Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Tuesday, December 23, 1783 | Washington Resigns His Commission Before Congress


The Resignation:
Two-hundred and thirty years ago today, at noon on Tuesday, December 23, 1783, Congress assembled in the Old Senate Chamber of the Maryland State House. The roll that day recorded only seven states in attendance, “namely: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina, and most of these only by two delegates.”[1] While this was not enough to pass legislation, Congress determined unanimously three days before that it would be enough to receive the resignation of the commander-in-chief.[2]
Despite the generally poor attendance of delegates, the room was crowded with citizens. Ladies filed into the gallery and men on the floor. David Howell of Rhode Island wrote, “The State House was crowded with people of the first fashion who all partook in the occasion. And many testified their affectionate attachment to our illustrious Hero & their gratitude for his Services to his Country by a most copious shedding of tears.”[3] On this day, the Old Senate Chamber had reached such a capacity that some people were asked to leave! Even so, the crowd was still overwhelming, as James Tilton, a delegate from Delaware, recorded: “At twelve o’clock the General was introduced by the Secretary, and seated opposite to the president, until the throng, that filled all the avenues, were so disposed of as to behold the solemnity. The ladies occupied the gallery, as full as it would hold, the Gent. crouded below stairs.”[4]
George Washington Surrendering His Commission by Francis Blackwell Mayer, 1883. Image courtesy of the Mint Museum, 1971.14.
Washington, along with two of his aides-de-camp, entered the State House while his servant or slave waited outside. They were ushered into the Senate Committee Room until Congress was ready to receive them. Finally, Washington entered the Old Senate Chamber where Thomas Mifflin, the rest of Congress, and citizens of Annapolis waited. 
The Committee for Procedures had already determined the protocol for the resignation, which we can assume was followed. James Tilton thoroughly described the events, “Silence ordered, by the Secretary, the Genl rose & bowed to congress, who uncovered but did not bow. He then delivered his speech, and at the close of it, drew his commission from his bosom & handed it to the president. The president replied in a set speech, the General bowed again to Congress, they uncovered & the General retired. After a little pause, the company withdrew, Congress adjourned. The General then steped into the room again, bid every member farewell and rode off...”[5]
Immediately after the resignation, Washington left, at last, for Mt. Vernon, “intent upon eating his christmas dinner at home.”[6] It was the first time Washington would be home since the beginning of the Revolutionary War, more than eight years prior.
The emotion felt by the audience and Congress was perhaps the best-remembered and recorded aspect of the ceremony. James McHenry, in a letter to his fiance, was particularly struck by it: 
“It was a solemn and affecting spectacle; such an one as history does not present. The spectators all wept, and there was hardly a member of Congress who did not drop tears. The General’s hand which held the address shook as he read it. When he spoke of the officers who had composed his family, and recommended those who had contined in it to the present moment to the favorable notice of Congress he was obliged to support the paper with both hands. But when he commended the interests of his dearest country to almighty God, and those who had the superintendence of them to his holy keeping, his voice faultered and sunk, and the whole house felt his agitations.”[7] 
The Maryland Gazette added, “Few tragedies ever drew more tears from so many beautiful eyes, as were affected by the moving manner in which his Excellency took his final leave of Congress.”[8]
George Washington's personal copy of his resignation speech, acquired by the Maryland State Archives in January 2007. To learn more about the speech, go here. Maryland State Archives, MSA SC 5664.
In January 2007, the Maryland State Archives acquired Washington’s hand-written draft of the resignation, which he composed at Mann’s Tavern. The most significant detail in this copy is in the last paragraph. Washington crossed out the words “final” and “ultimate,” to read: “bidding an affectionate, final farewell to this August body...I here today deliver my Commission, and take my ultimate leave of all the employments of public life," foreshadowing his future presidency.
Washington’s resignation was of great significance to the post-revolutionary United States. Not only did he set the precedent that the President is the Commander-in-Chief, but by giving up his position as commander-in-chief, he placed his power and his status as a national hero in the hands of Congress. It was this empowerment of Congress that helped to ensure no one body held too much influence, and became a great action in the movement towards a balanced democracy that we enjoy today.

