Gold Country “Auburn Chapter” SAR Excerpts from the Placer Herald

Posted on by March 31, 2021

Thanks to Compatriot Mike Holmes for these excerpts from our chapter’s past. These come from the Placer Herald and refer to our original name, the Auburn Chapter, SAR.

18 September 1926

Exercises of unusual interest will occur at the Placer Union High School on Friday afternoon at 2:30, when the Auburn Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, will celebrate the 139th anniversary of the completion and signing of the Constitution of the United States.

A short address will be made by S. C. Porter, now secretary-manager of the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce, and who was for many years a resident of Washington, DC, where he was a close student of federal political affairs.

This will be followed by music and an appropriate programs by the student body of the high school..
Auburn is unique in having a local chapter of such a patriotic organization as the SAR, as practically all other chapters are located in cities of over 10,000 population.

H. C. Shenk, of Pittsburg, PA, who at one time was president of the Pennsylvania Society of the order, is responsible for the local group, and E. T. Robie was its first president.

The general public is invited to attend the high school meeting and take part in the exercises.

 

25 December 1926

The Auburn chapter, Sons of the American Revolution, spent the 153rd Anniversary of the “Boston Tea Party”, by a dinner meeting held last week.

Members of the society from Lincoln, Roseville, Loomis, Newcastle, Auburn, and Applegate were present, together with numerous guests.

The Anniversary was also made the occasions to dedicate a new US flag and an Auburn chapter flag of the society. Dr. John F. Engle delivered a stirring patriotic address, followed by the unfurling of the flags to the strains of “The Star-Spangled Banner”.

The SAR is an order organized for patriotic purposes and has a large membership throughout the East. Auburn is the smallest city on the Pacific Coast with its own chapter and membership is drawn from all parts of the county. San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento, and San Jose are the only places where local chapters are maintained.

The society here was organized three years ago through the efforts of H. C. Shank of Pittsburg PA, a prominent member of the National Society, and who annually comes to this city for a period of two or three months during the summer. E. T. Robie was its first president, while P. B. Goss,is its present presiding officer, with Paul Ochler, Vice-President and H. T. Dyer secretary.

2021 Poster Contest Winners

Posted on by March 20, 2021

Congratulations to the student from Weimar Hills in Mrs. Kozak’s class for the winning poster in the Gold Country Chapter Poster Contest for 2021. The winning student will receive their prize and award as well as have their poster submitted by our chapter to the California SAR poster contest at the Spring State Meeting.

Also featured are some of the other finalist posters in this year’s contest:

In Memoriam — Alan Brown Brooking

Posted on by December 11, 2020

Alan Brown Brooking (87) died peacefully at home on December 1, 2020, after a three-year battle with throat cancer.

Alan joined the SAR in 2012 and immediately became active at the chapter, state, and national levels. He was a member of both the Sacramento and Gold Country chapters. He served the Sacramento Chapter as member of the Color Guard, Telephone Committee, Greeter and Cashier, and as President of the Sacramento Chapter in 2017.

Alan and his wife Susan, a DAR member, never missed an SAR or DAR meeting when they were in town. The Gold Trail Chapter DAR was also a beneficiary of his many kindnesses— if DAR chapters had mascots, Alan was Gold Trail’s.

Alan was a native of Oklahoma City, born November 29, 1933, to Ludie (Pickett) and Levi Henry Brooking. He attended Oklahoma City University.

Alan was proud of his service in the U.S. Navy, particularly his Mediterranean Cruises aboard the USS Intrepid. His flight operations photos and cameras are part of the Intrepid, Sea, Air & Space Museum Complex in New York City.

He was a successful small business owner providing window coverings for most Silicon Valley tech companies, hospitals and schools. Alan met Steve Jobs when Apple Computer was just one small building in Cupertino. Apple and Alan’s company continued their relationship through construction of the Infinite Loop Campus.

Alan’s personal interests were varied: he created stunning stained-glass windows; crewed on Porsche race teams at Le Mans, Daytona, and Sebring; autocross’d his own Porsches and prepared them for show in club concours events. During the 1970’s, Alan became an avid antique fountain pen collector and traveled to international pen shows throughout the US.

Those who knew Alan know he welcomed an opportunity to share interesting conversation and a wee dram of good Scotch Whiskey.

November 2020 Chapter Meeting

Posted on by November 19, 2020

The Gold Country SAR is meeting on Saturday, Nov 21, 2020 at 8:30 am via Zoom. (An email was sent out to Chapter Membership from President Barker with the login details)

Our speaker is Dr. M. Kent Gregory, a member of the Orange County Chapter SAR. He will talk about historical artifacts that have been collected for the SAR Museum in Louisville, KY.

Kent Gregory was a teacher in California public schools for 38 years, and taught evening classes at Chapman University, Pepperdine University, and USC. Since joining the SAR, he has served as a Chapter Registrar, Chapter President, California Society President, Vice President, and an Invested Funds Trustee.

Active at the National Society level since 2011, Dr. Gregory has served as Alternate Trustee, Trustee, Recording Secretary, Vice President General – Western District, and on the Executive Committee. Currently he is the Chairman of the SAR Museum Board.

October 2020 Chapter Meeting

Posted on by October 13, 2020

The Gold Country SAR is meeting on Saturday, Oct 17, 2020 at 8:30 am via Zoom. (An email was sent out to Chapter Membership from President Barker with the login details)

Our speaker is Dr. Matthew Bowdish, California SAR State Surgeon, will talk about Genetic Genealogy.  You will not want to miss it.

At the September chapter meeting, we were inside and not able to socially distance and several individuals commented to Chapter Leadership their concerns about Covid.

There is not space outside to socially distance.

August 2020 Meeting

Posted on by August 13, 2020

We are still meeting, the meetings are just online for now. The August Meeting will be hosted as a Zoom Meeting just like the last several meetings. For security purposes, you will need to contact the Chapter President directly for login information.

President Barker’s message about the meeting that already went out:

Was Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 the first rebellion in the Colonies?  Cause and Results.

Join the Zoom Meeting on Saturday, August 15 and find out.

The invites have already gone out in advance, so if you did not receive one, please contact President Barker for the passcode to join the meeting.