Dr. Benjamin Franklin, one of our nation’s Founding Fathers, visited the Mecklenburg chapter’s annual President’s Day Community Dinner tonight to share his observations on the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.

“This is the fourth year of our President’s Day program and it was extremely well received and popular,” said Mecklenburg chapter program officer Tom Phlegar. “This year we had 205 registered guests who attended making this our largest President’s Day event to date.” The special guest for 2017 is Abraham Lincoln.

In other business during the annual meeting, Charlotte Eagle Scout Bo Carlson was presented with the chapter’s Eagle Scout scholarship. In the photo below, North Carolina SAR State President Tim Berly presents the Eagle Scout SAR Scholarship to Eagle Scout Carlson. In the photo below, left to right, Joan Rigel, Edward Rigel, SAR Vice President General of the South Atlantic District, Ben Franklin, Bo Carlson, and Tim Berly, North Carolina SAR state president, pose for a photo.

“Our annual President’s Day program has grown from 115 guests in our first year with Thomas Jefferson to the 205 guests we had last night for Benjamin Franklin,” added Phlegar. “Next year’s guest of Abraham Lincoln will probably reach a new attendance record north of 250 guests.”

In the photo below, Mecklenburg chapter member Adam Zollinger’s children meet Benjamin Franklin to discuss the U.S. Constitution.