Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-02-12
Make PLANS FOR
18TH ANNIVERSARY
Society of Colonial Wars for
State of Vermont to Celebrate
Event With Meeting and Ban
quet on Saturday Evening.
February Il at Hotel Vermont

Harry ). Howard, encouragement OF
the Society of Colonial wars for the'
state of Vermont, Is sending out notices
preparatory to making the 26th generall
court Of the society which is also the
18th anniversary of the founding of the
society In Vermont the biggest affair
which the society has ever staged IN the
State. This will be held on Saturday.,
February u, at six O'Clock in the eveniney
in the roof garden of the Hotel Vermont,
and will be followed by the annual ban
quet at seven o'clock in the main dinirEj
hall Of the hotel. Members and their
ladies and friends are invited to Dc
present.
The guest Of honor on this occasion wilt
be the Honorable William w. Laid Of
New York encouragement of the So
ciety of Colonial Wars in the United
States. The feature of the occasion will
be the presentation by Governor-Generab
Laid in person of a beautiful cross to
each member of the society in Vermont
who served in the army or navy Of the
United States during the world war.
also the presentation of an engraved
certificate, combining the coats of arms
of the original nine colonies whose per-
iod the society represents. TO each mem-
Der of the Vermont society who during:
the war period. held a position in the
civil service, or in some auxiliary or
ganization officially recognized by tho
government, such as the Red Cross, the
draft board, tho Y. NJ. G. A.. etc. Each
certificate vii be suitably engrossed and
signed by the officers of the general So
ciety.
It is expected that a number of new
members will he received into the society
at the annual meeting. Govcrnor-General
Howard has been in communication with
quite q number Of men throughout tne
state who are eligible to membership, and
has received several applications for mems
bership. Some Of these applications come
from sons Of present members. It is tho
aim of the society to greatly build III
the membership on this 18th anniversary
of its founding, and it Is especially do
sired that men who served in the\ lata
war, and who are eligible to membership,
should come into the Society of Colonial
Wars at this time.
Eligibility for membership in the 500
ciety is based upon descent from an
ancestor who served in a war of the
colonial period. the date included by
the society in this period being from
May 10, 1907, the date of the first set
Element in jamestown, to April 10. 1775,
the date of the battle of Lexington,
which officially opens the revolutions
airy period. from which the Sons. and
Daughters of the American Revolution
date eligibility to membership. Mem
bers are admitted to the Society OF
Colonial Wars through a. vote of ths
council.
The Society Of Colonial Wars is a
kindred society with the societies ot
Colonial Danes of America, and Colo-
nial DANES of Vermont. These societies
cooperate to n large extent in their
aims and many of their meetings are
held in conjunction. The Society of
Colonial Wars in Vermont was incor-
porated under the laws of Vermont To
perpetuate the colonial history of the
State.
While the period commemorated by
the Society OF Colonial Wars in the
United States extends from 1907 to
1775. the Vermont Society of Colonial
Wars has taken dates, 1724-1775. since
the first white settlement in Vermont
was at Fort Summer in 1924. Vermont
was not one of the nine original coll
onies which form the basis of the coll
onial period. these colonies being Vir-
ginia, New York, massachusetts,, New
Hampshire. Connecticut. Maryland.
Rhode Island and Pennsylvania. Ver-
mont however. was making history
during the greater part of the period
as a part of the New Hampshire
Grants, and claimed by both New
Hampshire and New York. For this
reason. the shield of the Vermont so-
cicty contains the emblems Of the New
Hampshire Grants and the grant to the
New Netherlands, or New York. while
the ribbon of the shield is Joined with
the beech seal" of Ethan Allen, which
10 mazda nm nf a h1n11a Of haach wit6al
said to ave been used by Ethan Aller
on the bodies of New Yorker who
meddled with the affairs of the New
Hampshire rants.
The Society of Colonial Wars in YER
mont was founded November 20, 1894, and
the first general court held February -,
1895, the Pend of February being chosen
for the annual meeting each year. This
year, it is planned to observe the 18th
anniversary Of the founding of the society
together with the regular general court
1t is interesting to note in connection
with the 18th anniversary of the founding
Of the society in Vermont that the Free
Press of February p, 1895, gave a very
fun report of the first general court
The article started as follows:
THE Vermont Society of Colonial Wars
held it's first general court and dinner al
Nit ' al aNNFo iA'bF' tNPNNANaS "NNN+ 'NNA
and the event was an suspicious success
as regards attendance as well as in point
of historical interest and enthusiasm"
Among other things, the article gives
a list of those present, including Major.
l Gen. T. $. Peck, governor Of the society,
[ Gov. L.. A. Woodbury.; Col. Edward A.
l Chittenden, deputy encouragement fol
' Vermont: John c.. Norton. secretary; Col
5 Charles $. Forbes, treasurer; G.. Grenville
Benedict. historian; Capt. Austin w,
l Fuller. chaplain; Hiram A. Huse, regis.
? trar; Capt, Horace f.. Dyer of Rutland
Robert Noble, Elias Lyman. w, S. TEX
ford, II. A. Waterman, DR.. L. NJ. Bing,
ham, F. II. Wells, Charles f.. Miner
) Henry Wells. Charles Dewey and Edward
l Wells, all members of the society.
Others mentioned as being present
We're; President NJ, II. Buckham of tn,
University of Vermont, Mayo w. j. VA
l Patten, H. w. Allen. preside B, of tn,
board of aldermen. and many others
General Peck acted as POSTMASTER and
> G, G., Benedict was the principal speaker
heading n long list of those who adj
l dressed the assembly at the post -prandia
l exercises.