PIONEERING YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW
Official Newsletter of the
National Society of the Sons of Utah Pioneers™
May 2008, Volume 4, Number 5
Dear Friends,
We have recently completed our annual Chapter President’s Council meeting and, from your responses, it was very successful. We had a wonderful turnout of Chapter Presidents, Presidents-elect, Directors, Area VPs, and wives. Many indicated they were greatly benefited from the exchange of ideas in the breakout sessions. There will be considerable follow-up from National to supplement what was covered.
The wives seemed to enjoy the program that was provided for them by Matt and Kelly Dahl of This Is The Place Heritage Park.
The luncheon filled the main hall almost to capacity as we enjoyed an excellent meal provided by Dil Strasser of the Sugar House chapter. We were captivated by the life experiences shared by our keynote speaker and prominent member, Frank Madsen. Several very special awards were presented to worthy recipients.
Our 75th Anniversary year is moving swiftly along. Although our donations for the Diamond Jubilee Fund are coming in quite well, we encourage those members and chapters who have not contributed yet to open your hearts and be part of this great program.
We are scheduling the placing and dedication of the “Eyes Westward” monument on July 19th. We hope you will mark this “red-letter” day on your calendar.
Another date to note is September 25, 26 & 27. That is our annual “Encampment” or “Convention” to be held in Richfield, Utah. This year we are inviting the Presidents-elect to come for a special training session Thursday afternoon. We hope our members will come “pack” the wonderful facilities our host chapter is providing for learning, eating, comradery and just plain enjoyment.
One last word – Chapter Presidents, please exert every effort to get your member dues in to National ASAP. This definitely relates to retention and your overall effort to build and strengthen your chapter membership.
Please check the website and Trail Marker for additional information concerning National and Chapter activities.
I sincerely encourage all of you to keep up your good work.
Booth Maycock
2008 National President
NATIONAL NEWS
APRIL CHAPTER PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL WELL
ATTENDED. Over 100 chapter presidents,
president-elects and their wives attended the
April 19th meetings held at the National
Headquarters Building.
Under the direction of the three members of the Executive Council, separate break-out groups (below) discussed a wide assortment of issues dealing with the administration of chapter duties and relationship with the members.
Three presidents were selected to serve on the Nominating Committee for the 2009 President- Elect; Ted Pierce, Holladay Chapter, Steve Heath, Cedar City Chapter, and Gene White, Settlement Canyon Chapter. They will join with three Past National Presidents, Grant Barton, Kent Lott, and Louis Pickett to select two nominees who will be presented to the members at the Richfield Convention for voting. We encourage chapters and members to pass on recommendations for this important position to any of the Committee members. Jay Smith, immediate Past National President, is the chairman of this committee.
While the men met on the bottom floor (above),
the wives (below) moved to the main floor where they
were treated to presentations by Matt and Kelly
Dahl (right) concerning the significant
changes occurring at “This is the Place Heritage
Park”. Two docents from the park joined Matt
and Kelly.
The meetings were followed by a delicious
lunch (right), an inspiring talk by Frank
Madsen, Public Relations Program Director, and
several presentations to individuals and
chapters. (See separate article on presentations).
Over130 individuals attended the luncheon. It
was widely felt that the meetings served their
purpose very well.
SPECIAL INDIVIDUAL AWARDS PRESENTED AT CHAPTER PRESIDENTS COUNCIL. The following individuals were recognized at the April 19 meeting and presented appropriate awards.
Modern Pioneer- Matt and Kelly Dahl (See photo above)
Golden Pioneer- Frank Swallow and Kenneth Blair. Both sons of men who arrived in Utah before the railroad in 1869. Only identified true living sons of actual pioneers.
National Distinguished Service Life Membership- Steve Ogden. Steve gave great service and financial assistance in the carpeting of the National SUP Library and Office.
2006-2007 CHAPTER AWARDS GIVEN. 138
chapter awards were presented in seven focus
areas as part of the luncheon meeting at the
Chapter Presidents Council. In addition to
certificates for each award, beautiful chapter
banners (right) were presented to each chapter
with the seven focus areas depicted in colorful
graphics over columns where year strips can be
attached. The year “2007" was included on the
banners where awards were given for this past
period. (See photo) The Ogden Pioneer
Chapter was honored for being the only chapter
who earned an award in each focus area.