[1] Journals of the Continental Congress, 1774-1789, ed. Worthington C. Ford et al. (Washington, D.C., 1904-37), vol.25, p.818.
[2] Ibid, p.836.
[3] Smith, Paul H., ed., Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774-1789, Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 2000. David Howell to William Greene, 24 December 1783, page 225.
[4] Letter from James Tilton to Gunning Bedford Jr., 25 December 1783. Bryn Mawr College Library, Seymour Adelman Letters and Document Collection, Box 24.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Smith, Paul H., ed., Letters of Delegates to Congress, 1774-1789, Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress, 2000. James McHenry to Margaret Caldwell, 23 December 1783, page 222.
[8] Maryland Gazette, MSA SC 2731, 25 December 1783.
Posted by michelle.msa

Semper Fi! 
 Loyalty, Commitment And Excellence In All That I Do!

I guarantee to sell your home in 60 days or less, or I will Pay you up to $10,000 in CASH!*

Pat Ogle, Associate Broker, 
Champion Realty, Inc. 711 Bestgate Road, Annapolis, MD 21401 
800.847.9990 ext 660 (O) 443.569.2736 (C) 410-224-0660 (D) 
PatOgle@AnnapolisHomes4You.com 
AnnapolisHomes4You.com 

P.S. Help Us, Help (America’s Heroes) Wounded Warriors and their families as they return home from the current conflicts, honoring and empowering them with a wide range of services. To this end we donate $250 from every closing to the Wounded Warrior Project® . Give us a call at 410-224-0660 to help us help them! 

Please Don't Forget to Show Your Support for Our Marines!

 "IN GOD WE TRUST" | luke 1.37 

*certain conditions apply

Marine Corps Twas' the Night Before Christmas



Semper Fi! 
 Loyalty, Commitment And Excellence In All That I Do!

I guarantee to sell your home in 60 days or less, or I will Pay you up to $10,000 in CASH!*

Pat Ogle, Associate Broker, 
Champion Realty, Inc. 711 Bestgate Road, Annapolis, MD 21401 
800.847.9990 ext 660 (O) 443.569.2736 (C) 410-224-0660 (D) 
PatOgle@AnnapolisHomes4You.com 
AnnapolisHomes4You.com 

P.S. Help Us, Help (America’s Heroes) Wounded Warriors and their families as they return home from the current conflicts, honoring and empowering them with a wide range of services. To this end we donate $250 from every closing to the Wounded Warrior Project® . Give us a call at 410-224-0660 to help us help them! 

Please Don't Forget to Show Your Support for Our Marines!

 "IN GOD WE TRUST" | luke 1.37 

*certain conditions apply

Monday, December 23, 2013

The Christmas tree tradition was brought to America by the German immigrants

The Christmas tree tradition was brought to America by the German immigrants.


