Georgia Society

Any chapter recognizing a local History Club President with a Citizenship Pin or Bronze Good Citizenship Medal in 2012 may have the cost of the medal reimbursed by the Education Committee by submitting a copy of the invoice with information on the name, club, and school. Medals or pins can also be made available to you at the Spring Meeting of the BOM.  Please contact the Education Committee Chairman if you anticipate requesting one.

While many awards through the Education Committee were presented at the annual conference, several others are not awarded until this Spring.  Remember to submit nominees for your chapter’s Poster Contest on or before the Spring Board of Managers meeting on April 28 at which the posters will be judged.  The top five chapters will have their contestants recognized with a ribbon, certificate, and cash award.  Remember these other contests:

History Club Award

Contest Description: This award goes to a secondary education history club with the most significant program related to the study of the Revolutionary War during the school year.  The program can be a single event or exercise or cumulative activity throughout the school year.  The award is given at the state level.  No standard format for nominating a history club at the state level is required, but a submission should provide sufficient information to convince judges of the outstanding nature of program participation and activity for the year.  The period of activity for consideration is the current school year August 2011 through March 2012.

Contest Guidelines: A chapter can nominate one history club each year.    A history club may only receive the first-place award once.

Awards: A certificate, $150 cash award, and plaque will be awarded in late April or early May 2012 to the sponsoring chapter for presentation to the winner.  A certificate and $75 cash award will be awarded to the second place winner.  Each chapter’s entrant will receive a certificate (one per chapter) of recognition.

Deadline: The deadline for submissions of packets for recommendation for the award is a postmark of April 15, 2012.  The winning entrant will be selected no later than May 1, 2012.

Social Studies Student Award

Contest Description: This award goes to a high school student of excellence in social studies and American history.  Chapters are encouraged to recognize a student in each area high school with the award of the SAR Outstanding Citizenship Certificate and lapel pin for excellence in social studies and American history.  Reliance on school staff to pick a winner is recommended much as the JROTC students are selected.  Chapters should select one of the students to sponsor for the state contest.

No standard format for nominating a student at the state level is required, but a submission should provide sufficient information to convince judges of the outstanding accomplishments of the student in the area of social studies and American history.  The period of activity for consideration is the current school year August 2011 through March 2012.

Contest Guidelines: A chapter can nominate one student each year.    A student may only receive the award once.

Awards: A certificate, $150 cash award, and plaque will be awarded in late April or early May 2012 to the sponsoring chapter for presentation to the winner.  A certificate and $75 cash award will be awarded to the second place winner.  Each chapter’s entrant will receive a certificate (one per chapter) of recognition.

Deadline: The deadline for submissions of packets for recommendation for the award is a postmark of April 15, 2012.  The winning entrant will be selected no later than May 1, 2012.

A few donations come to mind off the top of my head that we’ll share to show you the diversity of items sold through our Flea Market.  Some members have large collections from which they can draw.  Jim McConnell of the Button Gwinnett Chapter has made another large donation of books from his huge personal collection as has Kline Pugh of the Joseph Habersham Chapter (including some genealogy selections).  A large, completed patriotic puzzle framed by Kendall and Cindy Abbott of the Sons of Liberty Chapter was donated and sold at the annual conference, and Charlie Newcomer contributed a half dozen clay pipes that were popular at Kettle Creek.  Even a single book donated is important.  One book by each of 200 members will bring in over $1,000.

The Georgia Society’s Traveling Tent program has started off the new year with a bang!  With a grant from the Georgia Fellows we now have an officer’s folding desk and chair, a 15-inch tin lantern, a wooden bucket, and eating utensils for two with which to furnish the tent.  These and other planned items will greatly enhance the educational experience and opportunity for publicity for this new program.  If you have some spare items that would fit into a living history encampment display or would like to make a donation toward improving the display, please contact the education committee.  Lyn Cash of the Joseph Habersham Chapter has created a shoulder yoke or water yoke suited for carrying two buckets of water at a time for display at living history events.  Now we need a second bucket!

We will also soon be figuring out a means of setting up the tent indoors without the use of ground stakes so that it can be used in school auditoriums and other such sites.

Requests have been quickly coming in for use of the tent this year.  Some of these include “Georgia on My Mind Day” in Sylvania on March 30, Foxfire Heritage Days in Mountain City on April 13-14, Patriots Day in Blairsville on April 19, Armed Forces Day in Auburn on May 19, St. Simons on October 2-4 (pending), and the Mule Days Celebration in Washington on October 6.  Wow!

Can a second tent be too far in our future?