A flag presentation, an annual workshop and conference have been keeping the Historical Society of the Georgia National Guard Inc., busy in the past month.

Society members recently presented the Georgia Capitol Museum with a flag once flown by 1st Battalion, Georgia Volunteers. The flag is in such fragile condition that the society decided it should be placed with the museum’s flag collection. Dorothy Olson, museum director, and her assistants proudly accepted the flag and immediately began taking steps toward conserving the flag.

Although no one is sure how old the flag is, it has 45 stars and bears the inscription "1st Battalion Infantry, Georgia Volunteers" on its stripes. A section of flag following the word "Volunteers" appears to have been cut away rather than torn suggesting that the flag was used during the Spanish American War era - 1898-1902. Two time periods help in determining the era: Georgia changed from "Georgia Volunteers" to "Georgia State Troops" in December 1899 and the 45th star was added for Utah in July 1896, the 46th star for Oklahoma was added in July 1908.

Historical files maintained by the society show the Savannah Volunteer Guards likely used the flag because they were designated 1st Battalion of Infantry on Feb. 19, 1894, and retained that designation until Oct. 18, 1899.

The flag issue may be resolved, but society members remain busy planning for the annual Georgia National Guard Historians Workshop and annual Conference scheduled for Oct.24 25, in Forysth. The theme of this year's conference is "The Georgia Guard in World War II." Conference speakers will include former Guardsmen who were called to active duty and served in the World War. Historians from Georgia Army and Air Guard units are encouraged to attend.

Conference planners have said a panel of former Georgia Guardsman, including Charles Shepard and John W. Meeler, who served in the Georgia Guard prior to, or with Guard units during the war and saw service in the European theater, will deliver addresses about their service in the Guard before, during and following the war. Other prior Guardsmen who served in the Pacific are being sought for the panel, Hardwick said.

Hosting this year’s conference is retired BG Paul Jossey. Jossey is mayor of Forsyth and  former Army Guard chief of staff.

Events planned for the Saturday conference which normally kicks off in the morning, include a luncheon. The annual conference of the Historical Society is open to the public. Cost and event details will become available as time for the conference draws near, said society president John Hardwick.

The Workshop, held on the Friday before the Saturday conference is especially significant this year, said Staff Sgt. Gail Parnelle, of Georgia's Army Guard History Section. Preserving, recording and maintaining the history of the past year, she noted, is crucial because of the many mobilizations and deployments. "We need to capture that history so that the generations of Guardsmen who come after us will know who we were and what we did," Parnelle added.

The Historians Workshop is the only conference of the year in which historians of all branches can meet and discuss mutual issues and problems.