A meeting of the Lt. Nathan Gann Chapter, S. A. R., was held at 7 PM Thursday, May 19th, 2005 at the Golden Corral Restaurant in Lufkin, Texas. Members and guests arrived after 6 PM to eat prior to the meeting.

Members attending were: Fred Jacobs, Fred Preston, Lester Sparks, David Adams, Vance Roberts, Woody Gann, and Ed Shelton. Members then introduced their guests which  were Mary and Sam Griffin, Honora Jacobs, Keturah Jacobs, Mildred Sparks, Betty Preston, Charlie Hamilton, Nancy Hamilton, Ben Pyle, Ellen Pyle, Jane Shelton, Munir Ahmad, Meryam Ahmad, Mediha Ahmad the speaker Dr. Joseph Devine.  In total there were 7 members and 15 guests.

President Fred Preston called the meeting to order. Chaplain Lester Sparks gave the invocation. Ed Shelton led the assemblage in the pledge to the U.S. Flag and the SAR Flag all standing and in unison.

Preston asked for a motion to accept the March minutes.  Fred Jacobs made the motion and Ed Shelton seconded.  The motion carried.  Members were asked if they had any problems viewing the minutes as email attachment or on the web site, apparently no one had a problem.

Treasurer, Jeff Corbett, was absent, no report.

Under Old Business, Preston reported that the Poster Contest had been wrapped up by the presentation of Certificates of Appreciation and Bonds to the 5th grade students of St Cyprian's at an assembly in front of all the 1st through 6th grade students on April 18th.

It was pointed out that we now have an eagle on the American Flag pole and a spear point on the SAR Flag, cost was $78.10.

Preston reported that the chapter received a Certificate of Recognition for our participation in the 2005 Partners in Patriotism Program of the Sons of the American Revolution and The American Legion to honor men and women who served at home and on the battlefields during World War II.

At this point President Preston introduced Mediha Ahmad, who then read her entry in the Knight Essay Contest entitled "The Evolution of the Judiciary".    Mediha is the daughter of Dr. Munir Ahmad and Meryam Ahmad.  She is Valedictorian of her graduating class at Lufkin High School.  She has been captain of the Literary Criticism team in the school for the past three years. She won first individual in district for the last two years and sixth in Regional Competition.  A member of the UIL Mathematics Team, Science Team and Calculator Team for all four years in school.  Mediha plays tennis and she and her doubles partner were number one on the girls doubles junior varsity team.  She plans to go to Brown to study history then Cornell to become a physician.

Mediha Ahmad, Valedictorian of her Graduating Class at Lufkin High School.

New Business: None mentioned.

Preston then introduced Dr. Joseph Devine, prof. of history at SFA since 1968.   Raised in Philadelphia and obtained his BS degree from Georgetown Univ., then an MA and Ph.D. in history from the Univ. of Virginia.  His academic specialty is the political history of the colonial and Revolutionary periods.  His talk was "Hearts and Minds of Revolutionary Americans".  He showed how the lower house of elected representatives was stronger than the Governor appointed by the Crown in each of the Colonies. That the taxation was started as a means of reducing that power and this led to the Revolutionary War.  It was an excellent talk and was well received.

Dr. Joseph Devine, Prof. of History at SFA since 1968.

Preston thanked Dr. Devine and then led the assemblage in the SAR Closing Admonition.   There was a motion to adjourn, seconded and so be it.

Respectfully submitted,

Fred Preston, President