Seven members of the South Branch Valley Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution and two pages (granddaughters of two members of the chapter) attended the 120th West Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution state conference April 11 – 13 in Bridgeport. They were joined by more than 150 members of the WVDAR.
This annual conference is held to receive reports from the state officers, district directors, chapter regents and state chairs, to vote on recommendations and resolutions, and to act on other business. The theme for this conference was “WVDAR Sparkles for the Red, White and Blue,” focusing on appreciation for active-duty military personnel and veterans. The meeting was hosted by the northern district chapters and presided over by Jane J. Larke, WV state regent.
The keynote speaker was Maribeth Shreve, WV state coordinator, Quilts of Valor. She recounted the history of the Quilts of Valor organization; its purpose and the requirements necessary to obtain one of these handmade quilts. The quilts are a thank you to veterans to show appreciation for their service and sacrifice. In a very moving ceremony, 11 veterans received their Quilts of Valor that evening. In addition, the WVDAR gave a donation to the organization to show its support for this outstanding foundation.
Virginia “Ginnie” Sebastian Storage, first vice president general of NSDAR, was the guest speaker. She delivered a speech titled “Sharing Your Gifts,” highlighting that everyone has unique skills and talents which, when combined, can lead to notable accomplishments. She encouraged members to seek collaboration and use their God-given gifts to make a positive impact on the communities. Other distinguished guests included Christina Bannan, state regent in Illinois and Yvonne Liser, state regent in the District of Columbia.
The South Branch Valley Chapter, NSDAR received the following recognition: Twinkling Star Award; DAR library outreach, second place; participation in a reading program – community classroom; most children impacted – community classroom, honorable mention; commemorative events – 205th birthday of the United States Navy, first place; support of Honor Flight, second place; providing support to veterans, second place; honoring veterans, second place; most hours read to children, second place; books for DAR schools and WVDAR state regent’s project, first place; South Branch Valley Chapter – significant support of the state regent’s project; Judy Mathias – outstanding service as a committee chair; Susan Garrett – outstanding service as a committee chair; JoeAnn Eye – individual excellence in support of veterans; and Bonnie Myers – Women’s Issues – physical health issues essay contest, first place; and outstanding contributions as a volunteer genealogist.
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a non-profit, nonpolitical volunteer service organization dedicated to the preservation of history, promoting patriotism and the education of children. Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership. DAR volunteers are available and willing to assist with guidance in genealogy research for women interested in becoming a member. For more information, visit the DAR website at www.dar.org, email inquiries to membership@dar.org or SBVDAR1@gmail.com.
