Chapter Information
There are chapters of the Massachusetts Society throughout the Commonwealth from Cape Cod, through the North and South Shore, and into Western Massachusetts. Anyone is welcome to attend our public events at any of these.
If you are interested in what is happening in a particular part of the state, use the links below to reach the local chairperson. Tell the chapter you want to attend a meeting to learn more. You can find a listing of each chapter's activities in our calendar.
The Boston/Old Colony Chapter (Boston)
The people of Boston were most outspoken and violent in their reaction to taxes, threatening to harm British customs officials trying to collect taxes. As a result, the British quartered troops in Boston to protect their officials. Then, in 1770, the Boston Massacre occurred as British troops fired into a group of protesters, killing five of them. Later, in 1773 the British granted the East India Company a virtual monopoly on the importation of tea. In protest, a group of Boston citizens disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded a ship and dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston harbor. Parliament responded with the "Intolerable Acts" where accused Colonists could be tried in England, American homes were forced to host British troops, Boston Harbor was closed, and more. This resulted in the First Continental Congress, in 1774, which met at Philadelphia's Carpenters' Hall.
Chapter Officers
The following members serve as officers of the chapter:
| Role | Officer |
|---|---|
| President | James M. Mitchell |
| First Vice President / Genealogy | Steven J. Hawko |
| Second Vice President / Awards & Medals | Daniel W. Kraft |
| Third Vice President / Membership | Andrew C. Schell |
| Secretary | Walter R. Pizzi |
| Treasurer | James C. Lundy |
Meeting Place and Times
The chapter meets at Old Irish Alehouse, 2 Bridge Street in Dedham, at the intersection of Routes 1 and 109. Please contact any officer for information on the next meeting or to be placed on the chapter's mailing list.
Cape Cod Chapter (Harwich)
On June 20, 1775, a general notice was given to all inhabitants of Martha's Vineyard to turn out and assemble at Tisbury on June 25th to see what measures should be taken to guard against the Island's exposed position. A large majority was in favor of applying to the General Court at Boston for soldiers. The next step was: "To sound the minds amongst the young men to see who would join the volunteer corps of Edgartown." They soon found that nearly all were ready for the first act of the Revolution that stirred the ''Islanders'' was the attempt of the enemy to plunder the few houses on the Elizabeth islands. All were willing to send all their men to fight with Washington, and there was not a battle of the whole war from Bunker Hill to the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown in which a Vineyarder did not take part and do his duty.
Chapter Officers
The following members serve as officers of the chapter:
| Role | Officer |
|---|---|
| President | Mark R. Pommrehn |
| Vice President | George A. Lewis |
| Secretary/Registrar | David W. Lambert |
| Treasurer | J. David Bowie |
| Color Guard Commander | Henry M. Curtis II |
| Chaplin | Charles A. Wry |
Meeting Place and Times
All Chapter Meetings are held at 400 East Restaurant on the corner of Route 137 and 39 in Harwich. Please contact any officer for information on the next meeting or to be placed on the chapter's mailing list.
The Henshaw Chapter (Worcester/Springfield)
William Henshaw served under General Amherst in 1759 and was stationed at Fort Edward and Crown Point. In 1774 he was a member of the Provincial Congress which voted to enroll twelve thousand minute men. William became a commander of a regiment of minute men raised in Worcester County. In 1775 he was an assistant to General Gates during the Siege of Boston, and participated in the Battle of Long Island, August 1776. He was also in the battles of White Plains, Trenton and Princeton. The term Minutemen was coined by Col. William Henshaw, who said, "we must have companies of men ready to march on a minute's notice. More iinforation is available on their website here.
Chapter Officers
The following members serve as officers of the chapter:
| Role | Officer |
|---|---|
| President | Verne L. Thayer |
| Vice President / Treasurer | Steven G. Perkins |
| Secretary | Wesley H. Wratchford |
| Color Guard Commander | Allan Van Wert | Membership | Williams J. Higgins | Genealogy | Richard C. Pierce |
Meeting Place and Times
The chapter meets at various locations in Worcester. Please contact any officer for information on the next meeting or to be placed on the chapter's mailing list.
