Pilgrim's Progress at the 41st Congress of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants

Some of the New Hampshire Mayflower Society members
lining up for the "Pilgrim's Progress" today in Plymouth, Massachusetts

Every three years members of the Mayflower Society gather in Plymouth, Massachusetts for the triennial Congress.  During this time period there is a large two day conference where delegates vote on issue pertaining to Mayflower Society business, and there are also lots of other activities such as lectures, tours, banquets, family association meetings, vendor sales but my favorite activity is the Pilgrim's Progress.  Members meet up at the Mayflower House and march as one body to the sarcophagus on Cole's Hill overlooking Plymouth harbor to lay a wreath and read the names of those ancestors who died the first winter in Massachusetts.  Then the members march up the hill to the opening ceremony at one of the two churches in court house square.

The militia lead the march

We had beautiful weather!  And an usually large number of participants.  This is probably due to the general interest in the Pilgrims and the story of the Mayflower as the 400th anniversary of the 1620 landing approaches.

The Mayflower House and Library in Plymouth, Massachusetts

Myles Standish? 

Meeting up at the sarcophagus

Laying the wreath

Recognize any of these Pilgrims?

This year there were an unusually large number of participants.
You can see them winding up Leyden Street all the way to the church.

The end of the Pilgrim's Progress
at the First Church of Plymouth

Three generations of Rojo women
at the Mayflower House!

The General Society of Mayflower Descendants:
https://www.themayflowersociety.org/  

You can see more photos from participants in the Congress and Pilgrim's Progress at the Facebook Group "General Society of Mayflower Descendants":
https://www.facebook.com/themayflowersociety/



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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Pilgrim's Progress at the 41st Congress of the General Society of Mayflower Descendants", Nutfield Genealogy, posted September 10, 2017, (https://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2017/09/pilgrims-progress-at-41st-congress-of.html: accessed [access date]).