News - NS Colony of Mayflower Descendants

News

Annual General Meeting (AGM) of The Nova Scotia Colony of Mayflower Descendants
Held 23rd September 2023 at New Heights Baptist Church Arcadia, Yarmouth County
2023 Ancestral Roll Call
The Regent read the ancestral roll before the AGM started. She requested that members in attendance raise their hand when the name of one of their ancestors was read. In total, there were 18 members and associate members attending the annual meeting. There were descend- ants from 29 Mayflower passengers recorded. The number in square brackets is from the 2022 AGM, and the number in parentheses is from the 2019 Conference [pre-Covid]. Mayflower Passenger Ancestors Roll Call
Families: Husband & Wife (Maiden name) SURNAME; Child/Children
John ALDEN 6 [4] (8) Isaac & Mary (Norris) ALLERTON; Bartholomew, Remember, Mary 6 [3] (9) John & Elinor BILLINGTON; Francis 5 [3] (13) William BRADFORD 2 [1] (3) William & Mary BREWSTER; Love 13 [6] (11) Peter BROWNE 1 [0] (3) James & Mrs. CHILTON; Mary 5 [3] (8) Francis COOKE, John 11 [6] (14) Edward DOTY 3 [0] (0) Francis & Sarah EATON; Samuel 6 [3] (7) Moses FLETCHER 0 [0] (0) Edward & Mrs. FULLER; Samuel 1 [2] (6) Samuel FULLER 3 [1] (0) Stephen & Elizabeth (Fisher) HOPKINS; Constance, Giles 18 [6] (14) John HOWLAND 16 [10] (14) Richard MORE 2 [2] (2) William MULLINS; Priscilla 6 [4] (8) Degory PRIEST 0 [0] (0) Thomas ROGERS; Joseph 1 [3] (1) Henry SAMPSON 0 [1] (3) George SOULE 1 [0] (0) Myles STANDISH 2 [2] (2) John & Joan (Hurst) TILLEY Elizabeth 15 [8] (14) Richard WARREN 11 [8] (16) William & Susannah (Jackson) WHITE; Resolved, Peregrine 2 [2] (2) Edward WINSLOW 0 [0] (2)
“In Remembrance” Regent Cheryl Anderson spoke about the loss of two long-serving members of our colony. She noted the 2023 death of Eleanor Robertson Smith on February 10th. Eleanor was the founding president of the Shelburne County Genealogical Society and a charter member of the Nova Scotia Colony of Mayflower Descendants. She also announced that Ric Noble died just this week on September 20, 2023 after a short and sudden battle with cancer. Cheryl then called for a moment of silence in honour of Eleanor and Ric.
1. Call to Order & Welcome Regent Cheryl Anderson called the meeting to order at 2:15 PM There were 18 Members and Associate Members present 2. Approval of Agenda Approved by consensus 3. Reading of the Mayflower Compact (read by the Regent) 4. Approval of Minutes of 2022 AGM Held 25th November 2022, in Middleton, Annapolis County Moved by Deborah Trask, seconded by Barry Frame 5. Report from the CSMD: Governor Bill Curry – attached carried 6. Reports of Executive Officers – circulated in advance Treasurer: Barry Frame presented Gary Archibald’s report. The fiscal year is September to September. Moved by Barry, seconded by Peter Fillmore to accept the Treasurer’s report Other reports: Regent: Cheryl Anderson Historian: Judi Archibald Elder: Beth Hyslop carried Moved by Albert Johnson, seconded by Carol Harding to accept the reports of the Regent, Historian and Elder carried 7. New Business Support for the Historian Moved by Marshall Moses, seconded by Greg Cook that financial support be provided for the Historian, up to the amount approved last year ($800.). carried Historian election Regent Cheryl Anderson told the membership that Historian Judi Archibald has decided to retire after serving in that position for 14 years. She accepted the resignation, with regret, and called for nominations for Historian. Bill Curry nominated David Bradley who is currently Co-historian of the Canadian Society so is familiar with what is required. David has a seasonal residence in Cumberland County. Cheryl called 3 times for further nomination before Marshall Moses moved that nominations cease, seconded by Valeria Greenwood carried 2024 Conference and AGM The Regent announced that the 2024 Conference will be held in the Middleton area, September 20-21st, and she looks forward to seeing everyone there. 9. Adjournment Moved by Carol Weir, seconded by Bob Power carried Meeting adjourned at 2:45 PM

2022 Nova Scotia Colony of Mayflower Descendants Conference and AGM

Annual General Meeting (AGM) of The Nova Scotia Colony of Mayflower Descendants
Annual General Meeting (AGM) of The Nova Scotia Colony of Mayflower Descendants Held 19th November 2022
at Middleton Fire Hall Middleton, Annapolis County 2022 Ancestral Roll Call
