– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Message from our Colony Governor – January 2026
Happy New Year to You and your Families as we begin 2026! First, thank you all for being a part of this organization which is dedicated to camaraderie among our membership, educating members through our Colony guest speaker program at Colony Meetings, as well as educating the general public about the Mayflower legacy by providing speakers to other organizations, schools and to individual Colonies. If any San Diego Colony Member would like to participate as a speaker or join our Colony Board, please contact either myself or one of our board members. We have been so fortunate to have many great volunteers in our Colony over the years . . . and we’d love to have you BE ONE OF US!
Speaking of great local speakers, our November Compact meeting was our own Neil Greenwood. Neil is originally from England and also descends from Thomas Rogers. With his close ties to England and familiarity with research there, he was able over several years and visits to discover brand new information about the Rogers family on their home turf. Thank you so much, Neil, for sharing both your enthusiasm and knowledge of your research with us. And also, big thanks to our California Mayflower Governor, Dr. Robert Lincoln, PhD, for joining us from Los Angeles (he is also a Rogers descendant).
CA Society Membership: I’ve mentioned this many times now (sorry), however, California and other State Societies are no longer able to carry members who do not pay their yearly membership dues. So, as of January 1st, California members who are not current with their yearly dues will be deemed to be not active and thus will no longer receive State of general Society publications. This can be corrected immediately by emailing the CA Membership Secretary, Mr. Stephen Douglass (mayflowersecretary@camayflower.org) and letting him know that you want to keep your membership. Steve will let you know how to do that.
As is customary, at the conclusion of our Compact Meeting this past November, a number of ‘Very Brave’ colony members wearing Pilgrim attire posed for our traditional Compact Photo. Thank you all, and Three HUZZAHS to US!
Our next Colony Meeting will be a BREAKFAST BRUNCH on Saturday, 21 February 2026, at the Green Dragon in Carlsbad. Our guest speaker will be Ms. Donna Watkins. Donna has published articles in magazines, journals, and newspapers, including the “Los Angeles Times.” She is also the author of “Weaker Vessels: The Women and Children of Plymouth Colony”. Her topic for us will be “The Hanging of Alice Bishop”, Donna’s ninth-great-grandmother. Have I intrigued you with that little snippet? It will be another guaranteed interesting program for us, so please attend if you’re able. Our meetings are open to all.
//Budd Leef, SD Colony Governor
Winter 2026 Colony Meeting
Our first meeting in 2026 will be on February 21st, at the Green Dragon Tavern and Museum in Carlsbad, CA. Watch for news and information via email and in our Winter issue of the Pilgrim News. Members, prospective Members, and anyone interested in the Mayflower passengers or Early American History are always welcome.
Spring 2026 Colony Meeting
Our May Meeting will be held on May 16th; Location and Time are TBD.
Passed Colony Events of Significance
“400-Year Anniversary” of the Mayflower Pilgrim’s 1st Fall Harvest Feast occurred Nov of 2021
The San Diego Mayflower Colony in the State of California celebrated the 1620 Pilgrim’s “Voyage of Hope” and “First Harvest” celebrations in San Diego’s beautiful Balboa Park. The event was similar to our 2018 “Plimoth Colony-WEST” event which was held in association with the House of England. Please watch for updates in the coming years as we look to continue this event. Below you can read about our 2018 event attended by more than 500 fellow San Diegans.
San Diego Colony’s Balboa Park Event on November 11th, 2018
The San Diego Mayflower Colony held our first 400th anniversary event on Compact Day, November 11, 2018. It was called “Plimoth Plantation West—In Anticipation.” The event was held at the world famous Balboa Park House of International Relations and was co-hosted by the House of England. The International Cottages were built in 1935 for the California Pacific International Exposition. Our event was held in the central lawn area, near the House of England, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. An estimated 500 visitors passed through our exhibits and spoke with our Colony Members/Enactors, all of whom were wearing 15th-16th Century clothing.
Our tour was self guided and visitors were encouraged to explore the exhibits at your own pace. At stopping points, displays were presented to learn more about these interesting adventurers who bravely traveled here almost 400 years ago! Colony Members told about what it was like to be alone and on the edge of a continent new to them. Plimoth Plantation WEST–2018 was focused on outreach and education. There were multiple interactive displays showing aspects of what was happening two years before the famous voyage and the life and demographics of the travelers. In addition, roving Enactor/Colony Members represented specific Mayflower passengers and told their personal stories to guests. We’d love to do this again, perhaps in the Fall of 2021, so watch for news updates.