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Aug 2008 Issue
by Robert Cordner
Last year a Las Vegas chapter of the National Society of The Sons of Utah Pioneers (SUP) was organized - the first ever for Southern Nevada. The SUP is extending to you an invitation to join us.
We have good fun and fellowship, but we also have a serious purpose in forming this chapter, since many Latter-day Saint families in Clark County are descendants of the early settlers of southern Utah and Nevada.
Most people in southern Nevada have an interest in, if not a curiosity about, those early pioneers whether they are descended from them or not. What were the challenges they faced? How did they overcome them? What legacy did they leave? What may we learn from them?
The SUP is a national organization dedicated to preserving the memory and heritage of the early pioneers of the Utah territory (which included present day Nevada); honoring today’s pioneers worldwide; and preparing the youth - tomorrow’s pioneers.
Here are some examples of SUP activities:
➧ Fostering periodic treks to places of historic interest
➧ Encouraging the pioneers of tomorrow by awarding scholarships to students
➧ Sponsoring humanitarian projects
➧ Honoring the early pioneers who came to the Utah Territory before Utah became a state, submitting name memorializations, ancestral biographies, and erecting monuments and plaques as appropriate.
➧ Writing personal histories with stories of life-changing experiences, gathering histories of pioneer ancestors for placement in the SUP Historic Library and Archives, encouraging the sharing of pioneer stories with family members (especially children and grandchildren).
Requirements for membership are “Male persons of good moral character, principles and ideals, and desirous of perpetuating the goals of the National Society of the Sons of Utah Pioneers and its programs.” As a condition of membership, it is no longer required that a prospective member trace his genealogical roots back to an early pioneer. The invitation to join is extended to one and all.
Meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at 7 P.M. at the Lone Mountain Chapel located at 5160 Lone Mountain Rd (LDS Chapel - just west of Decatur).
Excursions. Last year our local chapter took an excursion to the Mountain Meadows Massacre site. This year we plan on going to the “lost cities” of southern Nevada. The national SUP also sponsors annual treks of considerable historical interest. Our program this year will include the pioneering efforts of the Saints in various parts of the world: Serbia; the Philippine Islands; Africa; South American, Southern Nevada; etc. We will also have presentations concerning various local pioneers who played prominent roles in the growth of the LDS Church in Southern Nevada. Our programs have been eclectic and informative. Husbands and wives are invited.
For further information, the national website is www.sonsofutahpioneers.org
For information concerning the Las Vegas chapter, contact our new chapter president, Doug Winters, at Dwinters@bradshawsmith.com (or 702-645-5065) or Robert Cordner, past president, at robertcordner@cox.net (or 702-363-2920).
