The Inter Se Club of Andalusia met in the Dixon Room of the Andalusia Public Library on Wed., Nov. 2, with hostesses Jan Roach, Katie Eiland and Betty Lucas. Members present were Juanita Anauo, Maribel Brown, Judy Buck, Dot Burkett, Sarah Clark, Rozilyn Croft, Jewel Curry, Nancy Davis, Katie Eiland, Kathy Enzor, Lanette Goodyear, Judy Holmes, Mary Lee Howard, Janette Keith, Rebecca Kinard, Carolyn Lambert, Ann Lewis, Betty Lucas, Barbara McCommons, Marilyn O’Neal, Marcia Reichert, Jan Roach, Maggie Shelley, Margaret Smyly and associate members Jane Gunn and Pam Wyche.

After the social hour, the meeting was opened by President Jewel Curry, who welcomed everyone to the meeting, led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance and then turned the program over to program leader Nancy Davis, who introduced the speaker, Sir Francis McGowin.

McGowin spoke on patriotism and Gen. Robert E. Lee, the “courageous leader of the South.” Lee was an “icon” of the south, McGowin said.

Lee was born in Virginia and married George Washington’s granddaughter when he was a young teenager. She was the love of his life. He earned a degree in engineering and fathered three sons and four daughters. All the girls were spinsters because they could find no one to measure to their father, McGowin said.

McGowin also talked about the various Confederate flags that flew over the South. The first flag was the “First National” – the Stars and Bars. The second was the “Stainless Banner,” with the stars in the upper corner and the rest solid white. The one that we are most familiar with is called “The Battle Flag.” This flag was flown first by the “Dixie Crats.” It is really “new” as far as the Confederate flags are concerned and never really flew over Alabama during the Civil War, he said.