The Montana State Conference

After a few very busy days at home, I left Denver with cloudy, overcast skies preventing me the beautiful mountain vista flying into Bozeman, Montana.  The State Regent, Jane Lee Hamman planned a wonderful conference and it was especially meaningful to see and visit long standing friends.  Bozeman has many similarities to Denver, altitude, mountains and Western hospitality.

- President General Ann Dillon

The 114th Montana State Conference was called to order on April 27 in Bozeman, hosted by Mount Hyalite Chapter, Cheryl Genovese, Regent, with a gavel donated to the State Society in 1921 by Oro Fino Chapter for the very first visit of a President General to Big Sky Country.  We welcomed honored guests President General Ann Turner Dillon and Sandy Pollack, NSDAR Director of Development, who were delightful speakers and sponsors of the Founders/Heritage Club Reception. A conference high point came Friday evening during the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund Reception and Gala Banquet at which Mrs. Dillon was the guest speaker, receiving acclaim and admiration—one Daughter proclaiming, “WOW.  Just WOW!”    

Attended by 70 Montana Daughters and 36 registered HODARs, Sons of the American Revolution and other guests, the wonderful gathering reconnected friends and families, who joined in two major service projects.  Project Patriot, co-chaired by Honorary State Regent Cathy Lane and Char Ross, collected 25 boxes of needed supplies for active duty military at Landstuhl, Germany, plus $605 for postage and additional items. Moving forward with the Community Classroom Patriotic Education project, attendees applied 500 decals on boxes for small rural schoolhouses that will contain educational resources. 

Daughters attending their first conference (25 percent!) were welcomed with white rose corsages; Honorary State Regents and 50+ Club members received red roses, and Chapter Regents and State Officers, purple.  Mrs. Dillon presented the President General’s Project 100% Certificate awards to all chapters present and the MSSDAR Traveling Scholarship, awarded annually since 1919, went to Jessica Horan from Moore, MT.   Honorary State Regent Joy Linn presented her first Nursing Scholarship to Karen Weinheimer from Lewistown, MT.  ALL chapters were Level 1 Achievers in the CMR, and special recognition was given to the Silver Bow Chapter and the Black Eagle-Assinniboine Chapter for their outstanding achievements.

The DAR Good Citizen from Montana was Tessa Sawyer from Dillon, MT, she also won the NW Division. The Montana Outstanding Junior Niki Venable was recognized, as were four American History Essay Contest awardees. Kyleigh Koehler, the essay winner from Garrison, MT, won the State and NW Division, which was presented by State Registrar and Chair Riva Amundson.  Two graduates of the New Members and seven graduates of New Horizons course were recognized by Coordinator and Vice Regent Leigh Haislip Spencer.  Barbara Stem read her moving original poem, “Though I Fly No More,” written for her U.S. Flag Retirement Ceremony Capstone project.