The Regent read the ancestral roll before the AGM started. She requested that members in attendance raise their hand when the name of one of their ancestors was read. In total, there were 18 members and associate members attending the annual meeting. There were descend- ants from 29 Mayflower passengers recorded. The number in square brackets is from the 2021 AGM, and the number in parentheses is from the 2019 Conference [pre-Covid]. Mayflower Passenger Ancestors Roll Call Families: Husband & Wife (Maiden name) SURNAME; Child/Children John ALDEN 4 [10] (8) Isaac & Mary (Norris) ALLERTON; Bartholomew, Remember, Mary 3 [9] (9) John & Elinor BILLINGTON; Francis 3 [8] (13) William BRADFORD 1 [2] (3) William & Mary BREWSTER; Love 6 [15] (11) Peter BROWNE 0 [3] (3) James & Mrs. CHILTON; Mary 3 [8] (8) Francis COOKE, John 6 [10] (14) Edward DOTY 0 [3] (0) Francis & Sarah EATON; Samuel 3 [7] (7) Moses FLETCHER 0 [0] (0) Edward & Mrs. FULLER; Samuel 2 [2] (6) Samuel FULLER 1 [5] (0) Stephen & Elizabeth (Fisher) HOPKINS; Constance, Giles 6 [17] (14) John HOWLAND 10 [15] (14) Richard MORE 2 [2] (2) William MULLINS; Priscilla 4 [10] (8) Degory PRIEST 0 [0] (0) Thomas ROGERS; Joseph 3 [5] (1) Henry SAMPSON 1 [3] (3) George SOULE 0 [0] (0) Myles STANDISH 2 [3] (2) John & Joan (Hurst) TILLEY Elizabeth 8 [14] (14) Richard WARREN 8 [13] (16) William & Susannah (Jackson) WHITE; Resolved, Peregrine 2 [3] (2) Edward WINSLOW 0 [0] (2)
1. Call to Order & Welcome Regent Cheryl Anderson called the meeting to order at 2:10 PM There were 18 Members and Associate Members present 2. Approval of Agenda Moved by Gary Archibald, seconded by David Allen carried 3. Reading of the Mayflower Compact (read by the Regent) Following the reading of the Compact, Cheryl asked Founding member David Allen to pay tribute to founding member Ed Morrisey who died 22nd June 2022. David gave a brief history of how the colony came to be, and Ed’s central place in that. Ed took on the role of Regent until the first organizational meeting after which he became a member at large on the executive, and remained so until his death. David then called for a minute of silence in Ed’s honour. 4. Approval of Minutes of 2021 AGM Held 25th September 2021, in Arcadia. Yarmouth County Moved by Peter Fillmore, seconded by David Allen carried 5. Report from the CSMD: Governor Bill Curry – attached Bill has been re-elected to another 3 year term as governor at the recent AGM of the Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants. He mentioned that the CSMD now has a stronger social media presence, and an upgraded and integrated database for easier communications 6. Reports of Executive Officers – circulated in advance Treasurer: Gary Archibald Moved by Peter Fillmore, seconded by Barry Frame to accept the Treasurer’s report carried Regent: Cheryl Anderson Vice Regent: Barry Frame Historian: Judi Archibald Elder: Jean Wood Moved by Bill Curry, seconded by Valaria Greenwood to accept the reports of the Regent, Vice Regent, Historian and Elder carried 7. New Business Support for the Historian Although the Canadian Society pays for an online subscription to Ancestry for all the historians, there are other expenses such as supplies and hardware. Moved by Marshall Moses, seconded by Ann McKenzie that financial support be provided for the Historian, up to the amount approved last year ($800.). carried Revised Bylaws Bill Curry, along with Regent Cheryl Anderson and Secretary, Deborah Trask, reviewed and revised the bylaws to remove inconsistencies. These revisions were approved by the Board and circulated to the membership on August 21st with a recommendation to approve. Cheryl called for a vote to support the recommendation of the Board carried 8. Election of Officers Bill Curry, as past regent, presented the following slate: Regent: Cheryl Anderson Vice Regent: Barry Frame Past Regents: Bill Curry, Gorndon Wood Treasurer: Gary Archibald Historian: Judi Archibald Secretary: Deborah Trask Elder: Beth Hyslop Surgeon: [vacant] Captain: Peter Fillmore Member-at-large: Marlene Wood The Regent called 3 times for further nomination, and hearing none declared the slate elected. She then asked Beth Hyslop, as the new Elder, to introduce herself to the members present. 2022 Conference and AGM The Regent announced that the 2023 Conference will be held at the New Heights Baptist Church Arcadia, Yarmouth County, September 22-23rd , and she looks forward to seeing everyone there. 9. Adjournment Moved by Marshall Moses, seconded by Deborah Trask carried Meeting adjourned at 2:40 PM
Regent Report September 2022 After the Covid-modified September 2021 Conference and AGM, we held an October meeting to review the day. An important discussion centered on our first use of Zoom to include people who could not attend in person. Based on the comments of both the viewers and our videographer, we realized we cannot provide a quality product for audio and visuals with that medium and will not provide it again. We were pleased with the positive reviews from those who attended in person. Our masked photo will long be a poignant memory of the day Under the Covid restrictions imposed by the NS Department of Health and those based on our own caution, the Colony Board members continued to hold virtual meetings via Zoom. As the year progressed, we met five times to plan the 2022 Conference. In