Nebo Chapter Banner
The seven focus areas are (1) membership, (2) treks, (3) pioneer heritage, (4) community service, (5) monuments, (6) chapter activity and (7) tomorrow’s pioneers. The banners may be rolled compactly and transported to chapter meetings where they can be displayed. This represents the first chapter awards given under the new Awards program initiated at the Heber City Convention in 2006, and covered the period from July 1, 2006 to December 31, 2007. Minimum standards have been identified for 2008, and chapters are asked to submit quarterly reports to help determine award recipients. Annual award recognition will be made at each April Chapter Presidents Council meeting.
“Eyes Westward” Monument Update. The beautiful statue of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young gazing westward is being cast and assembled for a July 2008 dedication. Two of three payments have already been made to the foundry from monies donated by members and chapters to the Diamond Jubilee Monument and Building Improvement Fund. Over $40,000 of the $75,000 goal has been reached. Presidents, please encourage your members to consider supporting this Diamond Jubilee fund drive. Chapters who contribute over $750 or who have 75% or more of their members contributing will receive a beautiful “patch” that they can attach to their new banners. Six chapters received their patch at the Luncheon meeting. Others will be awarded as amounts are contributed. Individuals who contribute over $1,500 to the fund will receive a beautiful 12" replica of the monument with an attached plaque that personally recognizes their contribution. Four of these small statues were presented at the luncheon meeting.
2008 CHAPTER MONUMENT ACTIVITY
At least
three other
monuments are ready
for 2008 dedication.
On April 26, about 50
persons gathered on a
windy afternoon at the
Lehi smokestack
(right) marking the
location of the Lehi
Sugar Factory to
dedicate a monument
with marker
recognizing the
significant
contribution this first
successful sugar
factory in the
Mountain West made
to the economy of
Utah County. The
monument sponsor is
the “Lehi Chapter”.
This first beet sugar
from this factory was
produced in October
1891 and spawned
many other factories in
Utah and Idaho
operated by the Utah
and Idaho Sugar Company.
Past National President, Jay Smith (left), and 2008 National President, Booth Maycock (right) at the Lehi Sugar Factory Monument Dedication.
On June 16, the Bountiful Chapter will host a dedication of the Odell Mortenson statue at This is the Place Historic Park. It will be located in the row of monuments already there, next to the Handcart Family statue.
Sometime in August, the Sugarhouse Chapter will host the dedication of a beautiful stone monument topped with a soaring eagle. The location of this marker is at the mouth of Emigration Canyon about 2 miles east of the This is the Place Heritage Park. Other monuments are being planned in Richfield.
2008 ANNUAL MEMBER DUES
Over 450
annual members have still not remitted their
dues for 2008. Presidents, some of these dues
have been paid to your treasurer, but he has not
remitted them to National. Would you
personally follow through and make sure all
collected dues have been sent to Headquarters.
The rest of these dues have not been paid by
members.
A list of unpaid chapter dues should have been given to you by your Area Vice President in March. We need to know the situation with each member on the list. We encourage personal contact with each one to make sure they are given the opportunity to continue their affiliation with the Sons of Utah Pioneers and to continue receiving the valuable PIONEER magazine. We remind you that all chapter members must be registered as National members, either annual or life. If we are to continue growing in strength, we must retain a greater number of our members.
A NEW SUP CHAPTER IN FILLMORE
The “First Capital” chapter was organized in
Fillmore, Utah in March with a beginning
enrollment of ten members including two
transfers from the supporting Sevier Valley
Chapter. We welcome this new chapter from
the area of the Territorial Capital of Utah in
the mid 1850's.
COMING EVENTS
You and your chapter
members won’t want to miss the 2008 SUP
Convention to be held in Richfield, Utah
September 25-27. Get your registrations and
motel reservations in now. (See last page of the
last PIONEER magazine.) This promises to be
an outstanding convention. Mark your calendar
for November 1, 2008 as the date for the 2008
SUP Historical Symposium to be held at the
National Headquarters Building. Presentations
will be made in the afternoon followed by an
evening dinner and speaker. Details will soon
be forthcoming.
INSPIRATIONAL STORIES NOW ONLINE
A long
awaited program to capture inspirational
pioneer stories on the Internet is now in place.
Under the direction of the Sons of Utah
Pioneers, SUP members and nonmembers
alike may submit stories of their ancestors as
well as stories about modern pioneers to the SUP
website where they can be viewed by the general
public.
Over 25 stories have been submitted so far. Up to four pictures can be submitted with each 1-10 page story. We encourage all members, their family and friends to go to our website, sonsofutahpioneers.org and follow the clear instructions for submission.