Well, yes and no. Ironically, the German Christmas tree came to America from England, courtesy of an English queen.
The Christmas tree is a German tradition that can be traced back to the 1500s to Strasbourg, which is now part of France. (See Myth #73)  But it was a minor tradition confined to the Alsace region that did not spread to the rest of Germany until after 1750. German-speaking immigrants had been coming to America in significant numbers since the late 17th century. Many came from parts of Germany where the decorated tree custom was unknown. Many did not celebrate Christmas at all, for religious reasons (like the Puritans in New England). So, not all German immigrants were aware of the Christmas tree custom, and some of those who were aware of it opposed all celebration of Christmas. 
But some German immigrants did celebrate the holiday with a decorated tree. There are numerous references to Christmas trees in America, each competing to be first in its state or region, and a few lay claim to the 1700s. Whenever the name of the family setting up one of these early trees is known, it is a German-sounding name. But this quaint German custom might well have died out as immigrants assimilated had it not been for the influence of an English queen.
When Queen Victoria’s German-born husband and first cousin, Prince Albert, arranged for a fir tree to be brought from his homeland and decorated in 1841, it created a minor sensation throughout the English-speaking world, thanks to the newly important media: the magazine. Everyone knew about Queen Victoria’s Christmas tree. A print of the royal family gathered about the Christmas tree at Windsor Castle appeared in the Illustrated London News in 1848, then in Godey’s Lady’s Bookin 1850, and was reprinted again ten years later. The six-foot fir sits on a table, each tier laden with a dozen or more lighted wax tapers. An angel with outstretched arms poses at the top. Gilt gingerbread ornaments and tiny baskets filled with sweets hang by ribbons from the branches. Clustered around the base of the tree are dolls and soldiers and toys.
The queen’s Christmas tree certainly caught the public’s imagination. It was not, however, the first German tree in England, as is commonly thought. Queen Victoria had seen one as a girl in 1832. The little princess wrote excitedly in her diary that her Aunt Sophia had set up two “trees hung with lights and sugar ornaments. All the presents being placed around the tree.” And long before that, in 1789, Queen Charlotte, wife of George III, the last king of America, sent to her native Meckelberg-Strelitz in northern Germany for a Christmas tree. The queen’s physician, Dr. John Watkins, described it as “a charming imported German custom, [with] bunches of sweetmeats, almonds, and raisins in papers, fruits, and toys most tastefully arranged” on its branches. Charming it may have been, but it didn’t stick. More than three generations would pass before the custom took root in England and in America. 
Once the royal seal of approval had been stamped solidly on the Christmas tree, the practice spread throughout England and America and, to a lesser extent, to other parts of the world, through magazine pictures and articles. Upper-class Victorian Englishmen loved to imitate the royal family, and Americans followed suit. Late in the century, larger floor-to-ceiling trees replaced the tabletop size. 
The Christmas trees that existed in America before the Queen Victoria media blitz seemed to have involved Moravians (now the Czech Republic), Alsatians (now France), or other German-Americans, and the custom had shown no sign of spreading beyond those narrow ethnic groups. The writer of an 1825 article in The Saturday Evening Post mentions seeing trees in the windows of many houses in Philadelphia, a city with a large German population. He wrote, Their “green boughs [were] laden with fruit, richer than the golden apples of the Hebrides, or the sparkling diamonds that clustered on the branches in the wonderful cave of Aladdin.” Gilded apples and nuts hung from the branches as did marzipan ornaments, sugar cakes, miniature mince pies, spicy cookies cut from molds in the shape of stars, birds, fish, butterflies, and flowers. A woman visiting German friends in Boston in 1832 wrote about their unusual tree hung with gilded eggshell cups filled with candies. 
Not until the mid-nineteenth century did Christmas trees start spreading to homes with no known German connection. In Virginia, Judge Nathaniel Beverley Tucker adopted the custom after a German friend introduced him to the Christmas tree in 1842. Robert E. Lee’s children enjoyed a tabletop tree at their quarters at West Point, NY, in 1853 when their father was Superintendent of the Military Academy. President Franklin Pierce set up a “German tree” in the White House in 1856. Newspapers and women’s magazines like Ladies Home Journal and Godey’s Lady’s Book spread the Christmas tree custom to all ethnic groups and economic classes.
Merry Christmas to all! 

Semper Fi! 
 Loyalty, Commitment And Excellence In All That I Do!

I guarantee to sell your home in 60 days or less, or I will Pay you up to $10,000 in CASH!*

Pat Ogle, Associate Broker, 
Champion Realty, Inc. 711 Bestgate Road, Annapolis, MD 21401 
800.847.9990 ext 660 (O) 443.569.2736 (C) 410-224-0660 (D) 
PatOgle@AnnapolisHomes4You.com 
AnnapolisHomes4You.com 

P.S. Help Us, Help (America’s Heroes) Wounded Warriors and their families as they return home from the current conflicts, honoring and empowering them with a wide range of services. To this end we donate $250 from every closing to the Wounded Warrior Project® . Give us a call at 410-224-0660 to help us help them! 

