President`s Message Phil Anders Upcoming Events May 6 Meeting

Volume 44, Number 2
www.passar.org/PCC
Spring 2015
day in June (2015 will be June 7 instead due to
Flag Day)
President’s Message
3rd Quarter – Annual joint DAR/SAR Constitution Day luncheon - usually 3rd Saturday in September (now also a Debutante Ball in the evening,
effective 2014)
4th Quarter – Annual Installation of Officers banquet - 2nd Thursday evening in November
Speaking of special events, I recently had our
Chapter Secretary send an e-mail BLAST regarding the need for Picnic assistance EFFECTIVE
IMMEDIATELY for 2015 – there has been only
1 response to date and that is not enough for us to
be able to get the job done. We are still in need of
a Co-Chair, fellow Compatriots! PLEASE contact me at my e-mail address of [email protected]. Thank you.
Phil Anders
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Well, the weatherman favored us again (almost !)
for our annual Washington’s Birthday celebration
this year because the snow did not start until we
were in the middle of our luncheon at the City
Tavern where our speaker, Bruce Gill, was relating a fascinating tale of Secretary of the Treasury
Charles Thomson’s contributions to the beginnings
of our government, the creation of the Great Seal,
and the history of Harriton House, located in Lower Merion Township. We’ve been doing it now in
February since the 1920’s and Mother Nature is
pretty much always a cooperating spirit. All Compatriots and their guests were safely returned to
their abodes later that day without incident.
I was recently reminded by our special Membership Committee that we DO have at least one special event each calendar quarter which is held at a
time other than 9 to 5, Monday – Friday – meaning
that it is available to any and ALL Compatriots to
attend regardless of their work/retired status:
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May 6 Meeting Location
The May Board of Management meeting will be
held at the Masonic Village at Lafayette Hill.
801 Ridge Pike, Lafayette Hill, PA
Phone 610-825-6100
Upcoming Events
1st Quarter - Washington's Birthday - 3rd Saturday
in February
2nd Quarter - Annual Compatriot's Picnic - 2nd Sun1
PASSAR Annual Mtg
May 1 & 2
PCC Monthly Meeting
May 6
10:00
Memorial Day Parade—Wayne May 25
9:00
PCC Monthly Meeting
Jun 1
10:00
Chapter Picnic
Jun 7
11:30
Please note that NSSAR Headquarters, Library
and Merchandise are fully relocated now in the
new building at:
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Unfortunately, due to an insufficient amount of interest, we had to cancel the joint SAR/DAR, New
Members event which was to have been held at
Freeman’s Auctioneers on 20 April. Perhaps we can
try this type of different, “off-the-clock” affair
again in the Fall if the venue becomes available
again.
NSSAR
809 West Main Street
Louisville, KY 40202
The former address at 1000 S. Fourth Street
(printed on so many forms, brochures, etc.) is no
longer functional and mail addressed there is not
forwarded. The new mail address must be used.
A Calendar Twist of Fate
By Frank A. Leone
During the course of the eighteenth century the British Empire and the American colonies utilized
two different calendars. As a result, both George II and George Washington shared something unique. What
was it?
Over the centuries, a number of calendars were adopted. The initial calendars were created by the
Pagans and Romans. In 46 BC, Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar to the Roman Empire. The cornerstone of the Julian calendar was that the earth revolved around the sun. The Julian calendar had deviations as it over compensated the actual length of the solar year and, thus, it fell out of sync with the seasons
of the year. As a consequence, too many leap years were added to the calendar.
Then in 325 AD, the First Council of Nicaea (“Council”) under Roman Emperor Constantine was
convened to resolve controversies about the calendar. A controversy evolved over Paschal/Easter festival
celebration. In this regard, the Council agreed that the Easter festival would be on the first Sunday, after the
first full moon after the spring equinox of March 21st. At the time of the “Council”, the March/Spring equinox occurred on March 21st. In time, the Easter festival as designated by the “Council” moved out of alignment with the March equinox. In this regard, the date of Easter as designated by the “Council” had too much
variation through the years.
On February 24th, 1582, Pope Gregory XIII issued a Papal reform bull, which replaced the Julian calendar with the Gregorian calendar. The main objective of the reform bull was to correct the Easter festival
date. To correct the movement of Easter date, the Georgian calendar subtracted ten days from the month of
October, 1582. In the late Sixteenth century, many Western European Catholic countries decided to follow
the Gregorian reform bull. Protestant leaning countries, such as Britain and Northern Germany, delayed implementation until the Eighteenth century.
In Britain, a movement to implement the Gregorian calendar failed during the reign of Elizabeth I in
the Sixteenth century. The British Parliament in 1750, under George II in 1750 passed “An Act for Regulating the Commencement of the Year and for Correcting the Calendar in Use”. This “Calendar Act”, also
known as the Chesterfield Act, was implemented from 1750-1752 throughout the British Empire and the
American Colonies. A subsequent conversion to the Gregorian calendar began in 1753, to align the British
Empire with other European countries. The conversion process required three years for Britain to fully implement the Act.
