MOUNT CARMEL - James A. Garfield Camp No. 34, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, held its quarterly meeting Sept. 14 in the Lithuanian Social Club.
Elijah Watkins was accepted as a new junior member of the camp. He traces his lineage to his fourth great-grandfather, Enoch Shuda, who served as a private in Company K, 46th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry.
Richard R. Essenwein, of Kittanning, was elected commander of the Pennsylvania Department at the 132nd annual encampment, which was held in Greensburg. A copy of the memorial book was shared with the camp. The mid-year meeting will be held Oct. 28 in New Station. The 133rd Pennsylvania Encampment will be held June 27 to 29 in Gettysburg.
Camp Commander Dave Berezovske thanked all who participated in Memorial Day activities. He reported that graves of all Civil War and Spanish-American War veterans were decorated for the holiday. In the tradition of Burnside Post 92, Grand Army of the Republic, Garfield Camp places American flags on the graves of those veterans in St. Mary, Mount Carmel, Oak Hill and St. Joseph (Locust Gap) cemeteries. An application for flags for next year was completed and returned to the Northumberland County Department of Veterans Affairs.
Berezovske attended the August meeting of the General J.P.S. Gobin Camp No. 503 in Sunbury. Both camps agreed to get together to work on future projects.
Chaplain Harry White Jr. gave the opening and closing prayers. Berezovske led the camp in the Pledge of Allegiance.
The next meeting of the Garfield Camp will be held Wednesday, Nov. 14. Nominations and election of officers for 2013 will be held.