Please remember to join us this coming Thursday evening, July 11, at 1900 for a very special presentation at the Charles E Hawkins Squadron meeting in Galveston. Bruce D. Bramlett (right), Executive Director of the Battleship Texas Foundation, will be our guest at Waterman’s Restaurant, 14302 Stewart Road in Galveston (map here). We will be meeting in the newly-christened Texas Navy Room. Social hour begins at 1800, with the Squadron meeting and program beginning at 1900.
Please RSVP by Sunday evening, July 7, if you plan to attend, to maritimetexas@gmail.com.
As many of you know, the state of Texas recently appropriated a significant amount of money dedicated to the repair and restoration of the battleship. Mr. Bramlett will provide us an update on the planning for that process, and address some of the concerns that have been expressed about the project and the future home of the ship once repairs have been completed.
The Battleship Texas Commission was established in 1948 to preserve and enhance the Battleship TEXAS and was the major player in bringing the ship to the Lone Star State. In 1998 the Commission was renamed the Battleship Texas Foundation. Today, the Foundation exists as an advocate for the TEXAS, and to help develop the historic ship into a premier hands-on museum and visitor attraction.
The Battleship Texas Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and partners with Texas Parks and Wildlife in its mission. Donations and sponsorships make a direct impact on the success of Battleship Texas programs, including restoration, preservation, tours and education.
Ordering will be handled as previously, at during the meetings previously at Fisherman’s Wharf. Meeting attendees can order off either the full dinner or, for smaller appetites, Waterman’s lunch menu (see menus here). Checks will be provided individually, and a gratuity built in for separate checks. Suggested pro tip – bring cash in a variety of denominations to settle your check without requiring change or a follow-up signature.
The Texas Navy Association is a private, 501(c)(3) organization, dedicated to preserving and promoting the historical legacy of the naval forces of the Republic of Texas, 1835-46. The mission of the Texas Navy Association is to preserve and promote an appreciation of the historic character and heroic acts of the Texas Navy; to promote travel by visitors to historical sites and areas in which the Texas Navy operated; to conduct, in the broadest sense, a public relations campaign to create a responsible and accurate image of Texas; and to encourage Texas communities, organizations, and individuals, as well as governmental entities, to participate with actions and money, in pursuit of these goals. Membership in the Texas Navy Association is open to all persons age 16 and over who have an interest in Texas history and want to help support the goals of the organization.
In Galveston, the Charles E. Hawkins Squadron was organized in the fall of 2016, and meets on the second Thursday in odd-numbered months.
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Images courtesy (top) Houston Chronicle; (below) Battleship Texas Foundation.
Charles E. Hawkins Squadron 