Sunday, November 5, 2017

November: Veteran's Day Program




Members at Veteran's Day Memorial Service
Members attended a fully packed day of learning about Veteran's day at Jefferson Barracks Park and Cemetery. There were 6 members, 1 prospective member, and 7 seniors in attendance.

Member explaining the Zimmerman Telegram
First, members attended the "Over Here: World War I from Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis and Missouri" exhibit at the Old Ordnance Room at Jefferson Barracks Park. There, they learned about the Zimmerman Telegram and how it started World War I. The older members tried to explain it to us on video (see above and below).

Members explaining the Zimmerman Telegram
Second, member attended a wreath laying ceremony sponsored by the St. Louis-Jefferson Chapter DAR. Members helped pass out goodie bags to veterans.
Members gave goodie bags to veterans.


Third, members placed a wreath at the World War I memorial, to honor those who fought in the war they learned about earlier in the day.
Members placed wreaths at the WWI memorial.

Saturday, October 7, 2017

October Field Trip: Cahokia Mounds

All the members in 1!
5 members, 1 prospective member, and 6 seniors visited Cahokia Mounds to learn about the Organizing Secretary, Assistant Organizing Secretary, and American Indians programs.
Organizing Secretary Program: Members looked for information about the Lewis and Clark expedition, and learned ways that the American Indians helped the expedition to be successful.
Assistant Organizing Secretary Program: Members learned about archaeology and how it changes our understanding of history as we learn more about how people lived in the past.
American Indians Program: Members learned about how the Indians lived at Cahokia when it was first built, and during our countries early years. They learned about how the Indians helped our ancestors and the Lewis and Clark expedition. They got a lot of pictures!


Saturday, September 23, 2017

September Meeting: Missouri Botanical Garden

BEES!
Buzz 
6 Members, 1 Prospective, and 6 Seniors took a field trip to Missouri Botanical Garden and had lots of fun learning about plants from Missouri. We also signed 2 documents that helped Alexander McNair society grow by 2 new members!
Attendees learned about the conservation program along with many different plants from Missouri. They learned about a lot of things like bees, plants, and programs yet still had time to hug trees and have fun!

-Marcus, Age 13
Tree 

They also hugged some trees.

Saturday, August 12, 2017

August Field Trip: State Workshop

6 members, 1 prospective, and 8 seniors traveled to Columbia, Missouri for the Missouri State Society Children of the American Revolution (M.S.S.C.A.R.) State Workshop. Several of our members are state officers or chairmen, so they wrote skits to help share their projects with the rest of the members. They also were able to participate in crafts during the senior meeting.

Officers and chairmen wrote their own skits and invited others to join them.

Before the meeting, members and seniors participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at a veteran's memorial in Columbia. One of our senior leaders is the Senior State President and led the memorial.

Senior State President
An Alexander McNair Senior played the bagpipes.




















Members also learned about this year's state project, Have a Heart: Support Operation Gratitude. You can learn more about the program at their website:

http://www.operationgratitude.com/

Saturday, July 15, 2017

July Meeting: Packet Planning Meeting

Members made family trees for the Registrar's Program.

6 members, 1 prospective, and 8 seniors were in attendance at our Annual Packet Planning Meeting. Members and seniors reviewed the Browsing History National Program to come up with activities they would like to do during the year. They coordinated calendars to come up with the best meeting times and then scheduled the activities. Everyone was excited for the activities that we planned!

While there, members were able to complete two programs! They created family trees for the Registrar's Program. In this simplified tree, they could see how they linked to their revolutionary ancestor.
Completed family tree

They also learned about the Public Relations Program. For this program, members were to learn about how technology has changed throughout the years. They were able to look at their parent's cell phones and then they saw a rotary phone. They had to figure out how to make a phone call using a rotary phone!

Finally, the kids were able to go swimming at one of the local pools while a few of the seniors finished finalizing the calendar.

No meeting is complete without the C.A.R. song!

Saturday, July 8, 2017

July Field Trip: Old Courthouse

Members and prospective member at Old Courthouse
We went to the old courthouse in St Louis which is the first federal building west of the Mississippi River. We learned about Lewis and Clark, Native Americans and how they lived, and about the Dred Scott Case.

Lewis and Clark Expedition
We learned that Lewis and Clark bought everything in Illinois and followed the Missouri River. They picked up a Native American guide by the name of Sacagawea in Sioux nations. We learned that the Native Americans hunted Bison (Buffalo) for food, clothing, and sport.

Members participated in a mock trial.
Lastly, we learned about the Dred Scott Case through a mock trial. We got to play the parts of the different people in the trial. Dred Scott was an African American slave who wanted freedom. He went to court because he went into a couple of states where slavery was illegal. He thought he should have been freed because he was in those states. At trial, Dred Scott was declared free, but it was brought further and further up to the point where it reached the Supreme Court. They declared that Dred Scott was a still slave. Finally, he was freed by his first owner, who who bought him for a dollar and then freed him.

There was 5 members, 5 seniors, and 1 perspective member present.

Written by: Marcus, Age 13

Friday, June 16, 2017

Great Plains Regional Meeting



Several members and Seniors at Great Plains Regional Meeting
Members learned about the 2017-18 National Project, Browsing History, at the Great Plains Regional Meeting in St. Louis, MO. The regional meeting rotates between the 8 states in the region, and this year it was in our hometown! Alexander McNair members and seniors helped with various chairmanships. They were also able to participate as pages and flag bearers.

Pee Wee members recite the C.A.R
 motto: "For God and my country."
Regional meetings are run by the Region's Vice President. He or she selects members from the region to help lead the ritual during the meeting. Several of our members were able to help with the rituals.

Pee Wee member during a breakout session.
The National President has an opportunity to share information about his or her national program through skits and breakout sessions. Members are encouraged to meet new friends from other states during the breakout sessions.

Member receiving a pin from the National President

The regional meeting ends with a banquet on the second night. State Presidents share a report regarding their state projects. It is exciting to hear what the different states are doing. Also, members can receive pins at any N.S.C.A.R. meeting (regional or national convention). Several of our members and seniors received pins this year.

The Grand March
After the banquet is over, there is a Grand March! The children march in and have a dance for the rest of the evening.

There were 6 members, 1 prospective, and 7 seniors in attendance at the meeting.