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SAR chapter installs members
loc slt SAR
Sons of the Plains Chapter SAR new members include, from left: Roy Rick Eckert, Fred Gunn, Dean Bruns, Nick Peter, Austin Fletcher, Mark Buckley, Wirt Buckley, Richard Greever and Dale Dawson. - photo by COURTESY PHOTO

The Sons of the Plains Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution hosted a Western Kansas Regional Meeting at the Lone Wolf Restaurant in Ellinwood on Saturday, Oct. 7. State Society President Dennis Nelson of Overland Park, Vice President Bobbie Hulse of McPherson, Western Vice President Stan Jantz of Hoisington, and Color Guard Commander Dewey Fry of Stilwell were on hand to help with installation of 15 new members. The rite of installation was conducted by President Nelson and the new compatriots were pinned with the society’s rosette by their sponsor. Robert Yarmer, Ellinwood historian, gave the program about the first automobiles in Barton County.


President General Larry T. Guzy has issued a goal for the national society of 64,000 members in the lineage society by the time of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. The Kansas Society is well on their way to filling their quota to help reach the goal. The Sons of the Plains Chapter in Hutchinson installed nine new members, Bennington Chapter in Salina installed five new members and the Fort Hays Chapter had one new installation at the recent event.


New compatriots include:
Sons of the Plains – Dean Bruns, McPherson; Mark Buckley, Hutchinson; Wirt Buckley, Olathe; Dale Dawson, Great Bend; Roy “Rick” Eckert, Pratt; Austin Fletcher, Hutchinson; Fred Gunn, Ellinwood; Richard Greever, Hutchinson; and Nick Peter, Marion.
Bennington – Larry Bohning, Denver, Colo.; Patrick Crawford, Lindsborg; Kenneth Naysmith, Belleville; Richard Trow, Salina; and Ricky Trow, Salina.
Fort Hays – Garry Baxter, Cedar.


Membership in the SAR is open to men who can demonstrate that their ancestor provided active service in the cause of American independence either by serving in the military or in some other significant role.
Goals of the 128 year-old patriotic organization include promoting patriotism, and building respect for American history and the founding fathers. The SAR also supports veterans in VA hospitals, the Boy Scouts and ROTC cadets. Awards and scholarships are also given to students who win orations and poster contests on patriotic topics.
One of the SAR’s newest programs is to select an American History teacher and send the winner to the Freedoms Foundation Teacher Workshop in Valley Forge, Pa.


The Sons of the Plains chapter meets at 9 a.m. the second Saturday of the month from September to May in the Walnut Room of the Hutchinson Community College Student Union. The next meeting will be at 9 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 18. Further information about the SAR, or its many activities is available by calling chapter president, Justin Engleman at 620-792-2429.