Compatriots,

We had another great weekend of work at the two schoolhouses.

In New London on Saturday, we prepared more of the surfaces with primer, sanding, plaster, wood filler and so on. We even had six visitors.

Our volunteers were:
Harry Clarke
Bruce Cunard
Tim Jacobs
Stephen Marshall
Stephen Shaw

In East Haddam on Sunday in the cold, we gave all the wall surfaces a fresh coat of paint. We have no idea when it was last painted, but we think it was in the late 60's when the museum was last rehabbed. This schoolhouse is now ready to be opened for the season and waiting for the new exhibits.

The volunteers were:
Damien Cregeau
Pamela Hall
Stephen Marshall
Frederick Rivard
Thomas Smith
Stephen Shaw

I can't tell you how proud I am of the dedication of our volunteers to help us preserve our Revolutionary War history for future generations.

On Sunday, April 13th and April 20th at 9am in New London we have a lot of painting to do. So far we have eleven volunteers which include cadets from the Coast Guard Academy. This is the final two days to be ready for May 1st. If you would like to help, please let me know or just stop by.

Patriotically,

Stephen P. Shaw

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Compatriots,

The painting is looking wonderful at the Nathan Hale Schoolhouse in New London. With everything all cleaned up the room just seems so much bigger.

With the help of nine volunteers, we put a final coat on the ceiling and the walls and put a primer coat on the windows and trim.

The paint colors are now historically correct. The multiple paint samples which were sent out for analysis resulted in an off white color for the walls and a light grey on the trim.

Thank you so much to our members and the Coast Guard Cadets who helped:

Cadet Katie Colella
Bruce Cunard
Daniel Davis
Tim Jacobs
Cadet Mike Haas
Steve Marshall
Cadet Lauren Power
Stephen Shaw
Thomas Smith

Sunday April 20th will be our last day of major painting. We will likely have a minor day of fine tuning and cleanup on April 27th.

Patriotically,

Stephen P. Shaw

Compatriots of the Connecticut Line CTSSAR,

We had a GREAT day in Bedford, Concord, and Lincoln, Massachusetts yesterday. We were dry in Bedford and Concord, and it was not until we were ending the parade in Lincoln that it started to POUR!

Three Great Events honoring Patriot's Day, and the SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION were announced at each of them.

THREE HUZZAHS FOR THE CONNECTICUT LINE!!!

I would like to thank the following members for marching with the Connecticut Line CTSSAR:

Wayne Bickley
Geoffrey Colby
Gina Gerhard
Lee Gerlander
Todd Gerlander
Randy Gerlander
Bob Lasprogato
Fred Rivard
Bob Rivard
Russell Wirtalla
Richard Wright

Allan Van Wert (becoming a dual member w/CT)

THREE HUZZAHS!!!

Our NEXT event will be the PATRIOT'S DAY PARADES at Concord and Lexington, Massachusetts on MONDAY, APRIL 21, 2008. I will e-mail details tomorrow.

Put your Faith in God and keep your powder dry,

Todd L. Gerlander
Colonel Commanding

Compatriots,

The Nathan Hale Schoolhouse is getting so close. The restoration of the first floor is almost complete and will be ready to be opened on April 26th when 700 Coast Guard Cadets parade up State Street.

Twelve of us did more and more detail work. It's amazing how many little items can take a chunk of time; such as filling in the holes where the pulleys had been for the old rope and weight windows (eleven of them) and the trim work on the new mantel which needed to be scribed into the stone fireplace. Tom Smith is a tremendous painter.

We touched up the ceiling and wall paint, put a second coat of the paint on the windows and chair rails and corner casements, a primer coat on the baseboard and mantel, a final coat on the walls and stairs of the stairwell, cleaned out the basement, swept and vacuumed the first floor, moved the larger furniture from the second floor to the first, sanded the stair rail and table top and much more. It's amazing how much you can get done with the help of six Coast Guard Cadets. And we found out that Cadet Higbie and Cadet Schwartz are both SAR members in other state societies.

I wish to thank the following for all the help:

Bruce Cunard
Daniel Davis
Cadet Mike Gordon
Cadet Mike Higbie
Tim Jacobs
Stephen Marshall
Cadet Shae Quinn
Cadet Kaelon Russell
Cadet John Schwartz
Stephen Shaw
Thomas Smith
Cadet Adam Tanner

We will be at the schoolhouse again on April 27th at 9am to finish things off. If you can help, please let me know.

Patriotically,

Stephen P. Shaw
Property Steward

Compatriots of the Connecticut Line CTSSAR,

Another year of Patriot's Day Parades is over, and once again the Connecticut SAR marched in ALL 5 Parades commemorating the start of the American
Revolution:

Liberty Pole Capping Parade/Ceremony, Bedford, MA.

Meriam's Corner Parade/Ceremony, Concord, MA.

Paul Revere Capture Parade/Ceremony, Lincoln, MA.

Patriot's Day Parade, Concord, MA.

Patriot's Day Parade, Lexington, MA.

I think that deserves FIVE HUZZAHS!!!!!

This was my 11th year marching in Concord, 4th or 5th in Lexington (I will have to look back to check that), and I can honestly say that this was our BEST year yet. I thought we really looked GREAT yesterday! The crowds were large, particularly in Lexington. I heard so many comments from the public as we marched, "GO CONNECTICUT", "Those are the Sons of the American Revolution", "They look Great!", just to name a few.
GREAT job everyone!!!

I would like to thank the Compatriots who marched in Concord and Lexington yesterday:

Wayne Bickley
Geoffrey Colby
Lee Gerlander
Todd Gerlander
Randy Gerlander
Howard Greene
Fred Rivard
Russell Wirtalla
Richard Wright

Camp-Followers:
Liisa Colby
Gina Gerhard

and I would like to thank everyone who marched in the
5 Parades, keeping the name of the SONS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION ALIVE!!! at these important historic commemorations. Once again CONNECTICUT has answered the LEXINGTON ALARM:

Wayne Bickley
Geoffrey Colby
Lee Gerlander
Todd Gerlander
Randy Gerlander
Howard Greene
Bob Lasprogato
Fred Rivard
Bob Rivard
Allan Van Wert
Russell Wirtalla
Richard Wright

Camp-Followers:
Liisa Colby
Gina Gerhard

I will try to e-mail some photos tonight.

On to BUNKER HILL in remembrance of the 200 CONNECTICUT men who fought under the Command of General Israel Putnam and Captain Thomas Knowlton . .
. .

Put your faith in God and keep your powder dry,

Todd L. Gerlander
Colonel Commanding

Compatriots,

Thanks to so many people the painting of the first floor in New London is complete.

On Sunday, April 27th, we had ten volunteers including three more Cadets from the Coast Guard Academy. We put the final coats of paint on the baseboard, mantel and doors, scraped all the windows, washed all windows on the inside and some on the outside with the help of a tall Cadet and touched up the paint here and there. We even had enough extra hands to remove the hardware from the windows on the second floor.

Many thanks to:

Bruce Cunard
Robert Herel
Tim Jacobs
Cadet Luke Mayotte
Cadet Gregory Ostrov
Frederick Rivard
Donna Samulenas
Stephen Shaw
Thomas Smith
Cadet Cameron Welicka

I am so impressed with some many members and non-members who have helped to make this happen. The schoolhouse looks so good and is ready for the new exhibits which will be installed in June.

Patriotically,

Stephen P. Shaw
Property Steward
Connecticut, Sons of the American Revolution