Welcome to SMDPA

The Society of Mayflower Descendants in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (SMDPA) was organized in 1896 by two Philadelphians, Francis Olcott Allen and Edward Clinton Lee, who were members of the New York Society. The charter was issued on 14 October 1896.

Although its governing Board of Assistants has been based historically in the Greater Philadelphia area, the Society has two Colonies. The Susquehanna Colony is located in Central Pennsylvania in the greater Harrisburg area and the Western Colony is located in Western Pennsylvania in the greater Pittsburgh area. Members are invited to participate in the State and Colony levels or merely through our award-winning quarterly newsletter, The Pennsylvania Mayflower.

From the Governor's Desk - 03/18/2020

To our loyal members and cousins,

With the cancellation of our annual meeting and Susquehanna Colony meetings, it is time for an update. Western Colony has yet to check in on the status of their Spring meeting.

The CDC has recommended no meetings over 50 for eight weeks and the White House says no more than 10 people per meeting until further notice. Our Governor Wolfe is recommending business shut downs that are nonessential. Shelves of products are empty in some cases, information is changing daily, hourly at times.

Certainly, we will continue to monitor the advice and will adjust our events as many events are still scheduled.

The GSMD Congress will be held starting September 15^th in Plymouth. We are allowed limited delegates but have a few spots still open. I would love to see you there enjoying our celebration of the 400-year landing this year. The congress is an amazing event and we join all of our state societies to review our bylaws and elect our leadership. We currently have over 40,000 members and growing. Our membership in Pennsylvania approached 800. If you haven’t been to Plymouth, what are you waiting for?

Our Thanksgiving service and dinner in November will take place in historical St. David’s Episcopal Church in Wayne, PA that was built in 1715 and still standing. This church has no electricity, so candles will illuminate our event. The church has been forever memorialized as Longfellow included it in one of his poems. Our dinner afterwards includes scholarship winners and presentation of our Distinguished Pilgrim award.

Please check our website for more events, details and updates www.sail1620.org.

Personally, I have 100% faith in our country to deal with the pandemic as fast and professionally as possible. Let’s have faith as our ancestors did 400 years ago in the first winter when they lost so many.

Stay healthy and may God bless your families!

Respectfully,

Governor SMDPA, Reed Kneale

[email protected]