Organization of the Greater Los Angeles Area Chapter
The aim of this narrative is to provide background information on the establishment of the Greater Los Angeles Area Chapter (GLAAC) for current and future members of the Chapter. It describes how and when the Chapter was established and the members who played a significant part in the early history of the Chapter.
At the 126th Anniversary Reunion and Dedication of the Buffalo Soldier Monument at Fort Leavenworth, KS, in July 1992, I was completing my first year as National President of the 9th & 10th (Horse) Cavalry Association. At the general membership meeting, a charter was awarded to Trooper James G. Madison, Kansas City, MO, to establish the Greater Kansas City Leavenworth Area Chapter of the Association. After my return to Los Angles, Trooper Harold S. Cole, Van Nuys, CA, contacted me and suggested that a Chapter charter be awarded to Los Angeles, I told him that a Chapter charter has been in my custody since 1988, but that I was unable to find a Trooper who had served in the 9th or 10th Cavalry who is both available and willing to complete the organization of the Chapter. Trooper Cole requested a copy of the charter and stated that he would a complete the organization process. In late 1992, after over four (4) years of inactivity, Trooper Cole began the difficult task of recruiting members and finding a meeting place for the Chapter. In early 1993, Trooper Cole called the first meeting of the Chapter and was elected as the first President.
The organization process completed by Trooper Cole had its beginning with my vision in 1987 for establishing a Chapter in Los Angeles. While attending my second Anniversary Reunion in 1987 (the 121st) in San Angelo, TX, I requested information on the procedure for forming a Chapter of the Association. A written procedure for forming Chapters had not been prepared by the Association (an administrative oversight that I corrected a few years later), but I was given verbal instructions. They were to prepare and submit a letter of application with the proposed name of the Chapter, names of charter members who were also active members of the Association, and a Chapter Constitution and Bylaws. Trooper John B. Tull, who I knew as one of my instructors when I was an ROTC cadet, was also an attendee at the reunion. Trooper Tull told me that he knew many Troopers in Los Angeles who had served in the 9th or 10th Cavalry. He also offered to assist me in signing up these Troopers as charter members. On the day before the Reunion Banquet, Trooper James H. Lazine, the then National President, requested that I become the Reunion Chairman for the 122nd Anniversary Reunion to be held in Los Angeles in July 1988. I concurred with the request and received a commitment from Trooper Lazine that, after submitting an application, a charter for a Los Angeles Chapter would be awarded at the reunion.
Planning for the 122nd Anniversary Reunion was a tremendous effort for me and my wife. Trooper Tull and his wife, Billie (deceased), agreed to serve on the Reunion Committee and their assistance was outstanding. In late December 1987, I submitted an application for a charter for the Greater Los Angeles Area Chapter of the Association. The Constitution and Bylaws that I submitted with the application are, with a few amendments, still in effect.
Part of the planning process for the reunion was to obtain local publicity. A letter containing background information on the 9th and 10th (Horse) Cavalry Regiments and reunion details was sent for publication to the Los Angeles Sentinel, Los Angeles Times, and Wave Newspapers. Only the Wave Newspaper expressed interest in providing publicity for the reunion. I was contacted by a Staff Writer for the Wave, Ms. Cynthia E. Griffin, who requested a personal interview in my home. I used the request for interview to call a meeting of Troopers who had served in the cavalry and who were candidates for charter members of the Chapter. Troopers John B. Tull, Frederick D. Jones, Hollis Ellis (deceased), and Clarence Davis (deceased) responded to my written request to participate in the interview and commit to become charter members of the Chapter. Results of the interview were published in the 20 Jul 1988 edition of the Wave. After the interview was published, I received calls from several Troopers who had served in the cavalry and who expressed interest in becoming a member of a local Chapter. The charter for GLAAC was awarded to me and my former ROTC instructor, Trooper John B. Tull, at the reunion banquet for the 122nd Anniversary Reunion.
