We are deeply indebted to Teddie Sue Carter, our gifted Membership Chairman, for her account of the 2008 Reunion and Meeting:

Anticipating a great reunion, the Carter Clan began arriving at the Comfort Inn in Monticello, Virginia about noon on Friday, September 12th. We launched the memorable evening with a reception at the lovely historic home of Society member Lloyd Smith and wife Ashlin. The home was built between 1892 and 1894 near downtown Charlottesville, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. We enjoyed exquisite hors d'oeuvres while visiting with our Carter cousins in a very relaxed atmosphere - Lloyd and Ashlin were the perfect hosts.

We had fun fitting into the tour bus on Saturday morning where our tour guide K. Edward Lay - from the University of Virginia - pointed out many sites of interest as we travelled within the Secretery John Carter Land Grant of 1730 on Carter's Mountain. It was a beautiful and yet slow and difficult drive down the mountain road - we gave a cheer each time the driver navigated a turn!

The first of two stops on this road was at the historic 1836 home of Benjamin Franklin Randolph and wife Sarah Champe Carter known as Round Top. The second was at the exquisite and historic home of Robert and Polly Coles Carter known as Redlands - it has been inhabited by the local Carter family since it was built in 1798.

We began the afternoon with lunch at the Michie Tavern of the 1770's where our servers were ladies in long dresses with aprons neatly tied around their waist. Classic vittles were served buffet style and we sat on wooden benches under a long wooden table. After another squeeze into the bus, we drove to Edward Hill Carter's original home site knwon as Blenheim, which burned in 1840. The current house on this property was built by Andrew Stevenson (U.S. Speaker of the House) in 1846. Despite the loss of the main building, many of the original plantation structures still stand and are being renovated. Separately, a Blenheim Winery has been developed and we were treated to a few free samples during the tour of the facility.

The evening began with a return to the Ivy Inn in time for freshening up before dinner on the outdoor back patio decorated with mood lights. Upon returning to the motel, the Board met to elect new officers of the Society.

Sunday morning, after coffee and a light breakfast at the motel, we moved into a meeting room for the annual general business meeting. It was announced that the same slate of officers would serve for another year; see the separate entry 'Banner Year for Membership' for the list of new members. Our guest speaker, Edmund Berkley, was then introduced and he gave a very informative synopsis regarding the Robert 'King' Carter website which he had developed at the Library of the University of Virginia (LVA): http//etext.virginia.edu/users/berkley

We then took time to check out and travel by caravan to the Historic Grounds at the University of Virginia where we met with the same K. Edward Lay from the bus tour. Thomas Jefferson not only designed a large part of the UVA campus, but oversaw the construction - the beauty of this campus is awesome! We walked across campus, picked up a quick lunch, and headed to yet another King Carter related home site known as Piedmont. The connection is with Emily Aphia Carter (married Richard Sclater), grand daughter of Edward Hill Carter of Blenheim, grandson of Robert King Carter.

We want to thank co-chairmen Carol Hendricksen and Lloyd Smith for the wonderful planning of the 2008 Reunion, and Betsy Carter who served as Registrar.