Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, Inc.
136th Annual National Encampment, August 11-13, 2022
Gettysburg, PA

The Ladies of the G.A.R. are off to GETTYSBURG

While the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, Inc. never held a National Convention in the Borough of Gettysburg until this year, they did make arrangements for day trips while conducting business in nearby larger towns such as Harrisburg. The following National Presidents had their Encampment in Harrisburg and were able to visit Gettysburg as part of a tour time: PNP Theo McCallum in 1956, PNP Barbara Tyler in 1998, PNP Opal Nelson in 2006. The Department of Pennsylvania, however, held a number of Department Conventions in Gettysburg in the following years: 1900,1901,1902,1904, 1909, 1912, 1913, 1929, 1941, 1958, 1965, 1971, & 1993. Mostly meeting at the Court House as well as the St James Lutheran Chapel. The number of Circles that have formed in Gettysburg remain small, only to believe that Gettysburg has remained a place to visit and pay tribute to, rather than one to live in. Circle #138 was called simply the “Gettysburg” Circle. Unknown Circle name #227 was organized mid 20th century, and then organized in 2002 was the “Elizabeth Thorn” Circle #231. Our Organization stands ready to Institute yet another new Circle in 2022, made up of Gettysburg women who have a love and passion for Civil War living history. Here we grow again!

Schedule of Events for the
Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, Inc. Convention
at the Heritage Center Museum, Gettysburg, PA

The National Presidents Room will be located at:

Comfort Suites
945 Baltimore Pike, Gettysburg, PA
8-10-22 to 8-11-22 Room Rate $129.99
8-12-22 to 8-13-22 Room Rate $139.99
Secure your room now! Call 717-334-6715
Situated on the Battlefield at East Cemetery Hill, next to the Evergreen Cemetery.
Complimentary Breakfast!

Please be aware that if we progress with items in a timely manner, the starting times will get moved up. This is the order in which we will follow things, but the exact times could change. Please be sure to look at the website for the National President’s password, and look in your Ritual to figure out this coded password. All officers are to wear white for the Memorial Service. All members please wear Red, White or Blue for business sessions. All members attending please be sure to have yourself listed on your Circle or Department Credentials form.

For a printable schedule and the convention and Night at the Museum Fundraiser regiatration forms please click here.

Special Events at the 136th Annual National Encampment August 2022

On Thursday, August 11th at 7 pm join the Margaret M. Orr LGAR Circle from Ohio in front of the Presbyterian Church as they unveil a new bench with a plaque dedicated to the LGAR.
The National Patriotic Instructor will conclude with her patriotic lesson, and following the ceremony all guests are invited to the G.A.R. Hall on Middle St for refreshments.
This G.A.R. Hall building was originally a church and in 1867 Gettysburg Civil War Veterans organized the local post, Corporal Johnston H Skelly Post #9. Now owned by the Historic Gettysburg Adams County Inc./Historic Preservation Society, this G.A.R. Hall has been fully restored.


Friday, August 12th at 7 pm don’t miss out on attending our Night at the Museum when local living historians come alive to tell their stories of Gettysburg. Enjoy having the Heritage Museum to ourselves, and partake in the appetizer table with a glass of wine, all while we raise funds for Veteran Suicide Prevention. This is a rare opportunity to raise funds and have fun for the evening. Pre-Registration Requested.

Saturday, August 13th at 11 am plan to attend our National Memorial Service at Sach’s Covered Bridge on the battlefield. Built in 1852, the historic covered bridge was used by both Union and Confederate Troops during the battle. It is located off Pumping Station Road crossing over Marsh Creek. In 1938 the bridge was designated Pennsylvania’s most historic bridge by the Dept of Highways. This year our Memorial Service will include memorials from an original G.A.R. Memorial service from the late 1880’s.

If you’ve never been to Gettysburg before and are planning your trip, you want to be sure to make the Visitors Center your first stop. From there you can take a self guided tour of the battlefield or arrange for a licensed tour guide.

However, if you know you have a Civil War Ancestor that fought at Gettysburg secure your private tour to see where your ancestor fought, and learn the history of his unit’s involvement at the battle of Gettysburg.
To sign up, email the National Secretary at madeline.rock@aol.com with the following information:

• Your Name & Email & Cellphone
• Ancestor Name
• Unit and Company Ancestor served in
• Date of arrival and departure for Convention

Confirmation with a time slot will be emailed to you at the end of July.

The Commandery of the State of Ohio, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States announces the Banquet Speaker for its 200th Birthday Ceremony for former U.S. President and General, Ulysses S. Grant on 30 April 2022.

Frank Scaturro, a Companion of the New York Commandery, Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States,
will present a talk entitled
President Grant Belongs in the Pantheon.

Frank Scaturro is an attorney and writer. A graduate of Columbia University and Penn Law School, he served as Counsel to the Constitution for the Senate Judiciary Committee from 2005 to 2009, where he advised Republican senators on constitutional law issues and nominations. Afterwards, he taught courses as a visiting professor at Hofstra Law School on constitutional law and the legislative process. The founder and president of the Grant Monument Association, Frank fought a failed government bureaucracy and pushed for a $1.8 million restoration of Grant's Tomb. Frank has published a number of books and articles in the area of history and law, including President Grant Reconsidered (1998), a reassessment of Grant’s presidency; The Supreme Court’s Retreat from Reconstruction (2000), an exploration of a key chapter in the history of civil rights; and Public Companies (2002), a book he co-authored on how to be a responsible public company in the wake of the corporate scandals of a decade ago. He has served as an associate at Cadwalader, Wickersham, and Taft and a partner at FisherBroyles LLP. He is a past Republican candidate for Congress in New York's Fourth Congressional District. During the 114th Congress, he served as special counsel to the House Select Investigative Panel on Infant Lives. He currently serves as vice-president and senior counsel of the Judicial Crisis Network. He is also co-editing Grant at 200, a collection of essays about Ulysses S. Grant to be published during his 200th birthday observances in 2022.