The charter remained dormant until Trooper Harold S. Cole took the mount by the bit and completed the Chapter organization process in 1993.
Written by: Trooper Franklin J. Henderson, April 2001
At the 126th Anniversary Reunion and Dedication of the Buffalo Soldier Monument at Fort Leavenworth, KS, in July 1992, I was completing my first year as National President of the 9th & 10th (Horse) Cavalry Association. At the general membership meeting, a charter was awarded to Trooper James G. Madison, Kansas City, MO, to establish the Greater Kansas City Leavenworth Area Chapter of the Association. After my return to Los Angles, Trooper Harold S. Cole, Van Nuys, CA, contacted me and suggested that a Chapter charter be awarded to Los Angeles, I told him that a Chapter charter has been in my custody since 1988, but that I was unable to find a Trooper who had served in the 9th or 10th Cavalry who is both available and willing to complete the organization of the Chapter. Trooper Cole requested a copy of the charter and stated that he would a complete the organization process. In late 1992, after over four (4) years of inactivity, Trooper Cole began the difficult task of recruiting members and finding a meeting place for the Chapter. In early 1993, Trooper Cole called the first meeting of the Chapter and was elected as the first President.
The organization process completed by Trooper Cole had its beginning with my vision in 1987 for establishing a Chapter in Los Angeles. While attending my second Anniversary Reunion in 1987 (the 121st) in San Angelo, TX, I requested information on the procedure for forming a Chapter of the Association. A written procedure for forming Chapters had not been prepared by the Association (an administrative oversight that I corrected a few years later), but I was given verbal instructions. They were to prepare and submit a letter of application with the proposed name of the Chapter, names of charter members who were also active members of the Association, and a Chapter Constitution and Bylaws. Trooper John B. Tull, who I knew as one of my instructors when I was an ROTC cadet, was also an attendee at the reunion. Trooper Tull told me that he knew many Troopers in Los Angeles who had served in the 9th or 10th Cavalry. He also offered to assist me in signing up these Troopers as charter members. On the day before the Reunion Banquet, Trooper James H. Lazine, the then National President, requested that I become the Reunion Chairman for the 122nd Anniversary Reunion to be held in Los Angeles in July 1988. I concurred with the request and received a commitment from Trooper Lazine that, after submitting an application, a charter for a Los Angeles Chapter would be awarded at the reunion.
Planning for the 122nd Anniversary Reunion was a tremendous effort for me and my wife. Trooper Tull and his wife, Billie (deceased), agreed to serve on the Reunion Committee and their assistance was outstanding. In late December 1987, I submitted an application for a charter for the Greater Los Angeles Area Chapter of the Association. The Constitution and Bylaws that I submitted with the application are, with a few amendments, still in effect.
Part of the planning process for the reunion was to obtain local publicity. A letter containing background information on the 9th and 10th (Horse) Cavalry Regiments and reunion details was sent for publication to the Los Angeles Sentinel, Los Angeles Times, and Wave Newspapers. Only the Wave Newspaper expressed interest in providing publicity for the reunion. I was contacted by a Staff Writer for the Wave, Ms. Cynthia E. Griffin, who requested a personal interview in my home. I used the request for interview to call a meeting of Troopers who had served in the cavalry and who were candidates for charter members of the Chapter. Troopers John B. Tull, Frederick D. Jones, Hollis Ellis (deceased), and Clarence Davis (deceased) responded to my written request to participate in the interview and commit to become charter members of the Chapter. Results of the interview were published in the 20 Jul 1988 edition of the Wave. After the interview was published, I received calls from several Troopers who had served in the cavalry and who expressed interest in becoming a member of a local Chapter. The charter for GLAAC was awarded to me and my former ROTC instructor, Trooper John B. Tull, at the reunion banquet for the 122nd Anniversary Reunion.
The charter remained dormant until Trooper Harold S. Cole took the mount by the bit and completed the Chapter organization process in 1993.
Written by: Trooper Franklin J. Henderson, April 2001