The Old Essex Chapter (Marblehead)
The 14th Continental Regiment, also known as The Marblehead Regiment, was raised as a Massachusetts militia regiment on April 23, 1775 at Marblehead under the command of John Glover. The regiment soon joined the Continental Army in June of 1775 where the seafaring men would man the boats during the New York Campaign and the crossing of the Delaware River during the Battle of Trenton. The men of the regiment only had year and a half enlistments and the regiment was disbanded on December 31, 1776 in eastern Pennsylvania. Most of the men would take up the more profitable trade of Privateers for the remainder of the American Revolutionary War.
Chapter Officers
The following members serve as officers of the chapter:
| Role | Officer |
|---|---|
| President | Lee David Day |
| Vice President | William T, Ryerson |
| Secretary | Hank N. McCarl |
| Treasurer / Color Guard Commander | Richard K. Thorndike, III |
| Registrar | John T. Manning |
Meeting Place and Times
The chapter meets at the Landing Restaurant at Seven Central in Manchester. Please contact any officer for information on the next meeting or to be placed on the chapter's mailing list.
Old Middlesex Chapter (Concord)
The Battle of Concord occurred in the late morning hours of April 19, 1775. After British soldiers fired on the militiamen of Lexington, and were frustrated in their attempt to capture John Hancock and Samuel Adams, they headed to Concord as their spies had informed the British Governor of Boston, Thomas Gage, that there was a large collection of weapons and gunpowder there. In the early hours of the following day, British soldiers set out in secret to confiscate the weapons and gunpowder and to capture the traitors Hancock and Adams.
Chapter Officers
The following members serve as officers of the chapter:
| Role | Officer |
|---|---|
| President | Richard F. Orluk |
| Vice President / Secretary | Jay E. Bailey |
| Treasurer | William T. Ryerson |
| Program Chairman | Joseph L. Andrews |
| Chaplin | Reverend Vincent E. Daily |
Meeting Place and Times
All Chapter Meetings are held at The Colonial Inn, 48 Monument Square, Concord, MA. Please contact any officer for information on the next meeting or to be placed on the chapter's mailing list.
The Plymouth Chapter (Plymouth)
Building a chapter from the ground up has always been one of the hardest and most rewarding challenges of the society. Members, potential members, and friends interested in American History are welcome to join us, to learn, and to become involved. We also invite applicants that are working on their papers, those without a revolutionary lineage, and those living out of state. We believe everyone has the potential to participate and lead with the right opportunity and tools in place - these are our marching orders! Bring a friend or relative to see what is in store.
Chapter Officers
The following members serve as officers of the chapter:
| Role | Officer |
|---|---|
| President / Secretary / C.A.R. Liaison | William E. Battles III USMC |
| First Vice President | Michael E. Fishbein |
| Vice President | David A. Fairbanks Charles W. Riegle |
| Secretary | David H. Conkling |
| Treasurer | Corwin A. Brown |
| Color Guard / Militia / Safety Officer | Steven L. Watts |
| Chaplain | Rev. Vincent M. Turner USAF |
Meeting Place and Times
The chapter meets at East Bay Grille at Pine Hills Golf Club, "Tun Tavern", 54 Clubhouse Drive, Plymouth, MA. Please contact any officer for information on the next meeting or to be placed on the chapter's mailing list.
Robert Treat Paine Chapter (Tauton)
Robert Treat Paine, signer of the Declaration of Independence and a native of Massachusetts, was born in 1731. He was expected, by family tradition, to become a Minister. He received high marks at the Boston Latin School and was admitted to Harvard College where he graduated in 1749. He taught school for a while and then began the study of theology. Because of his frail health, Paine set out to build his strength by working on the sea. He spent some years as a merchant marine visiting the southern colonies, Spain, the Azores, and England. When he returned home he decided to pursue the law and was admitted to the bar of Massachusetts in 1757. He first set up office in Portland, Maine (then part of Massachusetts) and later relocated to Taunton. In the trials of British soldiers following the Boston Massacre, Paine served as associate prosecuting attorney.
Chapter Officers
The following members serve as officers of the chapter:
| Role | Officer |
|---|---|
| President | Gerald R. Hazeldine |
| Vice President / Awards & Medals | James R. Klim |
| Secretary | Kenneth P. Doten |
| Treasurer | Peter Crone |
| Color Guard Commander | Stephan L. Watts |
| Registrar | John "Jack" Manning |
Meeting Place and Times
The chapter meets at various locations in Taunton. Please contact any officer for information on the next meeting or to be placed on the chapter's mailing list.