Dear Pilgrims

Our Compact  Day meeting 2009 was exceptional.  Forty Pilgrims listened to National Archives specialist Kerry Bartels who was warmly received. Continuing our patronage at the Tam O’Shanter we will be going back there on Nov 6th 2010. Our speaker will be General George Washington as portrayed by Mr. C. Roger Cooper of the Sons of the American Revolution.

On Saturday March 13th (my birthday) the Los Angeles Colony had a colonial style tent at History Day LA 2010 at Azusa Pacific University. This event was a great success with many students (all ages) interested in Mayflower History accompanied by their instructors. We also handed out a number of Mayflower preliminary membership aplications. Our Chaplain Deborah Clayton was in period costume and had prepared corn bread for our visitors, her contribution and help was outstanding. I was also in period costume for the first time.  In another tent protected by a Continental Soldier, General George Washington (Mr.  Cooper) was enlisting students into the Continental Army. A slide show of this event is now on the LA Colony website.

Our last meeting at Versailles in Manhattan Beach was beset by many elemental hurdles. That morning was the earthquake in Chili, which was followed by tsunami warnings all along the coastline. The weather was as foreboding as could possibly be with the prediction of thunderstorms and heavy rains. Yet twenty brave souls arrived that day to share the afternoon with their colony. Our designated speaker was our Deputy Governor Ward White. Ward set up his projector which is a current model only to have it shut itself off after a few seconds. We noticed that the lights in the restaurant where flickering, and later found out that this was due to low voltage.  We will be bringing a voltage regulator to all future meetings

I ended up speaking on the development of Plymouth Colony and the migrational path of my pilgrim descendent ancestors into the interior of the American Continent.  Deputy Gov. Ward White will be our speaker at our next meeting on June 5th at Stevens Steakhouse which is across from the Citadel Outlet Mall in the city of Commerce.  His topic will be The Faith of Our Fathers, The Pilgrim Story which he originally prepared for and delivered at the Ronald Regan Presidential Library for 150 quests.

I want to remind everyone that September 9th through the 12th is the General Society meeting in San Diego.  This is an extremely rare event and I urge everyone to attend. There will be tours, speakers (Caleb Johnson) and a black tie dinner. Further details are in the Mayflower Quarterly and the calendar section of the Los Angeles Colony Website.

Best regards

Gov. Franklin E. Smith III

Los Angeles Colony of Mayflower Descendents

In the State of California