The New Bern Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution and the Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution co-hosted their annual celebration of George Washington’s Birthday on Tuesday evening, 22 February 2022 at the New Bern Golf and Country Club. Thirty-eight combined members, spouses and guests of the New Bern Chapter, Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter, Patriot Isaac Carter Chapter, NC Society, Children of the American Revolution and Masons attended the celebration. In keeping with the first public recorded celebration of George Washington’s Birthday at Frilick’s Hotel, New Bern, NC on 22 February 1796 (5 years after George Washington’s visit to the city) Toastmaster Lee Purcell (New Bern Chapter) orchestrated six verbatim toasts cited at the 22 February 1799 celebration. The first toast of the evening: “A toast to the 22ND Day of February….may it be kept by future ages, that those who see the great fabric of American glory completed, may remember the hand that laid its foundation.” New Bern Chapter compatriot Dr. David Skaggs, Emeritus Professor of American History, Bowling Green State University made a presentation on “The Yorktown Decisions: Washington, Rochambeau, and de Grasse and the Chesapeake Campaign.” Jacob Paré, the youngest attending SAR member from the Patriot Isaac Carter Chapter was presented with a Certificate of Appreciation for his assistance in leading the Pledge of Allegiance and drawing the winning tickets for the evening’s door prizes. Two of Jacob’s 7GGFs, Joseph Josselyn, Jr. fought with the militia at Bunker Hill and Rev. Jonathan Davis fought with the Marquis de Lafayette at Yorktown. The last toast of the evening: “A toast to the immortal George Washington and his companions in arms, the patriotic heroes of the American Revolution.”

Pictured from left to right are Dr. Bob Ainsley, President, New Bern Chapter-NC SAR; Sims Wayt, Regent, Richard Dobbs Spaight Chapter-DAR; Dan Paré, Patriot Isaac Carter Chapter-NC SAR; Jacob Paré, Patriot Isaac Carter Chapter-NC SAR; Davis Benedict, President, NC Society, Children of the American Revolution; Napoleon Carter, President, Patriot Isaac Carter Chapter–NC SAR; RADM Jay DeLoach, President, NC Society SAR; Tim Harris, Historic St. John’s Masonic Lodge #3; and Kathy Benedict, Senior President, NC Society, Children of the American Revolution.