News

The 137th Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of The Revolution was held on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at the 23rd Street Armory of The First Troop Philadelphia City Cavalry, with over 130 members in attendance. This was, without doubt, the largest attendance we’ve had at an Annual Meeting in recent memory.

Christopher Michael Whelan, 39th president, called the meeting to order at 5 p.m., and Color Guard 1st Lt. Timothy Edward Games, Esq. led the parade and presentation of The Colors which was then followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Francis Michael Spano III, our chaplain pro tem, offered the Invocation.

The business portion of the meeting began with Secretary James Kipp Gearhart, IV and Treasurer Kenneth Walter MacNeal giving their annual reports, and 2nd Lt. Austin William Lamac presented the Color Guard report on behalf of Capt. Robert Jacob McNelly, Esq. Peter Laurence Hill Byrne gave the report of the Lancaster County chapter on behalf of Regent Troy Michael Keener.

The Capt. Alexander Grayson Award, for the member of the Sons who had proposed the greatest number of new members in the previous year, was bestowed on Lawrence Jay Field, who brought in three members, all from his family.

Rosettes were presented to 22 new members, and R. Reinhard Brasko offered greetings from the Pennsylvania Society of Children of the American Revolution. In addition, the names were read of our Society members who have this year achieved 50 years of membership, and a hearty round of applause was given to one of these gentlemen in attendance, Francis Aloysius O’Donnell, Jr.

President Whelan thanked the officers, board members and Color Guard for their dedication, and he offered thanks to Wayne Ralph Strausbaugh, Esq., and Ben Ramsay Wolf, Jr. for leading the team that organized the annual meeting. In his President’s Report, President Whelan said “we are in good shape financially” and “our membership remains strong at 1,030.” To promote the long-term financial health of the Society, he said, the PSSR needs to work on donor development. A comprehensive capital campaign will be launching later this year.

In addition, the Society’s effort to broaden its reach beyond the Philadelphia region will feature two events outside of the area in the coming year, the president said. One is already scheduled for June in Harrisburg, and we look forward to connecting with our members farther afield later this year.

The project to restore and relocate the Society’s 1890 monument in Gulph Mills to the Continental Army’s Valley Forge encampment will be capped with a rededication ceremony in December. Other monument projects are “in the works.”

President Emeritus Richard Francis Pagano gave the report of the nominating committee for officers and board members who were unanimously elected.

The 2025-2026 officers are as follows:

Christopher Michael Whelan, President

Joseph Thomas Coleman, Vice President

Tench Coxe Forbes, Vice President

William Frederick Forbes, Vice President

David Christopher Hill Byrne, Vice President

Wayne Ralph Strasbaugh, Esq., Vice President

James Kipp Gearhart, IV, Secretary

Thomas Herbert Infield, Assistant Secretary

Kenneth Walter MacNeal, Treasurer  

Carl Gissler Morgan, Assistant Treasurer

Brad Stephen Miller, Registrar

Edwin Sipler Hart, III, Historian

Rev. Tommy Alan Thompson, Chaplain

Christopher Bret Alexander, Esq., Counselor

Perry Catherwood Gresh                                       Manager (Class of 2023-2026)

Matthew Lee Forester                                            Manager (Class of 2023-2026)

Spencer Talbot Stokes                                            Manager (Class of 2023-2026)

Ben Ramsay Wolf, Jr.                                             Manager (Class of 2023-2026)

Jesse Terrence Proetto                                         Manager (Class of 2024-2027)

Mark Duane Edward Lupke                                   Manager (Class of 2024-2027)

Kristopher Stewart Powell                                     Manager (Class of 2024-2027)

William Raymond Warwick                                    Manager (Class of 2024-2027)

Justin Nathaniel Thompson                                    Manager (Class of 2025-2028)

Philip Avery Krogstad                                            Manager (Class of 2025-2028)

David William French                                            Manager (Class of 2025-2028)

Andrew Allan Evans Hunter                                   Manager (Class of 2025-2028)

Appreciation and gratitude were extended to retiring managers Andrew Crawford Colket, Albert Lindsay Doering IV, Esq., Austin William Lamac and Peter John Johnson.

After the business meeting, attendees reconvened in the recently renovated Troop Museum for heavy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar, as well as the Society’s extensive Haberdashery table open for business, offering a large selection of Society attire, merchandise and tchotchkes. At about 8:30 PM, the bus left to return about 30 suburban members to Bryn Mawr, and the reception came to an end about 9 PM.

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