Tennessee Society of St. Louis’ One Hundred Twenty Third Annual Banquet

The Tennessee Society of St. Louis held its One Hundred and Twenty Third Annual Banquet at the St. Louis Woman’s Club to promote fellowship of former Tennesseans residing in Missouri while honoring the state of Tennessee and the 7^th President of the United States Andrew Jackson. The formal event began with cocktails and was followed by dinner, program, keynote address and live entertainment. Society President Brad Hauck presided over the program.

Traditional toasts were offered by Garth Forth to the Great State of Tennessee, Vincent Stegman to President of the United States Andrew Jackson and George Dorris IV to the Magnificent & Beautiful Ladies of Tennessee.

Guest speaker, Margaret Britton Vaughn has been Tennessee’s Poet Laureate for more than 20 years, and is a renowned storyteller throughout the state of Tennessee. She is the author of nineteen books and has written and produced plays produced by The Barn Theatre in Nashville and The Galt Theatre. Vaughn has written the official Bicentennial Poem of Tennessee the official poem commemorating the Tennessee state quarter. She also penned the 50th Anniversary Commemorative Poem for the U.S. Air Force, which was recorded into the Congressional Record of Washington, D.C.  In addition to her literary work, Vaughn is a well-known country music songwriter whose lyrics have been recorded by Loretta Lynn, Conway Twitty, Ernest Tubb and many others. Vaughn resides in Bell Buckle, Tennessee and has traveled hundreds of thousands of miles throughout America representing the State of Tennessee.

Following the presentation, guests danced to the sounds of Trilogy. The band played long-standing favorites including The Tennessee Waltz and Rocky Top.

The Tennessee Society of St. Louis comprises one of the oldest State Societies in America. The objects and purposes of the Society is to unite ex-Tennesseans and the descendants of Tennesseans residing in the State of Missouri in closer fraternal relations and to promote friendly intercourse among them; to welcome and entertain on fitting occasions distinguished visitors from Tennessee; to provide suitable rendezvous for their meetings and gatherings of the Society; to celebrate appropriately memorable events in the history of the “Old Volunteer State” and to familiarize the members with the important and leading events in the history of the State of Tennessee and the lives of its most prominent citizens, and generally to do whatever will encourage good-fellowship of Tennesseans residing in the State of Missouri.