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George Washington Endowment Fund
- Very often one hears the question, "What is that lapel pin you are wearing?" or "What is the purpose of the GWEF"? To answer these and similar types of queries one has to look back several years into the history of the National Society Sons of the American Revolution. Prior to 1993 the National SAR committees had no means of covering the costs related to the work of the committee such as printing, mailing, etc. It often fell to the committee chairman to foot the bill for things as postage/printing or a "hat was passed" at a meeting to raise funds for the particular project.
- Many ALSSAR members remember those days and provided money out of their own pocket to cover costs associated with the mission of the national committee. In 1993 the national trustees approved the establishment of the George Washington Endowment Fund (GWEF) with a charter to provide financial support to unfunded and underfunded national committees and special projects with the earnings of the endowment fund being distributed to appropriate committees and projects.
- Eighty percent of the income (defined as dividends and interest) are made available annually to help with these causes. Currently the endowment is valued at approximately $3.0 million and over the years has provided thousands of dollars to the SAR.
- With the advancements in communications technology such as e-mail, file share, texting many of the original needs for funding have gone away. While supporting the unfunded and underfunded committees remains the primary focus of the GWEF, the endowment has been able to expand its scope of help to support outreach education and, when possible, unique projects sponsored by state societies. In this latter category the Alabama Society has benefited from the GWEF through financial support for the Galvez signs placed in the Mobile area, the refurbishment of the marker dedicated to those Revolutionary War soldiers who settled in the Tuscaloosa area and the Jim Capers Grave Dedication in Pike County for the first fully documented free black Revolutionary War Soldier known to be buried in Alabama.
- The GWEF also provides funding for projects that often go unnoticed. The endowment provided $5,000 toward the cost of the base for the Minute Man Statute located in front of our National Headquarters in Louisville, while annually providing funds for some of the events at Congress such as the printing of the Public Service Awards booklet which is distributed at the President General's banquet and the cost of the Orations Contestant's breakfast.
- People who donate $1000.00 to the endowment fund are known as George Washington Fellows and are entitled to wear the lapel pin bearing the bust of George Washington. This can be done with a single donation or paid out at the rate of $200.00 yearly over five years, $250.00 yearly over 4 years, and $100.00 monthly over 10 months. Once someone is a fellow he or she will never be asked to donate again and membership is not restricted to a compatriot but also open to wives and children. In fact anyone who would like to make a $1000.00 donation may become a fellow. Your donation is never spent, only the interest and dividends that it earns are used. When you donate you are truly leaving “a patriotic legacy for life.”
- It is hard to believe but only 2-3 per cent of past and present SAR members are George Washington Fellows. The Alabama Society has, and continues to be, a strong supporter of the GWEF and has on three occasions won the national Howard F. Horne, Jr Award for having the largest annual percentage increase in GW fellows based on total membership. Our society has also won the Buck Meek Award which is based on the largest number of new members in the contest period. If you would like additional information please contact Compatriot Eric Alford (eric.alford.sar@gmail.com) for an application form. It is possible to receive your pin at this state meeting should you desire to support this endowment.
- The following is a list of GW Fellows from the Alabama Society. If you are a fellow, and not listed, please contact Compatriot Alford ASAP.
Alabama George Washington Fellows
James G. Alexander, Jr.
Eric D. Alford
Robert L. Anderson, Jr.
James K. Barksdale
Joseph D. Barker, Jr.
Savannah Baswell
Ronald Allen Bearden
Clarence David Billings
Nancy Carter Billings
George Blair
Richard Booth
Joseph A. Breland
Steven M. Brouse
Marion Bailey Brunson, Sr.
John Evans Bryan
Bruce A. Buehler
Edwin Dudley Burwell III
Marcus David Byers, Jr.
Ray V. Cassell II
R. Jefferson Coker
David W. Cole
Larry P. Cornwell
James S. Corum
William L. Crabtree
Sarah K. Curtis
Ronald N. Dains
Jason R. Dallas
William E. Daniel, Jr.
Philip C. Davis, Sr.
Linda J. Doherty
Robert Doherty
Walter C. Dorsey
James E. (Skip) Dotherow
John L. (Jack) Dwyer
Robert D. England
Richard Erickson
Nancy Folk
Joel E. Fortson
Michael Foster
John Ray Fuller, Jr.
Patrick C. Gifford
James E. Gilmer
John H. Graham
Linda S. Graham
Gaines Eugene Gravlee
Wayne Gregg
Jerry R. Green
James K. Griffith, Jr.
Mary T. Griffith
Nelson Gwinn
Benny H. Hannah, Jr.
Iris Hannah
Ernest Hansberger, Jr
Howard Wayne Hay, Sr.
James F. Haynes
Jerry A. Haynes
Dan Henry
Allen R. Herrod
Rod Hildreth
James J. Holt, Jr.
Stephen R. Hooks II
Charles S. Howell
Laura Nelle Clark Howell
Mark E. Hubbs
Robert B. Hunter
Preston E. Irving
Charles A. Isbell
John B. Isbell III
Stephen S. Jackman
Kenneth B. Jaggears
Janice A. Jennings
Randal S. Jennings
Richard M. Johnson
Wylie Pierson Johnson
David M. Jones
Penelope Jones
Joseph M. Jones
Thomas K. Keller
Marvin Henry Kelley
John Alan Kelsoe
Richard A. Kemp
Carl Bruce Kilgore
William D. King
William A. Kirkland II
Phillip Benjamin Kitchens
Billy Ray Land
Hartwell Lane
Price L. Legg
Thelma "Jean" Legg
Thomas Michael Little
Raymond L. Livingston, Jr.
Kenneth E. Mahan
Linda Alcott Maples
Jay G. Maples
James H. Maples
Scott A. Martin
Henry N McCarl
Edmon H. McKinley
Robert B. Melton
Victor Kenneth Michel
Millard E. (Mac) Moon
Malon Murphy
Helen Claire Murphy
John Paul Myrick
Thornton L. Neathery
Robert Glenn Nivens
Charles R. Nuckolls, Jr.
J. Fred Olive III
Charles R. Olling
Ann S. Packard
John Mallory Packard
Edwin Travis Parker, Jr.
Lillian Mae Pennington
Gaston Lee Petznick
Paul Gaston Petznick
Catherine F. Pharr
Owen F. (Chip) Pharr, Jr.
Robert Stanley Phillips
Joe K. Pickett
C. Bruce Pickette
Rita V. Pickette
William C. PIttman, Jr.
Howard D. Poarch
C. W. Posey, Jr.
Richard D. Price, MD
Clarence Rhea
Robert H. Richey
Donald L. Roberson
George W. Royer, Jr.
Diane Brandenberg Seales
B.D. Shaw
Wayne E. Sirmon
Hoyt O. Smith
Andrew H. Spann
Blake C. Stephenson
Walter B. Stevenson, Jr.
Charles R. Stone
William O. Stone
Oura L. Swart
Alfred W. Tate
Bruce Harold Taylor
Thomas Robert Thomas
Harold E. Thornton
Henry W. Tuttle
Edmond Van Orden
Viola L. Van Orden
Roger Vaughan
Reginald Vick
Marvin K. Vickers, Jr.
Walter Perry Vickers
George Eldon Vinson, Jr.
John David Wallace
John R. Walker
Thomas G. Walker, Jr.
John R. Wallace
Mary Ann Wallace
James Lee Wardlaw
Elizabeth C. Wells
Michael C. Wells
Benny West
Roger Harold Whitesides, Jr.
Dr. Benjamin B. Williams
Charles M. Winstead
Donis R. Wolfe, Sr.
Alabama Society SAR