Please Don't Forget to Show Your Support for Our Marines!

 "IN GOD WE TRUST" | luke 1.37 

*certain conditions apply

Thursday, December 12, 2013

How to Protect Your Home from Burglars



I came across this interesting info graphic in the Washington Post recently called “Anatomy of a Burglary,” which reveals some fascinating statistics about break-ins, including a few ways to protect your valuables and deter thieves.

Some interesting facts:

  • Most burglaries occur between 10AM and 3PM.
  • The typical house burglar is a male teenager who lives within a couple of miles of your home.
  • Burglars spend on an average between 8 and 12 minutes inside your home.

Not only did the graphic detail the most common entry points for a burglar, but it also offered these helpful tips for protecting your home:

  • A home with a security system is 3 times less likely to be broken into than a home without a security system. (Even if you don’t have one, buying the stickers for them can deter an amateur.)
  • Consider alternatives to the master bedroom for hiding valuables. It’s the first place most burglars go.
  • Burglars want to spend fewer than 60 seconds breaking in. Anything you can do to lengthen that time will increase the likelihood they’ll pass on your house.
  • The appearance of an unoccupied home is what typically attracts burglars. Not bringing the garbage cans back up a few days after trash day can be a big sign you’re not around.

For a detailed look at the info graphic, visit the Washington Post site here:

Protect your home and your valuables! Common sense is often enough to keep you from becoming a victim.  And remember: Keep an inventory of your possessions for insurance purposes.


For a more up to date look at crime in Anne Arundel County Click Here!



Semper Fi! 
 Loyalty, Commitment And Excellence In All That I Do!

I guarantee to sell your home in 60 days or less, or I will Pay you up to $10,000 in CASH!*

Pat Ogle, Associate Broker, 
Champion Realty, Inc. 711 Bestgate Road, Annapolis, MD 21401 
800.847.9990 ext 660 (O) 443.569.2736 (C) 410-224-0660 (D) 
PatOgle@AnnapolisHomes4You.com 
AnnapolisHomes4You.com 

P.S. Help Us, Help (America’s Heroes) Wounded Warriors and their families as they return home from the current conflicts, honoring and empowering them with a wide range of services. To this end we donate $250 from every closing to the Wounded Warrior Project® . Give us a call at 410-224-0660 to help us help them! 

Please Don't Forget to Show Your Support for Our Marines!

 "IN GOD WE TRUST" | luke 1.37 

*certain conditions apply

BE ALERT TO A CURRENT SCAM AFFECTING LOCAL BUSINESSES

BE ALERT TO A CURRENT SCAM AFFECTING LOCAL BUSINESSES
 
The ABA has learned of the following scam that has affected some local businesses:

Baltimore Gas and Electric Company is warning its customers to be wary of imposters posing as BGE representatives in response to a rise in in-person and over-the-phone scams.  Imposters wear official-looking clothing and carry fake credentials.  BGE urges customers to always call BGE at the number on their bill or at 800-685-0123 to verify an employee's credentials or with any questions or concerns PRIOR to ever granting someone entry into their home.  All BGE employees and contractors carry company identification badges, which should be visible at all times, displaying their name, photograph, and identification number.  If at any time customers are concerned for their safety, they should call 911. BGE also wants customers to know that it no longer accepts payments in the field.

Local businesses who are BGE customers have been targeted over the phone.  The callers claim to represent BGE and tell customers their service is scheduled to be terminated and that they should make a payment by purchasing a ‘Green Dot’ Visa credit card.  The customers are then directed to call another phone number where information is obtained from the credit card and the monetary value is removed from the card.  To avoid this scam, customers should ask the caller for name on the account, the account address and the exact past-due balance.