addition, an ad hoc committee consisting of Past-Regent and Canadian Governor, Bill Curry; Secretary, Deborah Trask; and me was formed to make some small adjustments to our By-Laws. These have been sent out to the membership, so we will vote on them at the AGM. I thank each Board member for their role in making our Colony active and strong, especially, Vice-Regent Barry Frame who has led the planning for this Conference. As your Regent, I am automatically a member Board of Assistants of the Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants. I have attended five Zoom meetings over the past year, including the November Annual Compact Meeting where I offered to take the role of Editor of the Canadian Pilgrim, a twice-yearly newsletter that is a benefit of membership in the CSMD. I invite Colony members here today who are members of the Canadian Society to contact me about possible submissions to the newsletter. If your Canadian Society membership has lapsed, please consider rejoining so you can receive this newsletter. Another benefit of the Society is the creation of the new CSMD pin which will be available for Society members to purchase at our AGM in September. We thank Captain George McNeillie, Past Governor, for his diligence in procuring this new design. Watch the Facebook pages of the Canadian Society and our NS Colony where we have been entertained and educated over the past year by Becket Soule, Society Deputy Governor and Elder with Mayflower, Day by Day, and currently, Carol Martin, Society Surgeon, with her Mayflower Medicine postings. Following the Conference, we will again post photos of our time together. Thank you for your continued support of the Mayflower Colony. Respectfully submitted Cheryl Anderson, Regent
Vice Regent Report 2022 The most important responsibility in my role as Vice Regent of the Nova scotia Colony of Mayflower Descendants is to act as the Chair of the planning committee for our annual conference in September. The conference planning committee consists of the Colony’s board members. We held our first planning session for the September conference back in January and have met regularly (via Zoom meetings) as our plans evolved. I am fortunate to work with an experienced committee who have worked together to plan prior conferences, through some challenging times I must add, so everyone knows what needs to be done to get our conference organized and they are a great group to work with. The biggest challenge to putting together an interesting conference for our members is to find a line-up of guest speakers. This year I believe we have once again put together an excellent group of speakers, selected from a list of potential speakers that were suggested by our committee members. I hope to see you all at the conference on the 23rd and 24th of September. Respectfully, Barry Frame, Vice Regent
Elder’s Report September 2022 Our Colony was saddened to hear of the passing of our founding member Edward Montgom- ery-Campbell Morrisey at the Dartmouth General Hospital on June 22, 2022. Ed was born on June 23, 1932 in Saint John, New Brunswick. Ed is survived by his wife Shirley, as well as their sons Andrew Morrisey and Michael Morrisey, and their daughter Ruth Ann Kuhn. Ed’s work life included his service as a Major in the Lincoln and Welland Regiment in Saint Cath- arines, Ontario. Ed was the first Claims Supervisor when the Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company opened their Halifax, Nova Scotia branch in 1979. He was a dedicated member of the Masonic Temple and served as Grand Master. Ed’s many interests included stamp and coin collecting, painting and gardening. His particular love was sailing. Ed was passionate about family history and was a charter member of the Nova Scotia Colony of Mayflower Descendants. Ed’s involvement in our Colony’s beginnings was best explained by Ed himself in his column Colony Beginnings in The January 2020 Colony Chronicle: “We have all heard of Susan Roser who has been the driving force behind the Canadian Soci- ety of Mayflower Descendants. It is because of her that I first became interested in the Socie- ty. She approved my certificate. Years after that she emailed two others and me asking if there was sufficient support in this province to start a Colony in Nova Scotia. That was mid 2004. It was suggested David Allen and Ed Morrisey contact each of the names that were on the list sent by Susan Roser which was done, asking if there was sufficient interest in starting a Nova Scotia Colony. Happy to say the results were most promising. We next had to get some by-laws and she came to our rescue sending a draft copy which was to be our guide as well we received an agenda. We had 19 positive petitions, 4 more than the required 15. The first organizational meeting was held 11 September 2004 in Dartmouth during which in- terim officers were appointed: