Society of Mayflower Descendants in the State of Missouri


HISTORY

Missouri's was the twenty-second state society to become a member of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants.

A group of 21 people, under the direction of Heman J. Pettengill, met on Tuesday, 8 May 1928, in the director's room of the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company building in St. Louis, Missouri.  Mr. Pettengill, elected as the Society's first Governor, was formerly a member of the Massachusetts Society, and a descendant of John Alden, Priscilla Mullens, George Soule and Francis Cooke.

The official title of the new organization was the Missouri State Society of Mayflower Descendants and the charter was issued on 14 April 1928 with 21 members comprising the new organization.

From this beginning of 21 member in 1928 our Society has grown to a current membership of over 340.

Our State Society meetings are generally held in St. Louis, Missouri and for geographical considerations, we have chartered two Colonies within the State. One Colony is situated in the Springfield area and one Colony in the Kansas City area.

PURPOSE OF OUR SOCIETY

To perpetuate to remotest posterity the honorable memory of the passengers of the Mayflower and their accomplishments; to aid in the preservation of civil records and historic sites of our country; to foster interest in research and study of the Pilgrims and the colonial period; to aid in the education of the youth of our country through events, prizes, scholarships, etc.; to commemorate the deeds and accomplishments of the Pilgrims; to maintain the high principles and ideals of freedom which led to the independence, foundation, and establishment of our country; and to support the maintenance in our public libraries of genealogical research and educational material relating to the Pilgrims and the colonial period.

ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITIES

We make contributions of cash, books and software programs to public libraries; make cash contributions to various scholarship funds; preserve, update and facilitate access to historic Pilgrim and colonial genealogical records.

GENERAL SOCIETY STATEMENT OF PURPOSE



The purposes of our Society are to perpetuate the memory of our Pilgrims and to maintain and defend the principle of civil and religious liberty as set forth in the Compact of the Mayflower.

To maintain the ideals of American freedom, and to oppose any theories or actions that threaten their continuity. To transmit the spirit, the purity of purpose and steadfastness of will of the Pilgrims to those who shall come after us, an undiminished heritage of liberty and law.

SOCIETY COMMENTS



The General Society of Mayflower Descendants estimates that up to 10% of the current population of the United States (28,000,000 out of 280,000,000 people) has Mayflower ancestry.

The membership of the Society is currently about 70,000 people who can prove their descent based on civil records (birth, death, probate and marriage records) and are sufficiently interested to join the Society.

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Comments and queries concerning the Missouri Mayflower Society should be addressed to Corresponding Secretary Keith Morris


Last modified April 11, 2005 by Webmaster James Shoemaker