SAR National, State and Chapter leadership members traveled to Bakersfield for the CASSAR 149th Fall BOM meeting. The BOM is two days filled with Officer reports, committee reports and national office candidates campaign speeches. It is the second statewide meeting for SAR members with the first being the Spring Membership meeting which will be April 24-27, 2025 in Costa Mesa https://www.californiasar.org/event/150th-spring-meeting/.
While only State, National officers and Chapter Presidents can actively participate at the BOM meeting, the spring meeting tends to have other chapter Board members as well as non-board members present. It is a great event to meet compatriots from around the state and nation and we encourage our members to attend.
The San Diego Chapter and our members received a number of certificates and awards at last night’s Awards Dinner at the California Society of SAR’s (CASSAR) Board of Managers meetings. We look forward to presenting these to our members at our November 16th meeting in Escondido. Two Chapter members will receive the Silver Henry Knox medal and two will receive CASSAR Certificates of Appreciation. We are keeping the reason for the awards aside but will announce the award winners at our next meeting.
In addition Michael Hirman received the Silver Henry Knox medal and Jim McAdory was awarded the Silver Roger Sherman medal. Hirman and McAdory were also presented the Patriot Grave Marking pin by Brian Stephens the Vice President General of the Western District of SAR. In addition to a national certificate for our Chapters work with Wreaths Across America we were given the Award Certificate and check for our Enhanced JROTC winner who placed 3rd in the National judging.
Brian Stephens (left), Michael Hirman and Jim McAdory receive the Patriot Grave Marking pin from the Western SAR District. The presentation was in the Western District meeting of the BOM. note this is not the medal which has been approved but the paperwork and details are not yet available.
Michael Hirman receives the Silver Henry Knox medal for his role in the Patriot Grave Marking project. Presented by CASSAR President Don Littlefield.
Jim McAdory receives the Silver Roger Sherman medal for his role in the Patriot Grave Marking project. Presented by CASSAR President Don Littlefield.
The Saturday Luncheon is focused on Public Service. Three awards were given for Fire Safety and Law Enforcement. Don Littlefield presets the Heroism medal to Deputy Flores as Sheriff Mike Boudreaux looks on.
Deputy Alfredo Flores of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office was awarded the SAR Heroism Medal. Deputy Flores was returning to the Office as his shift had ended when he hear a call of a fire with a child trapped in the building. He immediately turned around and went to the location where he jumped out his vehicle and ran into the building to try to locate an 11 year old, non-verbal, Downs Syndrome child. He had to exit the smoke filled building four times for air and then when through a window on a different side of the building where he was able to locate the child and take him out of the building. Both required treatment for smoke inhalation at the local hospital but both recovered. Deputy Flores also received the Department’s highest award for heroism. You can view a news report with his body camera footage here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3Yz6Yxnfh8
Our state Historian, Scott Brooks, brought some of the materials in the CASSAR archives. One item was a bound book from the San Francisco Chapter from the early 20th century. This included this letter from Tedday Roosevelt and another letter from President William Howard Taft. A few notable passages were read in the hospitality room including a letter from a member that resigned from SAR because they would not speak out about the “deplorable” state of San Francisco!
Hopefully Scott will bring a few more nuggets to the spring meeting.