Sons of Republic hold annual meeting, hear program on General Sam Houston

Joe Tom Davis, Texas history author and retired Wharton County Junior College history instructor, gave a program on General Sam Houston Saturday, Feb. 16 to members of the William H. Wharton Chapter No. 23 of the Sons of the Republic of Texas.

The annual meeting of the local SRT chapter was held at Muldoon's with a large mural of the Battle of the Alamo serving as the backdrop.

Dale Crowell, president, called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m.

Jack Swanson gave the invocation and Crowell led members and guests in the pledge to the United States and Texas flags. A steak and baked potato dinner was served.

After the meal Swanson read the minutes from the Saturday, Feb. 3, 2007 meeting held at the Elks Lodge in El Campo.

Wendel reported that the Chapter received a donation from the Laurance Armour families, along with donations from his and the Swanson families, to be used to help provide SRT scholarships to Wharton County high school graduates.

Currently, three scholarships in the amount of $250 are given each year. Any high school senior may apply, but preference is given to students who have a family connection to the SRT or to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas.

In other business Merle Hudgins reported being named the official Wharton County Historian by the Wharton County Commissioners Court and that her husband Joe, an SRT member, is continuing his archeological search for Indian artifacts throughout Wharton County.

Officers for 2008 were elected. They are Dale Crowell, president; John Crowell, vice president; Chris Wendel, treasurer; and Jack Swanson, secretary.

Membership in the SRT is limited to men who are a direct lineal descendant of a resident of the Republic of Texas prior to Feb. 19, 1846.

The state headquarters is located in Bay City.