THEIR SACRIFICE, OUR GUIDING LIGHT - MEETING BLING

A Beacon of Remembrance - Honoring our fallen heroes with pride and gratitude 

Just as the lighthouse stands as a guiding light along the coast, we pause during our Spring Meeting to reflect on the courage and sacrifice of the men and women of our armed forces who gave their lives in service to our nation. Their legacy continues to guide and inspire us, and the freedoms we enjoy are a lasting testament to their devotion. 

In their honor, we invite all members to show their patriotic spirit by wearing red, white, and blue throughout the meeting. Whether it’s a favorite shirt, hat, beads, or festive flair, your participation will help create a meaningful and visible expression of unity, remembrance, and appreciation.            

Agenda

FRIDAY, MAY 15

5:30 pm - Social Registration Opens

6:00 pm – 8:30 pm - Social - The Residence Inn will provide a catered buffet dinner and a cash bar. The dinner includes a Caesar salad, garlic bread sticks, penne pasta, fettuccini pasta, marinara sauce, Alfredo sauce, grilled chicken, Italian vegetables, cookies, water, lemonade, and ice tea. The Residence Inn by Marriott-Amelia Island will provide a cash bar during FLA's social. Beer or a glass of wine will be available for purchase at $6.00 each, (sales tax and gratuity are not included in the purchase price.). The cash bar will only accept cash. There is an ATM on the first floor of the hotel. If you prefer to charge your beer and/or wine purchase, the hotel's market (convenience store) located near the hotel's front desk has these beverages for sale at $6.00 each plus sales tax. The hotel's front desk will process your credit card transaction. The hotel's policy does not allow you to bring alcoholic beverages into the social if these were not purchased at the hotel.  

SATURDAY, MAY 16

8:30 am - Membership meeting check-in, FLA will provide coffee.

9:00 am - Membership meeting morning session. 

10:30 am - Our keynote speaker will be Michael Blake, the engineer and architect behind the recent feasibility study on moving the St. Johns River Lighthouse at Mayport that was paid for by a Gene Oakes Grant. Josh Liller, FLA's historian, will provide a Power Point Presentation about the history of the Amelia Island Lighthouse.

11:30 am - Drawing of raffle ticket for the Amelia Island Lighthouse door prize gift basket

Noon - Lunch Break - We’ll top off our lighthouse gathering with a delicious catered, buffet lunch from Callahan Barbecue—a beloved local favorite known for its slow-smoked meats, homestyle sides, and authentic Southern flavor. It’s the kind of down-home cooking that brings people together and keeps them coming back for more. Our lunch will include beef brisket, chicken nuggets, tossed green salad (with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, cheese, and croutons) with a variety of dressings, Barbecue bread, coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans, cookies, and ice tea and lemonade.

1:00 pm - Drawing of raffle tickets for prizes; 50/50 raffle; and live auction.

1:30 pm - Membership meeting wrap-up, announcements, and adjournment.

2:00 pm - 6:00 pm - After the membership meeting is adjourned, you will be shuttled from the meeting location in groups of 13, by FLA’s chartered van to the Amelia Island Lighthouse. The van will return you to the meeting location upon completion of your Lighthouse visit.  The City of Fernandina Beach does not allow public parking at the Lighthouse because it is situated in a residential neighborhood. 

FUN AND INTERESTING HISTORICAL FACTS ABOUT THE AMELIA ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE

1. Amelia Island Lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse tower in Florida, dating to 1839.
2. Despite the age of the rest of the lighthouse, the lantern and Fresnel lens are among the newest in Florida. The lighthouse underwent renovations in 1903, during which the present lantern and lens were installed.
3. Amelia Island Lighthouse is one of only three in Florida with granite stairs in the tower. The others are Old St. Johns River and Loggerhead Key.
4. The lighthouse began its existence in 1820 across the St. Mary's River on Cumberland Island. The original tower was torn down and rebuilt on Amelia Island in 1838-1839.
5. Fernandina Beach was the eastern terminus of the first cross-Florida railroad (to Cedar Key) and one of the five largest cities in Florida at the start of the Civil War.
6. Amos Latham, the first lighthouse keeper, was a Revolutionary War veteran.
7. The lighthouse is closely tied to the O'Hagan family. The longest-serving keepers were Thomas Patrick O'Hagan (1905-1925) and his son, Thomas John O'Hagan (1912-1954). David Cowie O'Hagan (1925-1934) also started a keeper career here as his brother's assistant. Descendants have been long been active with the local Coast Guard Auxiliary.
8. For several decades, the lighthouse formed a range with a movable beacon light.
9. A separate Amelia Island North Range also served the difficult channel leading into Fernandina. The remains of the brick oil house from these range lights can be seen at the Willow Pond Trailhead in Fort Clinch State Park.
10. John Miles, longtime keeper of the North Range Lights, was one of the African-Americans to have ever served as a civilian lightkeeper in Florida. Midway through his 22 year career, he lost part of his leg in an off-duty accident, but continued to serve thanks to an artificial limb.