Dear Allied Order Commander or President,

The Middle Atlantic Region Association [MARA] is an organization open to every Allied Order organization in the Departments of Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. One of its goals is to conduct educational workshops. On behalf of MARA, I invite you and the members of your organization to attend our Fifth Annual Workshop. Registration, coffee and rolls will be available at 9 A.M. The Workshop will begin at 9:30 A.M. and end by 3:30 p.m. Lunches will be obtained from a nearby deli.

Our Fifth Annual Workshop will be held on October 18, 2008 in the Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Library on 4278 Griscom Street, Philadelphia, PA, [Department of Pennsylvania.]

Our First Workshop was held on October 2, 2004 at the Grand Army of the Republic Museum and Library, 4278 Griscom Street, Philadelphia, PA, [Department of Pennsylvania.] The Second Workshop was held on November 5, 2005 at the New Jersey National Guard Armory, 101 Eggert Crossing Rd Lawrenceville, NJ, where the Gen. James A. Garfield Camp Number 4, Civil War Museum is located, [Department of New Jersey.] The Third Workshop was held on Saturday, October 21, 2006, in the Masonic Temple in Bridgewater, NY [Department of New York.] The Fourth Workshop was held on Saturday, October 20, 2007 in Lombardy Hall, 1611 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE, [Department of Maryland.]

The topics that have been presented and discussed in the first four workshops are: Revitalizing Camps [Eric Schmincke - PA Dept.], Cataloguing of Monuments and Cannons [Michael Horgan and C. Buzz Smithcors- NJ Dept], Developing Support for SUVCW Goals and Projects [Joseph Seliga - NJ Dept] and Celebrating the Sesquicentennial of the Civil War [James R. Hanby, Sr. PDC - MD Dept.] . In addition, Panel Discussions were held on: (1) Retaining Members, (2) Acquiring Members and (3) Ways to Reinforce Interrelationships between Allied Orders.

Your organization's membership and participation is essential to make the MARA a success. MARA can be an asset to every organization of the Departments of Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Past workshops have had members from the following Allied Orders of the Departments of Maryland [SUVCW], New Jersey [SUVCW, Auxiliary to the SUVCW and Ladies of the G.A.R. ], New York [SUVCW and DUVCW] and Pennsylvania [SUVCW and Auxiliary to the SUVCW].

At the Third Workshop, finishing touches were put to the by-laws, and they were adopted, dues were established at $15 per department and subject to a yearly evaluation, and elections were held. The elected officers are: President, Joseph F. Seliga, PDC, Dept of New Jersey, Vice-President, James R. Hanby, Sr. PDC, Department of Maryland, and Secretary/Treasurer, Dale E. Theetge, PDC, Department of New York.

At this Fifth Workshop, we will be electing new officers for the Middle Atlantic Region Association, our terms of office are for a two year period.

Yours in Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty,

Joseph F. Seliga, President

Mid Atlantic Region Association (MARA),

Past Department Commander, New Jersey Department

Allied Orders of the Grand Army of the Republic

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