69th NSWFD Reunion
PHILADELPHIA!
NSWFD 69th Annual Reunion Weekend
In late September 2023, NSWFD members gathered in Philadelphia for the Society’s 69th Annual Reunion Weekend. An implicit theme of the weekend was the motto: “Sacrifice, Struggle, Succession.” It resonated on our Friday walking tours of the Old City’s iconic sites: Carpenter’s Hall, Independence Hall, The Liberty Bell, and the Museum of the American Revolution, and on our bus tour of Freedoms Foundation and Valley Forge.
Saturday, the theme was delineated in two noteworthy presentations: a video, “Ten Crucial Days,” in the Visitor’s Center of the Washington Crossing Park; and an engaging talk delivered by Gala guest speaker, David Price. Price, a noted author, spoke about the significance of a particular Revolutionary War battle and his book: “The Road to Assunpink Creek: Liberty’s Desperate Hours and the 10 Crucial Days of the American Revolution.”
Sunday, Reverend Jason Ferris, a member of the Society, welcomed us to Old Pine Church. One of its first pastors had served as a chaplain for the First Continental Congress and had joined Washington at Valley Forge in the winter of 1776.
After a box lunch and tour of the church grounds and cemetery, grateful cousins left for home mulling over the possible sites proposed for next year’s Annual Reunion Weekend.
68th NSWFD Reunion
Charleston!
Charleston was a fabulous reunion! We visited great places and had a wonderful time.
A special treat was the Ancestor Delegate Talks. The Friday night program, “Who Do You Think You Are?” featured a delegate from each family line to give a brief introduction to the ancestor along with some interesting sidebars including how the ancestor is related to George Washington’s family.
67th NSWFD Reunion
Mount Vernon!
With the pandemic waning, we were pleased that the Washingtons were able to convene for our annual reunion!
For our 66th annual reunion we returned to Mount Vernon, a place both familiar and perennially changing as new discoveries about our family are made. Our time together began on Thursday evening with a simple supper served at the hotel. On Friday morning, October 1, we boarded charter buses for a private visit and tour of the magnificent Library of Congress, where we were able to review George Washington documents that are not normally shown to the public. Following our tour, we traveled to Alexandria for lunch at historic Gadsby’s Tavern, located on a street well known to George Washington himself. In the afternoon, we enjoyed a walking tour of Washington-related sites led by author John Maass, who’s newest publication is “George Washington’s Virginia.”