The site can also be searched by specific words to call up any story that includes that word. This will be a valuable tool for researchers, families, speakers etc. These stories are part of the “Pioneer Heritage” focus area identified as part of the Chapter Awards program, and a significant part of our Diamond Jubilee Year.
Chapter Presidents: Would you please vigorously encourage all chapter members to Submit short pioneer stories for publication on the SUP website and in our SUP library. Visit www.sonsofutahpioneers.org for details.
CHAPTER NEWS
SETTLEMENT CANYON (Tooele, UT) The annual cleanup of the Pioneer Cemetery is under way. This project will include weeding and planting flowers. It is nearing time that the museum will be opened for the season and the members are busy cleaning the building and the grounds. Longer hours will require more docents for the museum.
BOX ELDER (Brigham City, Utah) The history
of Brigham City’s Relief Society Granary was
related at a recent chapter meeting by Donald
Pond (right).
The granary is presently being restored by
members of the chapter. At the conclusion of
Mr. Pond’s report he presented the chapter with
framed copies of the Granary history and artwork
taken from the cover of a book about Harriet
Snow, a wife of Lorenzo Snow. She was
directly involved in establishing the granary
building in 1879. She served as the Brigham City
Stake Relief Society President from 1872 to
1890. Brigham Young sent Emmeline B. Wells
to Brigham City in 1876 to call Relief Society
women to gather and store wheat, thus creating
the need for the granary. The granary is listed on
the “National Register of Historic Places”. At the
April 9th meeting of the chapter the “Senior
Swingers” entertained the group. Former
Chapter President, Les Dunn was among the
musicians as the trumpet player. The music was
familiar and appreciated by those in attendance.
MAPLE MOUNTAIN (Mapleton, UT) Last month the chapter enjoyed a great meeting with guest speaker Roger B. Nielsen, the author of “Roll Call at Old Camp Floyd, Utah Territory”. He told of Johnston’s army coming to Utah under orders from the U.S. government. Mormon settlers had orders to burn their own homes if the army did not continue beyond the City. Women and children were evacuated under direction from President Brigham Young. The army moved on south and west and camped at the site that became Camp Floyd. Roger brought and displayed artifacts he found at the site. Rifle slugs, buttons, and other metal objects such as gun parts, were in the displays. He also showed several guns typical of the period.
LEHI (Lehi, Utah) The chapter has a most
impressive schedule planned for the remainder of
the year. It includes: Dedication of the Lehi
Sugar Factory Monument in April, a two day
trek in May over a portion of the Pony Express
Trail in western Utah, a trolley ride in the Lehi
Roundup Grand Parade in June, a dinner meeting
at the Robert Lott’s Hardway Ranch in July, (A
fund raiser for the “Eyes West” Monument),
dinner meeting in
August with talk
on Martin’s Cove,
and a multiple day
trek to Martin’s
Cove and related
historic sites in
Wyoming. In
March Valdeen
Hadfield (right) spoke to chapter
members on the
subject of the
Pony Express.
This was very
interesting and will help prepare members for the
trek in May. Subjects he covered included: The
reason for the Pony Express, the riders, their
experiences, and its demise.
TEMPLE FORK (Logan, Utah) Dr. Gary Richardson gave a power point presentation concerning the history of Dairy Science programs at Utah State University. He was a professor of Nutrition and Food Science in Microbiology at the University. He told the SUP audience that there was no test for grading milk in the early days. No one knew if the milk was all from cows or if water had been added. Later the Babcock test was developed which made the fat float so a volumetric measure of the butterfat could be taken. A Dairy Herd Improvement program was developed which gave information to farmers regarding the production record of each cow. With this information dairy herds could be improved by culling out poor producing cows and keeping calves from high producers. USU scientists have perfected a cheese-lactoseproduction technique that is now used throughout the world.
GROVE CITY (Blackfoot, ID) At a recent
meeting of the chapter Cal Murdock (right) presented the
program and
told of his life
and love for the
out-of-door. As
early as his high
school days he
would spend
summers in the
mountains. He
loved horses
and would work
with outfitters in
the summer
months and with
hunters in the
fall. At one time in his life he rode the length of
the Smokey Mountains, the Grand Tetons, and
the Canadian Rockies. He also canoed parts of
the Lewis & Clark trail. He developed an
interest in researching pioneer history and found
a John Murdock. He learned of the Murdock
twins who were given to Joseph and Emma
Smith, also John Riggins Murdock, who was one
of Brigham Young’s “Down and Back Boys”.
He went back to Nauvoo five times and guided
pioneers to Utah. Cal feels that his connection to
the pioneer Murdock family gave him the love of
the outdoors.
