trophy, the PASSAR award for the chapter with the largest growth over the past year (200 percent) at this weekend’s Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the American Revolution Board of Managers meeting!
Pictured (left to right): Washingtonburg 1st VP Jeff La Marca, President Dale Leppard, PASSAR President Eric Troutman.
The Washingtonburg Chapter, PASSAR also received the Keystone Award for Small-Sized Chapters!
New 2024-2025 PASSAR officers for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania including Washingtonburg President Dale Leppard (who will be serving as both the PASSAR 2nd VP and Secretary).
Reestablishing an old tradition dating from the foundation of Washingtonburg Chapter in 1992, the Compatriots joined together with the Ladies of the Cumberland County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution to celebrate Washington’s Birthday. The original meeting was postponed due to a severe storm. The rescheduled meeting was held in March 2024 at the Carlisle County Club, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. PASSAR District Deputy and Washingtonburg Compatriot, COL Samuel Russell, USA (Ret.), an author and authority on the Coulon de Villiers family of French Colonial America, gave a presentation on this interesting family, which culminated in the surviving brother moving to Louisiana, where he served under General Galvez and King Carlos III of Spain and the Indies as an ally of George Washington. In recognition of his research into the Coulon family, Washingtonburg Chapter President Dale Leppard presented the Galvez Medal and Certificate to Colonel Russell. Chapter President Leppard was then surprised by Regent Coanne O’Hern of the Cumberland County Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution with the new Hannah White Arnett Medal. The event was well attended, and included Washingtonburg Compatriot State Representative Perry Stambaugh, PASSAR President Eric Troutman and his wife Stephanie, PASSAR Treasurer and Former PASSAR President Michael Seibert and his wife Maribeth, National Vice Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution Beth Watkins, and many more. The ladies also provided a life-size cutout of George Washington, which provided a perfect backdrop for photographs.