Chapter President

S teve Manis

C hapter Vice President

Ronnie Schoolcraft

Chapter Secretary

Clark Wright

Chapter Treasurer

Bill Mayo

Media

Robert Gindratt

Quartermaster

Larry Armstrong


Sidney Sherman Chapter #2

Minutes

September 18, 2018


The Sidney Sherman Chapter #2, Sons of the Republic of Texas gathered at Kelley's Family Restaurant in Texas City before 6 PM. on September 18, 2018.

President Steve Manis called the meeting to order at 6:31 pm. Vice President Ronnie Schoolcraft gave the invocation and led us in the pledges to the U.S. and Texas flag.

KSJ attendees: Robert Kendall, Tom Green

New Members: President Manis inducted two member, Robyn Davis and Mike White.

Chapter Members attending: George and Larry Armstrong (Quartermaster), Thomas Aucoin, Dan Burnet, Jim Cantrell, Robyn Davis, Robert Gindratt (Media), J.B. Kline, Steven Manis (President), Billy Mayo (Treasurer), Doug McBee, Mike Mitchell, Ronnie Schoolcraft (Vice-President), Mike Turner, Mike White and Clark Wright (Secretary).

SRT Members attending: Albert Seguin Gonzales, for a total of 20 SRT members.

Guests attending: included Chaille Manis, Linda McBee, Helena Aucoin, Destiny Davis with 2 others, and Richard Barnes came with Doug McBee, for a total of 25 attendees.

Roster: Members identified themselves with a synopsis of their connection to the Republic of Texas.

Minutes of recent meetings are all available online on the Chapter Web Site, the July minutes were approved by motion of the membership. The chapter Treasurer reported about 4000 dollars in the bank account.

Recent Chapter Activities: Several of our members attended the Texian Navy Day Ceremony. Normally it is held on the Battleship Texas, but due to the weather, it was moved to the Monument.



Upcoming activities: Participation is encouraged for the Gonzales Ceremony October 2 remembered in activities October 4-6. The Sam Houston Chapter intends to have a booth at an annual event in Katy on the 13th. We will have a presence at the presentation for Officer Barnes of Santa Fe on October 12th. Our membership meets again at Kelley’s on the 16th. The annual gathering in Lakeview Cemetery will occur on October 18 this year to accommodate the participation of the students from Burnet School in Galveston. There will also be the annual remembrance of Steven F. Austin’s birthday in Angleton and one in San Felipe de Austin on November 3.

OLD BUSINESS: Our flag set is now complete being a U.S., Texas, San Jacinto and SRT flags.

Speaker: Ron introduced Robert Kendall, KSJ as our speaker. He has been a member of the SRT for 63 years, reminding us that SRT accepts Junior Members from birth. Robert is a third generation descendant of Sidney Sherman. Robert provided background of the history of the Kendall family, immigrating through New York and Pennsylvania. Sherman’s parents died when he was very young and an older sister cared for him early. He apprenticed in New York before going to Kentucky where he organized several businesses. Robert is descended through Sherman’s daughter named Bel. When Sherman learned about the conflict in Texas, he organized a troupe, and outfitted them with uniforms and provision, traveling with them through Natchitoches Louisiana to reach Texas. He headed through Nacogdoches to relieve Travis at the Alamo, when hearing of Houston’s retreat into east Texas. Robert discussed the actions of April 20 and 21, 1836. His soldiers were the first to declare “Remember the Alamo, and Remember Gonzales”. After the war Sherman settled on the banks of Buffalo Bayou, but went through several businesses ventures, loosing considerable on the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos and Colorado (BBB&C) Railway, whose locomotive was named the General Sherman. Robert described, how passengers had to disembark upon approaching the Brazos River. The bridge was a pontoon bridge and the incline was too steep for passengers and cars. Sherman moved to Galveston in 1855 after his wife died, to be with one of his daughters. He was the last general from the San Jacinto Battle to die, 1873.



The meeting was adjourned at 7:46 PM.

Chapter Officers met on October 9, 11AM at Kelley’s. We reviewed medal samples in preparation for an award to Officer Barnes in the Santa Fe Incident. Next, we discussed members who are delinquent in their dues payment. We will prepare to drop them from our lists if they do not renew. Steve will send out emails to those members. An effort will be made to clean the statue of Mirabeau Lamar in Richmond before a ceremony mid-December. Steve indicated that he would purchase frames to be given at the Burnet/Sherman Ceremony near the end of October. Ron announced that he would not stand for election for 2019. Several other names were discussed, but all of the other officers indicated that they would stand for 2019. Certificates are being prepared for two honorary members. The speaker next week will be Jim Glover of the Sam Houston Chapter discussing “Ten Leagues and a Filibuster”. We broke up after noon.

Prepared by Clark P. Wright, Secretary, September 22, revised October 9, 2018