EPHRAIM DAGGETT CHAPTER 36

Sons of the Republic of Texas

Minutes of 7 June 2008 meeting

The meeting was called to order at 10:00 am by Vice President David Wells, acting in the absence of President Duane Blair who was attending an SRT executive committee meeting in Granbury Texas.

Chaplain Russell Leavens offered the invocation which was followed by a group recitation of the pledge of allegiance to the American and Texas Flags. This was followed by the introduction of members and guests who provided some information about the ancestors who qualified them for membership in SRT and other stories of relevance to family and Texas history.

Jerry Spencer read the minutes from the April meeting and they were approved by voice vote. President Wells read the treasurer’s report and it was also approved by voice vote.

President Wells announced the names of new members to Chapter 36 and made a motion that an honorary membership be awarded to Stan Scott. A second to that motion was made by Gerry Gieger and the motion passed unanimously.

Virgil Ellis introduced Willard Thomas who presented the program, which was a review of the history of the Second Dragoons who were stationed in Fort Worth and raised the U.S. flag there in 1849 and he talked about the members of that group who are buried in the Pioneer’s Rest Cemetery located on Samuels Avenue in Fort Worth. Mr. Thomas discussed the transition of the titles of the Second Dragoons to become the Second Texas Cavalry. Mr. Thomas was accompanied to the meeting by members of the Second Dragoon organization, dressed in period uniforms with weapons representing the various arms used during the 1800’s. Mr. Thomas introduced those men and described the various attire and the evolution of their equipment. Mr. Thomas closed his presentation with a recitation of the Gettysburg Address, an emotion filled speech by President Abraham Lincoln at the Gettysburg Battlefield.

Virgil Ellis presented an honorarium to Mr. Thomas as an expression of gratitude for his presentation and Virgil announced that the meeting in August would about the Texas Legation and its importance to the history of Texas. The program for October would be about the final battle of Palo Duro Canyon.

D. A. Sharpe commented that more participation is needed, by members, in the ancestors page on the Chapter 36 web site. He described the arrangement and content of data that is and will be placed on the web site and encouraged the members to take the time to visit the site and offer comments as to its organization.

Vice President Wells asked if there was further business to be discussed and hearing none, asked Russell Leavens to offer the benediction and afterward adjourned the meeting at 11:20 am.

Submitted by M.G. “Jerry” Spencer, Secretary