LGAR Headquarters

After many attempts at obtaining a National Headquarters for at least 100 years now, we can now call the MilitaryMuseum on the campus of the Ohio Veteran’s Home our new “Headquarters.”  The Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic has had a long and close association at this location.  Well into the 1920’s the annual appointment of an “Entertainment Committee” was made to participate in all holidays and special events.  At least one visit was made yearly by our Ohio Department President to present gifts of cash as well as donations of thousands of items.  On June 2, 1922 the General M.F. Force Circle #86, LGAR was instituted at the home, and in April 1976 we instituted the Robert Burns Brown Circle #103, thus recognizing the two men most influential in establishing the Ohio Veteran’s Home.  We were honored to include Commander Brown’s daughter, Margaret Brown Kearney, as a member of our organization.  Over the years we have left visual evidence of our support in the form of such things as the 1930 pillar at the entrance gate, the bandstand, and a bronze plague presented on the occasion of the home’s 50th anniversary in 1938.

The LGAR Headquarters room is patterned from a late 1880’s LGAR meeting room, which was/is based upon the original Grand Army of the Republic meeting rooms, with stations for the Altar, Senior Vice President, Junior Vice President, Chaplain, Patriotic Instructor and head table (desk) for the President, Secretary & Treasurer.  The stations on loan in the room are from an original G.A.R. Hall.  Other furniture pieces in the room include locking display cases and book shelves, file cabinets of archival material that consists of genealogy for all LGAR members detailing their Civil War Veteran that they joined under, and original chairs that came from the LGAR Swissvale, PA Veteran’s Home.   Additional items include pictures from 1881 to present of LGAR Officers & members, a display of badges used through the decades, framed charters, photo albums and scrap books, a collection of proceedings from 1881 to present, original dyes & stamps and an original set of the “Bugle Call” our national newsletter, and much more.  It is the intent of local members in Ohio to participate at the Museum when there are special events/weekends, to be present during any Civil War Living History weekends, and to assist visitors with questions, genealogy assistance or education.

Ohio Veterans Home, Military Museum, LGAR National Headquarters
3416 Columbus Avenue, Sandusky, OH 44870
Call first for museum hours 419-625-2457 x1447
or contact the Headquarters Committee to arrange a tour.

Museum is closed until March of 2022

Meet the National President Elizabeth Rock Sister Elizabeth Bury Rock joined the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic as a Jr Member of the Robert Burns Brown Circle in Ohio at the age of 5. Her first national convention in 1977 she served as page for National President Betty Koch, and served on the floor doing floor work throughout the 1980’s. In 2002 she formed the Elizabeth Thorn Circle in PA while residing in Gettysburg, and then finally transferred to the Margaret M. Orr Circle #105 in Ohio when it formed. She has served in all Circle Offices, and several Ohio Department offices. Since returning to National LGAR meetings in 2004, there are so many things she has assisted with. From creating 20 years of Journals that were not done for Congress, to beginning the Archival database, helping to secure our museum headquarters, retyping of the Ritual and the By-Laws, Facebook and website initial creations, getting the mailing list up to date, creating our brochure, securing the proper Secretary/Treasurer Bond, seeking museum insurance, sewing membership badges, working to get our badge dies back, continually assists the National Registrars with genealogy inquiries, and the list goes on. She has traveled many, many times at her expense on behalf of our organization, from the re-dedication of our Julia Ward Howe plaque at the Willard Hotel in DC to a funeral procession of an actual Civil War Veteran in the middle of Iowa. On the National level she has served as Historian, Registrar, Assistant Secretary, and Secretary for a decade, as well as Treasurer. In the 5 years prior to assisting the Treasurer or serving as Treasurer the organization was floundering and suffered a $16,000 loss over that 5 years. Once assisting with the creation of a realistic budget and adherence there to, she helped to manage income and expenses to produce $6,200 in profit for the organization, increasing income by nearly $40,000 over the same time frame. In the last 17 years she has only missed one National Convention due to the disability of her husband. Elizabeth has several Civil War Veterans from both sides of her family, and joined under her 4th great uncle Martin Durkee who served in the 29th OVI from Geauga County, Ohio. She is the first National President to have both her mother and mother-in-law as Past National Presidents. And like many before her, has her daughter as her National Secretary. She serves on the nonprofit board of her family’s Nationally Registered Historic Landmark, and is the store keeper for the nonprofit organization U.S. Army Brotherhood of Tankers. Elizabeth has been a seamstress and in business with her mother for 28 years now, providing historic clothing to the 19th century living history enthusiast. She enters upon the duties of National President fully realizing the magnitude and significance of the responsibilities of this distinguished office and with a keen desire for higher ideals and ambitions which she hopes to see realized for our beloved Order. Her motto this year will be Fraterni—tea, Chari—tea & Loyal—tea, as she hopes to be able to travel and visit with all Departments and Circles under National to share a cup of tea together, just as has been traditionally expected of a National President. The campaign “Every Member Get a Member” will begin as well as a new “Worthy Donor Recipient Committee.”

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