CANYON RIM & SUGARHOUSE (Northeast SL Valley and Sugarhouse, UT) In prior reports the Beehive chapter was joined with these two forming a triad. The Beehive chapter has now merged with Canyon Rim. At the April 24th meeting, the presenters were Mike and Darcy Kennedy. Even though Mike was born and raised in Cedar City, it was when he lived in Nevada that he was contacted by LDS missionaries and joined the church. He is now the only blood descendent of the Prophet Joseph Smith who holds the Melchizedek Priesthood. Mike is an executive producer of the new film, “Emma Smith, My Story”. He talked about the production of that movie. In May the twin chapters plan a trek to the Hale Theater to see “Annie Get Your Gun”.
BOUNTIFUL (Bountiful, UT) The April meeting of the chapter featured Dr. Ric Hauk, founder of the Archeological-Environmental Research Corporation. Dr. Hauk discussed his work on Book of Mormon evidences in Central America. He is now in the process of expanding his research in Guatemala and is awaiting government approval to begin extensive excavation and exploration into possible Book of Mormon sites. He hopes to start the work this month. Music for the evening was by the “Harmonix”.
JORDAN RIVER TEMPLE (Southwest Salt
Lake County) Guest speaker for the April
chapter
meeting was
David
Gotberg (right) who has
worked as a
rehab
missionary at
the Utah State
Penitentiary
and at the
Detention
Center.
Having
overcome
some personal
feelings of
inferiority as a youth, and having served as an
LDS bishop, has made him sensitive to the
feelings and needs of those he works with. His
presentation made the group more aware of
challenges that many in our society face and that
there are successes in lifting people up to a
spiritual and productive life. The chapter has
plans for a trek in early May to the Railroad
museum in Ogden and the Hill Field Air
Museum.
OGDEN PIONEER (Ogden, UT) Recent meetings of the chapter have featured President Gordon Watts of the Ogden Temple and Marlin K. Jensen, the Historian Recorder for the church. President Watts spoke of some of his ancestors and the part they played in the “building of the kingdom” and the building of the temples. Several of his ancestors gave all they had to be able to receive the temple ordinances. He emphasized that the church is not complete without the temples and the ordinances performed there. In addition to a message from Brother Jensen at the April meeting, Larry Blanch, the chapter Scholarship/Essay Chairman, introduced this year’s contest winners and they were given time to read their reports.
HURRICANE VALLEY (Hurricane UT) April 23rd was recognition night for 4th grade students who were winners in the annual Essay Contest. Fifteen students were invited, with their parents, the principal from each school and some teachers of the winning students. A few of the students were invited to read their report to the group.
SEVIER VALLEY (Richfield, UT) A presentation was made to the chapter by Douglas L Barton on the development of broadcasting in Manti and Richfield. Broadcasting began with a small operation started when Doug was a student in middle school in Manti. He showed pictures of some of the early staff members from the mid 1940’s. The currently used transmittal antenna is the highest in the U.S. A new antenna, which is located on Mt. Edna, Southwest of Richfield, and which will go on line this summer will be the highest in the world. There is no electrical power to the antenna so it will be operated by diesel power. It will be a digital radio station and will have three channels.
UPPER SNAKE RIVER VALLEY (Rexburg,
ID) At the most recent meeting of the chapter, a
Power Point presentation was given by Mr. Gail
Cazier (right).
Gail is the
chapter
genealogy and
photos chairman.
His report was on
the status of a
project to
photograph
grave stones in
local cemeteries
and then index
the information
which is then
made available
on the internet
along with the photos. Gail has devoted many
hours to this project to take the pictures, edit and
index them and make them available. The work
has been completed on the Rexburg, Sugar City,
Wilford Archer (Sutton), and the Teton/Newdale
cemeteries. Work is underway on the Burton and
Rigby cemeteries. The indexed photographs and
information are available by CLICKING HERE
Chapter Presidents: Please ask your Tomorrow’s Pioneer Scholarship Chairman to forward to Angus Belliston brief biographies and pictures of the scholarship winners. We wish to publish these on the SUP website. (Send to angusjen@xmission.com or 2714 North 880 East, Provo, UT 84604)
The "TrailMarker" is the official newsletter of the National Society of the Sons of Utah Pioneers
Please send or email your pictures and stories to:
National Society of the Sons of Utah Pioneers
3301 East 2920 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 84109
Phone: 801-484-4441
Fax: 801-484-2067
Email: sup@networld.com