In Britain, the historical New Year began on January 1st of each year. The liturgical year began with the
first Sunday of Advent. In this regard, the Civil New Year began on 25th of March, or the Feast of the An(Continued on page 3)
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(Continued from page 2)
nunciation also known as Lady Year. In this regard, it became necessary for the British Empire to resolve
this long standing confusion over the date of the New Year.
The major highlights of the Calendar Act of 1750 were as follows: Eleven days were eliminated
from September 1752; the number of leap years was reduced; and the beginning of the Civil New Year
was changed from March 25, 1752 to January 1, 1752.
Terminology was developed to differentiate between the two calendars “Old Style” [OS -stili veticris]
and “New Style” [NS-stili novi]. Any date associated with the Julian calendar was designated with
“OS”, and any date associated with the Gregorian calendar was designated “NS.” In the British dominion, double dates designated a date that fell between January 1st and March 25th until 1752. For example,
25th January 1720/1 means the date intended was January of the civil year 1720 and of the historical year
1721. Note a slash [/] is used when using double dates to distinguish between calendars.
By a twist of fate King George II and George Washington shared the Old Style calendar on their
birthdates, and they shared the New Style calendar on both their dates of death. Because the Revolutionary War intervened during their lifetimes, the calendar was probably the only thing that they wanted to
share in common with each other.
References:
An act for regulating the commencement of the year; and for correcting the calendar now in use, Statutes
at Large, volume 20, 1765. The original 1750/51 Act. Chapter 24 Geo.2.c 23
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/
Color Guard and other PCC members and guests march to
Washington Square
Color Guard Drummer George Clarke gets ready at the
City Tavern for the Washington’s Birthday march to
Washington Square
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Bruce Gill, Executive Director of Harriton
House in Bryn Mawr, gave us a history lesson about Charles Thompson.
WASHINGTON’S BIRTHDAY
CELEBRATION
Phil Anders awarded Bruce Gill The Silver Good Citizenship Medal for outstanding patriotic achievement and service. Bruce has
devoted over three decades to the restoration and development of
Harriton House. Harriton House is a colonial era farm, and the
homestead of Charles Thompson (1729-1824), the Secretary of the
Continental Congress throughout the Nation’s founding. Bruce
has created a dynamic and vital youth education program while
preserving this historic site for public use.
At the April BOM meeting, Phil Anders presented the
Lafayette Volunteer Service Medal award to Carl
Fletcher and Kelsey Brown for their work on the National Patriot and Graves Registry
Phil Anders leads the PCC Color Guard in the wreath
laying ceremony by the George Washington statue at
Independence Hall
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PCC ACTIVITIES
May
2nd
3rd
6th
25th
25th
25th
31st
PASSAR Annual Meeting, Reading,PA
French Alliance, VFNHP
Board of Management Meeting
Radnor Memorial Day Parade,
Wayne Memorial Day Service, Wayne, PA
DAR-CAR Memorial Day Service, Washington Square
Malvern parade, Fire House
June
1st
7th
14th
14th
14th
14th
19th
Board of Management Meeting
Chapter Picnic, Fenimore Woods Park
Flag Day, Constitution Ctr
Flag Day, Independence Hall
Flag Day, Flag House
Flag Day, Independence Hall Mall
March Out, VFNHP
July
4th
4th
8th
21st
9:00AM
2:00PM
10:00AM
9:00 AM
12:30 PM
4:00PM
12:45PM
9 ;00AM
11:30AM
9:00 AM
10:00 AM
1:00AM
E Vincent Twp R/W Grave Ceremony
9:00AM
Let Freedom Ring , Flag House, Phl, PA
1:00PM
Newsletter deadline, Carl Fletcher, Editor
Annual Mtg, Nat Soc of Wgts & Measures, Sheraton Soc Hill 9:00AM
Annual Patriots Picnic
Sunday June 7, 2015
Fenimore Woods Park
This is to announce to all members of Philadelphia Continental Chapter the Annual Patriots Picnic will be held at Fenimore Woods Park on Sunday June 7th, 2015. Plan to arrive by 11:30 AM to
enjoy the lavish offerings. We will feature a 110#
pig as well as the traditional hot dogs and hamburgers. We will have beer and wine and assorted cold soft drinks to satisfy your thirst. Bring
your wife and family and friends. All are welcome to enjoy the program we are planning.
Please call or email Jim Willis, notifying him
with your name and number of guests you are
bringing. (484-266-0026}
[email protected]
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Philadelphia Continental Chapter – SAR
3346 N SMEDLEY ST
PHILADELPHIA, PA 19140-4901
Remember the picnic, June 7th
Fenimore Woods Park
Eagle Road and Park Road
Radnor, PA
11:30 until 2:30 PM
Pig Roast
Hamburgers and Hot Dogs
Soft Drinks
Please call or e-mail Jim Willis,
notifying him with your name and
number of guests you are bringing.
Phone: 484-266-0026
E-Mail: [email protected]
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