Businesses are also encouraged to question ANY company that contacts them in person or by phone and verify the validity of the contact prior to releasing ANY information.

Semper Fi! 
 Loyalty, Commitment And Excellence In All That I Do!

I guarantee to sell your home in 60 days or less, or I will Pay you up to $10,000 in CASH!*

Pat Ogle, Associate Broker, 
Champion Realty, Inc. 711 Bestgate Road, Annapolis, MD 21401 
800.847.9990 ext 660 (O) 443.569.2736 (C) 410-224-0660 (D) 
PatOgle@AnnapolisHomes4You.com 
AnnapolisHomes4You.com 

P.S. Help Us, Help (America’s Heroes) Wounded Warriors and their families as they return home from the current conflicts, honoring and empowering them with a wide range of services. To this end we donate $250 from every closing to the Wounded Warrior Project® . Give us a call at 410-224-0660 to help us help them! 

Please Don't Forget to Show Your Support for Our Marines!

 "IN GOD WE TRUST" | luke 1.37 

*certain conditions apply

Monday, December 9, 2013

A Testimonial from Satisfied AnnapolisHomes4You.com Buyers






I guarantee to sell your home in 60 days or less, or I will Pay you up to $10,000 in CASH!*

Semper Fi! 
 Loyalty, Commitment And Excellence In All That I Do!

Pat Ogle, Associate Broker, 
Champion Realty, Inc. 711 Bestgate Road, Annapolis, MD 21401 
800.847.9990 ext 660 (O) 443.569.2736 (C) 410-224-0660 (D) 
PatOgle@AnnapolisHomes4You.com 
AnnapolisHomes4You.com 

P.S. Help Us, Help (America’s Heroes) Wounded Warriors and their families as they return home from the current conflicts, honoring and empowering them with a wide range of services. To this end we donate $250 from every closing to the Wounded Warrior Project® . Give us a call at 410-224-0660 to help us help them! 

Please Don't Forget to Show Your Support for Our Marines!

 "IN GOD WE TRUST" | luke 1.37 

*certain conditions apply

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

MRIS CEO David Charron on Real Estate Market Fall 2013

 

Semper Fi! 

Loyalty, Commitment And Excellence In All That I Do!

I guarantee to sell your home in 60 days or less, or I will Pay you up to $10,000 in CASH!*

Pat Ogle, Associate Broker, 
Champion Realty, Inc. 711 Bestgate Road, Annapolis, MD 21401 
800.847.9990 ext 660 (O) 443.569.2736 (C) 410-224-0660 (D) 
PatOgle@AnnapolisHomes4You.com 
AnnapolisHomes4You.com 

P.S. Help Us, Help (America’s Heroes) Wounded Warriors and their families as they return home from the current conflicts, honoring and empowering them with a wide range of services. To this end we donate $250 from every closing to the Wounded Warrior Project® . Give us a call at 410-224-0660 to help us help them! 

Please Don't Forget to Show Your Support for Our Marines!

 "IN GOD WE TRUST" | luke 1.37 

*certain conditions apply

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Some Thoughts On What Makes A Successful Negotiation

Some thoughts on what makes a successful negotiation, and why I'm often able to "get the best of it" on behalf of my clients.  You might find these approaches helpful in your own negotiations, too

In my mind, a successful negotiation is not where one side has pulverized the other. You don't "win" a negotiation; you get the best possible outcome for your clients while doing the least harm. No one should leave a negotiation angry. After all, you never know when you might have to negotiate with the same people again.  When it comes to negotiating on behalf of my clients, I keep the following in mind:

Set the stage: I like a location that's quiet, neutral, pleasant, and away from distractions and confusion.  It's best if everyone turns off their devices, and refrains from calls or texts during negotiations.

Be prepared: I never enter without my homework. I verify any outstanding facts before the negotiation begins. (Later fact-finding can cause a negotiation to bog down!)

