Historical Minutes (1907-1999)
This page contains scans from our minute books and other sources that go back to the very first minutes from the beginning of our society through the end of the 20th century. Our Past President General Nancy McBride Wark is scanning minutes from the minute books and binders of the Society and is sending them to our webmaster for posting online. Past Treasurer General Johnny Alexander shared a thumb drive full of decades of minutes. President General Andy Keller also contributed. Scanned images and PDFs will be added to this page as time allows.
The first book of minutes contains some notable items:
- At the 1908 meeting, we assembled in the hall on the second floor of the west wing of the Old “State House.”
- In July 1909, the Society assembled in the “Declaration Room” in Independence Hall (Old State House).
- At the July 1910 meeting, they again assembled in the “Declaration Room” in Independence Hall (Old State House). In the minutes from the July 1910 meeting, I found our first bronze tablet was prepared and presented to the City of Philadelphia. It was placed upon the front wall of “Independence Hall.”
- In July 1910, the third Annual Congress of the Society was called to order by then President Dr. Henry Morris in the “Declaration Room” of the Old State House, the same room in which the Declaration of Independence was adopted and signed. (Note: The table at which the Declaration was signed, the chair of John Hancock, and the table of the Secretary of the Continental Congress were used by the secretary upon this occasion, which was a rare event.)
- At that same meeting in 1910, it was reported we had our first death of a member—Mrs. Irwin of Homestead, Penn. The minutes reflect that a motion was made to send a telegram of sympathy to her family.
1907 July 5*
*The first gathering of the descendants was at the 1907 Jamestown Exposition in Norfolk, Virginia. The first paragraph of these minutes states that the group met in “Independence Hall, Pennsylvania State House.” At the exposition, each state built a house that was a representation of the state for the exposition, and Pennsylvania built a replica of Independence Hall. This building is now a part of Admiral’s Row at Naval Station Norfolk.
1907 October 19
1908 July 3
1908 July 4
1909 July 4
1910 July 4
1910 July 5
1911 July 3 and 4
1913 October 20
1914 April 20
1914 July 3
1914 July 3 registrar general’s report
1955
General Membership Meeting at 48th Annual Congress May 14, 1955, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
BOG Special Meeting October 22, 1955, in Richmond, Virginia
General Membership Meeting October 22, 1955, in Richmond, Virginia
1956
BOG Special Meeting February 18, 1956, in New York, New York
General Membership Meeting February 18, 1956, in New York, New York
BOG Meeting October 20, 1956, in Charlottesville, Virginia
General Membership Meeting October 20, 1956, in Charlottesville, Virginia
1957
1958
BOG Meeting February 15, 1958, in New York, New York
General Membership Meeting February 15, 1958, in New York, New York
BOG Meeting May 17, 1958, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
General Membership Meeting at 51st Annual Congress May 17, 1958, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
BOG Meeting October 11, 1958, in Annapolis, Maryland
General Membership Meeting October 11, 1958, in Annapolis, Maryland
1959
BOG Meeting February 14, 1959, in New York, New York
General Membership Meeting February 14, 1959, in New York, New York
BOG Meeting at 52nd Annual Congress May 16, 1959, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
General Membership Meeting at 52nd Annual Congress May 16, 1959, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1960
1961
1962
BOG Meeting October 6, 1962, in Alexandria, Virginia
General Membership Meeting October 6, 1962, in Washington D.C.
1963
BOG Meeting October 26, 1963, in Baltimore, Maryland
1964
BOG Meeting February 15, 1964, in New York, New York
General Membership Meeting February 15, 1964, in New York, New York
BOG Meeting at 57th Annual Congress May 16, 1964, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
General Membership Meeting at 57th Annual Congress May 16, 1964, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
BOG Meeting November 7, 1964, in Williamsburg, Virginia
General Membership Meeting November 7, 1964, in Williamsburg, Virginia
1965
BOG Meeting February 13, 1965, in New York, New York
General Membership Meeting February 13, 1965, in New York, New York
BOG Meeting October 9, 1965, in Yorktown, Virginia
General Membership Meeting October 9, 1965, in Yorktown, Virginia
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
BOG Meeting February 14, 1970, in New York, New York
General Membership Meeting February 14, 1970, in New York, New York
BOG and General Meetings at 63rd Annual Congress May 16, 1970, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
BOG Meeting October 24, 1970, in Frederick, Maryland
General Membership Meeting October 24, 1970, in Frederick, Maryland
1971
BOG Meeting February 6, 1971, in New York, New York
BOG Meeting October 2, 1971, in Staunton, Virginia
1972
BOG Meeting February 19, 1972, in New York, New York
BOG and General Membership Meetings October 14, 1972, in Boston, Massachusetts
1973
BOG Meeting February 10, 1973, in Charleston, South Carolina
General Membership Meeting February 10, 1973 in Charleston, South Carolina
BOG Meeting May 12, 1973, at 66th Annual Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
General Membership Meeting May 12, 1973, at 66th Annual Congress in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
BOG and General Membership Meetings October 5-6, 1973, in Saratoga Springs, New York
1974
BOG Meeting March 22, 1974, in Williamsburg, Virginia
General Membership Meeting March 22, 1974, in Williamsburg, Virginia
BOG Meeting at the 67th Annual Congress June 8, 1974, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
General Membership Meeting at the 67th Annual Congress June 8, 1974, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
BOG Meeting October 11, 1974, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
General Membership Meeting October 12, 1974, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
1975
BOG Meeting February 15, 1975, in Morristown, New Jersey
General Membership Meeting February 15, 1975, in Morristown, New Jersey
BOG Meeting at 68th Annual Congress May 17, 1975, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
General Membership Meeting at 68th Annual Congress May 17, 1975, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
BOG Special Meeting September 6, 1975, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
BOG Meeting October 10, 1975, in Concord, Massachusetts
General Membership Meeting October 11, 1975, in Concord, Massachusetts
1976
General Membership Meeting March 19, 1976, in Washington, D.C.
BOG Meeting March 20, 1976, in Washington D.C.
BOG Meeting at 69th Annual Congress May 15, 1976, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
General Membership Meeting at 69th Annual Congress May 15, 1976 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
BOG Meeting October 9, 1976, in West Point, New York
General Membership Meeting October 9, 1976, in West Point, New York
1977
Spring Meeting in Savannah, Georgia, March 5, 1977
Fall Meeting in Newport, Rhode Island, October 15, 1977
1978
Spring Meeting in New Bern, North Carolina, April 8, 1978
1989
BOG and General Spring Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina, March 3, 1989
BOG and General Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 12, 1989
BOG and General Fall Meeting in New Haven, Connecticut, October 6, 1989
1990
BOG and General Spring Meeting in Richmond, Virginia, March 23, 1990
BOG and General Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 1, 1990
BOG and General Fall Meeting in Saratoga Springs, New York, October 5, 1990
1994
General Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 4, 1994
BOG Fall Meeting in Manchester, New Hampshire, October 7, 1994
1995
BOG Fall Meeting in Colt’s Neck, New Jersey, October 13, 1995
1999
BOG Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 3, 1999