The CFLSAR Blog Begins
Written by: Michael Neal – Central Florida Chapter
On May 10, 2024, I joined the Central Florida Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. My late DAR grandmother had wanted this for decades, since I was a child. As a younger Millennial man, I dragged my feet and kept pushing it off. But it gnawed at me to join, knowing she would love it and be proud that I am finally here. Thanks Grandma, sorry it took so long! Now, not even two years later, I find myself in humble service to the Chapter in a new and unexpected way: helping care for and improve our website.
I will admit, becoming a first-time webmaster was not exactly something I had on my original SAR bingo card – nor is buying colonial-period attire so I could start “dressing the part” at events and such, though I am slowly being coaxed by my fellow chapter compatriots in that direction too (thanks again, Grandma). I’m not even remotely familiar with web development. Thankfully I am in that “technological sweet spot”, along with most all other Millennials, where I can get by and learn quickly, and figure things out as I go — which is what I did (and am still doing). But the more I have worked on the site, the more I have come to appreciate what it can become: not just a place for dates and documents, but a living front porch for our Chapter. An outreach and connection tool. A place to share our work, honor our Patriots, highlight our Compatriots, promote our programs, and invite new men to discover their own connection to the American Revolution.
This blog is one small step in that direction. My hope is that it becomes a place where we can share chapter news, event recaps, Revolutionary War history, reflections on books, movies, and TV shows, stories from our members, and the many ways CFLSAR continues to serve.
And now with that, Compatriots, here is my call to arms: this blog should not belong to one person – or a few. It should belong to all of us. If you have a story, a Patriot ancestor, a favorite book, an event recap, a historical reflection, or a thought worth sharing, write it up and send it in. I’ll post it here, burying this – my first blog post – deeper and deeper to the bottom of the blog where it might just belong. All kidding aside, let’s build something together that honors the past, serves the present, and helps carry the SAR mission forward.