FROM STAFF REPORTS

The Cahaba-Coosa Chapter in Shelby County monthly July 2015 meeting was called to order by Chapter President John R. Walker.

The monthly schedule for meetings are the third Sunday of each month at 2:30 p.m. at the North Shelby County Library located at 5521 Cahaba Valley Road in Pelham.

A large attendance was present with several guests.

The support of the ladies is very much appreciated. The chapter was chartered August 22, 2003.

There were six past chapter presidents in attendance.

They included in order of service (2) Bobby Joe Seales, who actively contributed to the forming of the chapter and was the first chapter president in 2003 and 2004; (2) Scott A. Martin 2005; (3) C.W. Posey, Jr. 2006; (4) Donald L. Glover 2011; (5) John W. Thomas 2013; and (6) R. Glenn Nivens 2014.

Other honored guests included (1) Michael Wells, 2015-2016 Southern District V-P General.

This was his first official visit since elected as Southern District V-P General of the National Society SAR.

Mike, a dual charter member of Cahaba-Coosa Chapter, also contributed to the forming of this chapter along with many others. (2) Fred Olive, the Alabama Society SAR Senior Vice-President and a dual charter member of the Cahaba-Coosa Chapter.

Honored in their color guard uniforms were Compatriot Carl Thornton from the Lamar County Sons of Liberty Chapter and Joel Mize from the Shoals Area Chapter.

They spoke and extended a special invitation to attend the Oct. 3 Lamar County Three Revolutionary War Patriot Grave Markings.

In addition, several committees were formed including Larry Bird, Chapter Historian and Youth Poster Committee Chairman.

Scott A. Martin volunteered as Cahaba-Coosa Chapter Genealogist.

Participation in Youth Orations and Essays were discussed.

In February 2015, the chapter sponsored their first Oration speaker.

Three color guards representing the Cahaba-Coosa Chapter were present and in uniform.

The Chapter Registrar Harry D. Sessamen has been busy, and his labor is appreciated.

He has received much support from chapter members.

C.W. Posey, Jr. received the Liberty Medal and Certificate, and Bobby Joe Seales received the Liberty Medal Certificate and Oak Leaf Cluster at the recent 2015 National Congress in Louisville, Ky.

The Liberty Medal is awarded to compatriots who are first-line sponsor of 10 or more new members.

Those who have received the Liberty Medal in a previous year and have recruited 10 or more new members received an oak leaf cluster.

As reported by Compatriot Sessamen, there are about 13 pending applications for approval, and he had an additional one to be signed at the meeting.

Of those 13 pending applications, there are nine applications from one family.

During the July 2015 Chapter Meeting, there were nine certificates to be presented. Four were not present to receive their certificates: Cole William Bishop, David Michael Black, Ethan Caleb Black and Larry Lewis Black.

The induction ceremony was led by C.W. Posey, Jr., Bobby Joe Seales presented the member certificates and Mike Wells pinned the member rosette to the following: (1) Carl Bruce Kilgore, (2) Chase Patrick Laforest, (3) Donald Phillip Schlick, (4) David Andrew Sessaman and (5) Melvin Roscoe Shinholster.

Visit the Cahaba-Coosa Chapter website, Rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alshelby/cahaba-coosachapter.html.

Any man 18 years or over, who is a lineal descendent of an ancestor who supported the war for American Independence, is eligible for membership.

These ancestors are referred to as Revolutionary War Patriots and include those persons who fought in the military and/or militia, who provided supplies to the American cause, who served on political bodies supporting the Revolution, who signed oaths of support and similar acts.

For further information, visit the website.