Present a united front: I represent clients and have been hired to act on their wishes. At times I may not agree with their position, but I never share that with the other side. If I feel a client's position is less than optimal, I only discuss it with them in private

Leave attitudes at the door: It's very simple... treat everyone in the negotiation with respect, regardless of personal opinions. If anyone disagrees, disagree with the idea, not the person.

Watch non-verbal cues and body language: (Sorry, but I can't reveal all of my secrets here... suffice it to say I take it all in!)

Hold something in reserve: I discuss concessions with my clients before hand and only offer these concessions when we absolutely need to concede something.

I don't harp about points that don't matter to my clients: Negotiations should never choke over a minor point.  I like to get agreement on major points such as price and terms and put lesser items aside to return to later.

Never volunteer too much information: Knowledge is power in a negotiation. Telling the other side any information, however insignificant seeming, could weaken my clients' position. On the other hand, I learn as much about the other side as I can.

If you ever need someone on your side in a real estate negotiation, feel free to contact me directly.
Search All Homes For Sales
You’re Home Sold Guaranteed!
Homes Close to Where You Work
Investment Properties Homes for Sale
Short Sale Homes For Sale
Avoid Foreclosure
What is Your Home Worth?
Pat Ogle
Champion Realty, Inc.
410-224-0660
PatOgle@AnnapolisHomes4You.com

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Pat's Places - Honey Do Grill (Home Depot) Rt 450 Annapolis, MD



TOP RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE AGENT:  LICENSED SINCE 1986 

Pat Ogle, Associate Broker, Internet Marketing Specialist, REALTORCertified Residential Specialist (CRS)Certified Internet Marketing Specialist (e-PRO)Graduate of the Realtor Institute (GRI)Certified Residential Investment Specialist (CRIS)Certified Historic Property Specialists (CHPS)Champion Certified Buyer Representative (CCBR) 

Member of the Champion Realty Hall of Fame 
Champion Realty Lifetime Achievement Award 
Awarded the Realty Alliance National Sales Award (2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2010)
Awarded Best-of-the-Best by Champion Realty in Settled Real Estate Transaction Sales 
Life Time Member of the Distinguished Sales Achievement Club of the Anne Arundel County Board of Realtors (DSAC)

711 Bestgate RoadAnnapolis, MD 21401 
 Business:(410) 224-0660      Toll Free:             (888) 204-0535      Cell Phone:        (443) 569-2736

PatOgle@AnnapolisHomes4You.com


Pat Ogle amd Gary Orders are e-PROs - Pat Ogle, Associate Broker is a Certified Residential Specialist and he sells Real Estate and Waterfront Homes in Annapolis Anne Arundel County the Eastern Shore and Maryland Pat Ogle is a Real Estate Agent with Champion Realty, Inc. 711 Bestgate Road Annapolis MD 21401 410-224-0600
Pat Ogle is a GRI - Pat Ogle, Associate Broker is a Certified Residential Specialist and he sells Real Estate and Waterfront Homes in Annapolis Anne Arundel County the Eastern Shore and Maryland Pat Ogle is a Real Estate Agent with Champion Realty, Inc. 711 Bestgate Road Annapolis MD 21401 410-224-0600
Pat Ogle is a Life Member of DSAC - Pat Ogle, Associate Broker is a Certified Residential Specialist and he sells Real Estate and Waterfront Homes in Annapolis Anne Arundel County the Eastern Shore and Maryland Pat Ogle is a Real Estate Agent with Champion Realty, Inc. 711 Bestgate Road Annapolis MD 21401 410-224-0600
Pat Ogle is a CRS - Pat Ogle, Associate Broker is a Certified Residential Specialist and he sells Real Estate and Waterfront Homes in Annapolis Anne Arundel County the Eastern Shore and Maryland Pat Ogle is a Real Estate Agent with Champion Realty, Inc. 711 Bestgate Road Annapolis MD 21401 410-224-0600