Native Sons of the Golden West Grand President Duane R. Gavin addressed some 40 members and guests of the Alpine Parlor on March 28 at Turtle Rock Park.
Gavin, who traveled from San Francisco, stressed that the organization now includes Native Daughters of the Golden West and gives a dispensation to Alpine residents with long ties to the county who were born in Nevada because there were no hospitals in Alpine.
They are now eligible to join. Gavin urged members to sponsor community events including barbecues and dedications at historical places as the Native Sons had done in Alpine in past years.
He welcomed new members Jane Sweeney of Chambers Lane and John Jackson of Markleeville at the event that included a barbecue prepared by Dwight Dutschke of Ione.
Information about the work of the Native Sons was provided by several long-time members including Eugene Perry of Petaluma who will take over the reins of the organization at the end of Gavin's term, and by Dave Allen of Auburn.
Roma Morris of Crystal Springs is the current president of the Alpine Parlor, succeeding Past President Jim Clark of Woodfords who founded the parlor on June 18, 1972.
Clark recalls that was the same day that the Alpine County Museum was dedicated and that people were in Western garb with the men sporting beards. Jim Lyons' beard was voted the most outstanding, followed by Leonard Turnbeaugh's.
Turnbeaugh sauntered about with two pistols strapped to his side.
Clark remembers that halfway through the ceremony there was a fire and most of those present were volunteer firemen and left but soon returned to complete the initiation of the Alpine Parlor, the dedication of the museum, and to partake of the dinner that had been prepared.
