The Huguenot Society

of the

Founders of Manakin in the Colony of Virginia

80th National Assembly

The Manakin Huguenot society met in its Annual Assembly in Richmond, Virginia on June 3-4, 2011 at the Holiday Inn Koger Conference Center in Midlothian.

After presentations from the board, national officers and branch presidents, the following were elected as officers for 2011-2013.

President: Dee Herod Smothers (TN)
1st Vice President: John Sevier Gibson (TX)
2nd Vice President: Carol Chambers Gibson (TX)
3rd Vice President: Jack Apperson (VA)
Treasurer: Margie Tucker Stewart (TX)
Chaplain: Dr. Beth McKay (TN)
Corresponding Secretary: Cindy Waters (TN)
Recording Secretary: Bill Fenn (VA)
Registrar: Bettie Davis (TN)
Historian: Olivia Bates Chandler (TN)
Librarian: Dr. Ann Woodlief (VA)
Junior Director: Sharon Champlin (OK)
Flag Custodian: Gene Garrison (VA)
Headquarters Superintendent: Ryland Hughes (VA)
Advisors: Margie Stewart (TX), Aline Roberts (TN), Carol Cason (VA)
national officers
Seated: Apperson, J. Gibson, Smothers, C. Gibson, McKay, Roberts
Standing: Fenn, Stewart, Davis, Chandler, Woodlief, Garrison, Champlin, Hughes, Cason
memorial service
On June 4, a Memorial Service was held at the Old Church, led by Chaplain Carol Gibson and President Margie Stewart

On Saturday the group went to the Virginia Historical Society. There we viewed a number of colonial records related to the Huguenots. These included the original minutes of the Huguenot Episcopal Church, beginning 1707, and the 1687 pass of Antoine Trabue, signed by the Geneva ministers. We toured the new Civil War exhibits and found portraits of the Archer/Clark [Chastain] family, early Huguenots in Virginia.

Antoine Trabue pass
Trabue pass, 1687

After lunch, the group toured the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, with an emphasis on Huguenot and French holdings. These included portraits of the colonial Jacquelin children, Paul Revere teapots, the Tiffany Collection, and the Mellon Collection of French Art.

Jacquelin portraits
Portraits of Jacquelin children, Jamestown
Revere teapot
Paul Revere teapot
Tiffany Church Window
Louis Tiffany, church window
Tiffany window
Louis Tiffany, window

The formal social and banquet were held at the Holiday Inn Koger on Saturday evening.

Dee Smothers
New President Dee Smothers receives presidential sash from Outgoing President Margie Stewart
Waters
Cindy & Dan Waters
Chandlers, Sowa, Nagel
The Chandlers, Helen Sowa, Meg Nagel
Roebuck, Masden
Josie Roebuck (Jr. Member) and Caroline Masden
Hughes, Stewart
Jeanne Hughes, Margie Stewart, & Ryland Hughes
Gibsons
Jack & Carol Gibson
Wrights
George & Martha Wright

Brigadier General Jack Apperson (US Army, retired) spoke about how the society could better honor the military service of Americans with Huguenot ancestry. He encouraged members to submit ancestors for the Military Honor Roll at headquarters.

Jack Apperson

The evening ended with a lively auction of French and Huguenot items.