Ed Morrisey Interim Regent, David Allen Interim Secre- tary/Treasurer, Gordon Wood Interim Vice Regent, and Eleanor Smith Interim Historian. At a second organizational meeting, 23 October, 2004 in Lunenburg, the By-Laws were discussed and Ed Morrisey stepped down as Interim Regent and Gordon Wood filled that position. At that meeting it was agreed that there was a commitment to start a Nova Scotia Colony of Mayflower Descendants.” Ed’s energy and enthusiasm for the Colony never waned. He served on the Board from the beginning until his passing. Despite health challenges in recent years, he attended our confer- ences with the able assistance of his wife Shirley. His warmth and gentle sense of humour never dampened and will be missed by our members. Respectfully submitted, Jean Wood
NOVA SCOTIA COLONY OF MAYFLOWER DESCENDANTS SOCIETY Another year has passed and the interest and inquiries through the Nova Scotia Mayflower Society has been steady. It was wonderful to get together last September for a modified one-day Conference and visit with our friends even with Covid restrictions. Many people used these Covid restrictions to work on their genealogy and thus Mayflower interest has continued to be high. It is interesting to note that so many people have their ‘roots’ in Nova Scotia, although they live all over the world. The ‘wait time’ for approvals once a completed application is received in Plymouth is six to seven months; Supplementals and Family Applications might be a month or so less; and Silver Supplements are usually approved between a one and two month time frame. Due to a change of policy, Verifiers are now able to work from home and not have to ‘go to the office’ in Plymouth so the verifiers can live anywhere in the States and do the work that was once all housed in Plymouth. I would like to thank Margaret Dougherty, a member of the Canadian Society Historian Team, representing the Nova Scotia Colony, for her role as First Contact with the Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants. Margaret receives all inquiries/contacts from anyone interested in going through the membership process and works with the prospects in these first stages of the process. Margaret has much genealogy knowledge and experience and she is always willing to share her experience. A Privacy Policy is planned for the Canadian Society both for paper files as well as electronic files. Also a Retention Policy is being worked on and will be put forward for discussion with the Canadian Society. Once these Policies are finalized, they could and should be used by the Nova Scotia Colony. My three year term as Historian of the Canadian Society is now over although I am still able to approve applications as Co-Historian and this allows me to approve applications at the Nova Scotia level on behalf of the Canadian Society. The numbers of applications/members are as follows: Applications Approved by Plymouth (from Nova Scotia) 7 From 1 October 2021 to 15 September 2022 Applications in various stages of the application process from NS (or with NS roots) that I am presently work on 30 Although it appears there were only 7 applications approved by Plymouth over the past year many of the applications that I work on and approve as Co-Historian of the CSMD, have Nova Scotia ‘roots’ in the early generations. This year the Canadian Society of Mayflower Descendants has paid for the renewal of Ancestry for the Nova Scotia Historian’s use. Again, I would like to express my continued appreciation to Wilfred Allan and Carol Law for the loan of the Silver Books from Wilfred and the Nickerson Family Books from Carol - I use those books often. A thank you to Cheryl Anderson. Cheryl is always there to answer my emails for help on ‘look ups’, my many ongoing questions or just general Mayflower discussions. On a personal note, I am certainly looking forward to our 2022 Conference in Middletown and the connecting with old friends, making new friends and the experience of ‘getting together’. We will miss Ed and Shirley Morrisey at our September Conference as Ed passed away in June of this year. Ed was a Member-at-Large and was a ‘founding member’ of the Nova Scotia Colony in 2005. Ed was an inspiration to us all. Happy that we were able to ‘get together’ in 2021 and looking forward to seeing everyone in September 2022. Respectfully submitted Judith L. Archibald Historian
Nova Scotia Colony of Mayflower Descendants APPLICATIONS APPROVED SEPTEMBER 1, 2021 to August 31, 2022 Tammy Loretta Sanford ( Richard Warren ) Cecil Swimm (Stephen Hopkins) Carol Nickerson (John Howland) Jane Christy Tooker (Mary Chilton) Ronald Edward Leahy (Stephen Hopkins) William Emerson Curry (John Billington) William Emerson Curry (Richard Warren ) Freida Trask (John Alden)

Minutes of older Annual General Meetings (AGM)
of The Nova Scotia Colony of Mayflower Descendants
are online here.