2024 Annual Meeting

Army Navy Club, Washington, D.C. site of the Sons and Daughters of the Colonial and Antebellum Bench and Bar 1565-1861 annual meeting

The 2024 meeting of the Sons and Daughters of the Colonial and Antebellum Bench and Bar 1565-1861 was held on Friday evening April 12th at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC.
President General Robin Towns presided.  A memorial service was conducted followed by officer reports, introduction of the William and Mary Scholarship 2022 winner, and the election and installation of the officers general for the 2024 – 2026 administration.  The next annual meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 11, 2025, at the Army Navy Club in Washington, D.C.

2023 Annual Meeting

The 2023 meeting of the Sons and Daughters of the Colonial and Antebellum Bench and Bar 1565-1861 was held on Friday evening, April 14th, at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC. President General Robin Towns presided.

  • Bench and Bar was joined by the National Society Sons and Daughters of Antebellum Planters 1607 – 1861.
  • A Memorial Service was held immediately following the banquet.
  • At the business session the 2022 winner of the William and Mary Law School Scholarship expressed his appreciation and the 2023 winner was announced.
  • A Nominating Committee was elected to present a slate to the 2024 Annual Meeting. Elections will be held for the 2024-2026 administration.

The next Annual Meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 12, 2024, at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC.

2022 Annual Meeting

The April 15, 2022, Annual Meeting was held at the Army Navy Club in Washington, DC.
President General Thomas E. Jacks presided.
A memorial service was conducted followed by officer reports, the election and installation of new officers.

2021 Annual Meeting

2020 Annual Meeting, Program and Business Meeting

The Annual Meeting of Bench and Bar scheduled for April 16, 2021 is cancelled.

2020 Annual Meeting

2020 Annual Meeting, Program and Business Meeting

The Annual Meeting of Bench and Bar scheduled for April 17, 2020 is cancelled. It will be held on April 16, 2021.

2018 Annual Meeting

The 2018 meeting of the Sons and Daughters of the Colonial and Antebellum Bench and Bar 1565- 1861 was held on Friday evening April 13th at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC.
President General Pro Tempore Charles R. Odom presided. Author Philip Smucker presented a program titled, “Riding with George: Sportsmanship & Chivalry in the Making of America’s First President.” A memorial service was conducted followed by officer reports, introduction of the William and Mary Scholarship winner, and the election and installation of the officers general for the 2018 – 2020 administration.

2017 Annual Meeting

The 2017 meeting of the Sons and Daughters of the Colonial and Antebellum Bench and Bar 1565- 1861 was held on Friday evening April 14th at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC.

Vice President General Charles R. Odom presided in the absence of President General Cheryl Whit Rios.

Marc Leepson, journalist, historian and author, presented a program titled, “Saving Monticello: The Levy Family’s Epic Quest to Rescue the House that Jefferson Built.” A memorial service was conducted followed by officer reports, introduction of the William and Mary Scholarship winner, bylaw amendments and election of a Nominating Committee.

2016 Annual Meeting

The 2016 meeting of the Sons and Daughters of the Colonial and Antebellum Bench and Bar 1565-1861 was held on Friday evening, April 15th at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC.

Presidents General Odom and Odom of Bench and Bar and the National Society Sons and Daughters of Antebellum Planters and welcomed those present.

The Honorable Richard Bender Abell brought a program titled “The Witch of Pungo” that was followed by the memorial Service, officers reports, remarks from the William and Mary Scholarship winner, and the election and installation of the officers general for the 2016-2018 administration.

2015 Annual Meeting

The 2015 meeting of the Sons and Daughters of the Colonial and Antebellum Bench and Bar 1565-1861 was held on Friday evening, April 10th, at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC.

  • Bench and Bar was joined by the National Society Sons and Daughters of Antebellum Planters 1607 – 1861.
  • A Memorial Service was held immediately following the banquet.
  • The program speaker was Kathy Styer, Curator of Adena Mansion at Chillicothe, Ohio. She provided a power point presentation about Adena and its original owner, Thomas Worthington who was a governor, justice, planter, and proponent of Ohio statehood.
  • At the business session the winner of the William and Mary Law School Scholarship expressed his appreciation.
  • A Nominating Committee was elected to present a slate to the 2016 Annual Meeting. Elections will be held for the 2016-1018 administration.

The next Annual Meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 15, 2016 at the Army and Navy Club in Washington, DC.

2014 Annual Meeting

On Friday night, April 11, the Sons and Daughters of the Colonial and Antebellum Bench and Bar 1565 – 1861 again joined with the National Society Sons and Daughters of Antebellum Planters 1607-1861 for the annual meeting of the two societies.

Carla W. Odom, Bench and Bar President General pro tempore, introduced the evening’s speaker, Dr. George J. Hill, who presented “Quakers, Plantations and Lawyers in the Seventeenth Century Pennsylvania”.  The memorial service, officer reports, and installation of officers for the 2014-2016 term followed.