Front Royal Chapter
Organized December 13, 1979
Front Royal, Virginia
According to tradition, the name, "Front Royal" evolved as follows: A giant oak - the royal tree of England - stood, in colonial days, in the public square. There on muster days, the local militia, composed of raw recruits, was drilled. On one occasion the drill sergeant, exhausted by the failure of his troops to follow his commands, used a phrase he felt all could understand, and shouted, "Front the Royal Oak!" One of the spectators, a former professional soldier, was so amused that he enjoyed describing the occurrence, repeating the words, "Front the Royal Oak" until Front Royal became the derivation.