[caption id="attachment_30624" align="aligncenter" width="5280"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/sar-2017-officiers.jpg" rel="attachment wp-att-30624"><img class="size-full wp-image-30624" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/sar-2017-officiers.jpg" alt="In the front row from left are Tom Wilson, registrar of the Gov. Paul Hamilton Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution; Frank Gibson, vice president; Claude Dinkins, president; Paul Steele, secretary; and Dr. Bill Sammons, treasurer and chaplain. In the back row from left are Don Starkey, webmaster; Maj. John Simpson, military awards; Dr. Tom Burnett, historian; Wayne Cousar, South Carolina Society president and education chairman; Michael Keyserling, color sergeant; Ian Bennett, CAR liaison; and Jody Henson, Eagle Scout scholarship and public relations. Photo by Sandi Atkins." width="5280" height="3772" /></a> In the front row from left are Tom Wilson, registrar of the Gov. Paul Hamilton Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution; Frank Gibson, vice president; Claude Dinkins, president; Paul Steele, secretary; and Dr. Bill Sammons, treasurer and chaplain. In the back row from left are Don Starkey, webmaster; Maj. John Simpson, military awards; Dr. Tom Burnett, historian; Wayne Cousar, South Carolina Society president and education chairman; Michael Keyserling, color sergeant; Ian Bennett, CAR liaison; and Jody Henson, Eagle Scout scholarship and public relations. Photo by Sandi Atkins.[/caption]

The Gov. Paul Hamilton Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) held its annual formal Christmas dinner meeting recently at the Dataw Island Club.

After an hour of socializing, President Claude Dinkins recognized three attending chapter members for their service to the South Carolina SAR, current state society President Wayne Cousar and past state presidents Carroll Crowther and Capt. C. Dean Cullison, USN Ret.

The dinner was attended by 61 members and guests, during which time William “Bill” Davies, of Edisto, spoke on Robert Mills (1781-1855), one of America ’s earliest native born architects.

A native of South Carolina, Mills designed many of today’s most graceful and long-standing buildings and churches in Charleston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington D.C., among others.

He was an early advocate of fireproof construction, designing the "Fireproof Building" in Charleston, built in 1827, currently the home of the South Carolina Historical Society.

Three new chapter members, Michael Kelley, Rob Pollard and Christian Tootle, were sworn in by Dinkins prior to Cousar swearing in members Frank Gibson and Paul Steele as chapter vice president and secretary, respectively.

Dinkins also presented Capt. Dean Hewitt, USN Ret., with a Korean War Service Veterans Corps certificate and past state President Carroll Crowther presented Color Sgt. Michael Keyserling with a streamer for the chapter flag in recognition of participation in the Battle of Eutaw Springs 235th anniversary service in September.

Anyone interested in joining the SAR or attending a meeting in the future can contact chapter registrar Tom Wilson at 843-812-9750.