Each monthly speaker with a brief description of their speech is listed below. If available, their email is included as a link from their name.
January – GASSAR President, Bill Dobbs, spoke on “George Washington, the Farmer” detailing the many farming accomplishments of our Founding Father.
February – Compatriot Carter J Wood, president of the Lyman Hall Chapter, will be speaking on “George Washington – Busting the Myths”. His topic will correct some of the many rumors and myths associated with our first President, George Washington, whose birthday we celebrate this month. Carter is retired from the US Army, Gwinnett County Public Schools, and the corporate world. He lives near Gainesville with his wife of 55 years, Linda, with whom he shares 2 children, 5 grand-children, and 1 (amazing) great-grandson. Carter is a 50 year volunteer with Boy Scouts and is also a Mason, Shriner, and Sojourner. He holds a private pilot’s license and is a ham radio operator.
March – Compatriot Mark Anthony of the Piedmont Chapter will discuss “The Revolution as told by it’s Flags”. Tracing the history of the Revolutionary war through 35 flags used by our ancestors. Mark will discuss the symbolism and history of the flags. Mark is a native of Spartanburg, SC and a graduate of Georgia Tech. Mark has identified 28 patriot ancestors and 2 loyalist ancestors. One of his ancestors fought on each side at the Battle of Kettle Creek. Mark is a Past President of the Rome (GA) Chapter, Past SC State Secretary, past National Committe Chairman of multiple committees, past South Atlantic Vice President General, and past Commander of the National Color Guard. Mark is a 2015 recipient of the Minuteman Medal, SAR’s most prestigious award. Mark works in the banking industry and lives in Greer, SC with his wife, Cindy, and one child.
April – Compatriot D Alan Smith, past GASSAR Chaplain, President of the William Few Chapter and Governor of the Georgia Mayflower Society will present a talk on the Mayflower and the Settling of New England. Alan Smith is a native of Savannah. He and his wife Judy Loyless Murph Smith have two sons and three grandchildren. He is a retired United Methodist Elder and is serving as Director of Senior Ministries and Pastoral Care at Thomson, First UMC. He is a member several other lineage groups: Jamestowne, First Families of GA, Huguenot Society of SC, and The Society of the Cincinnati in GA. He has written several family histories as well as writing a column on Pilgrim history and religion for five years in the Pilgrim William White Society Newsletter. Alan is the recipient of the silver Roger Sherman Medal and Patriot Medal.
May – Sue VerHoef will present a discussion on Organizing paper, digital and web research for amateur genealogists. Sue is Director of Oral History and Genealogy at the Atlanta History Center where she has worked since 2008. She manages the Center’s oral history initiatives including the Veterans History Project, a collection of over 730 oral history interviews of veterans from World War II through the Global War on Terror. She is the curator of More Than Self: Living the Vietnam War, an exhibition of oral histories, photographs, documents, and artifacts from Vietnam veterans and civilians who served in their support. The exhibit was on display at the Atlanta History Center in 2017-2018 and is now available online. Sue creates and presents regularly scheduled genealogy workshops and programs and provides archives orientation tours for public school and university students and faculty. In 2015, The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) Southeast Chapter awarded her an Emmy for her contribution in the development of 37 Weeks: Sherman on the March, which aired on Georgia PublicBroadcasting. She is a graduate of Brigham Young University and the University of West Georgia.
June –
July –
August –
September –
October –
November –
December –