The Oklahoma State Workshop

I eagerly anticipated my trip to Oklahoma for their summer Workshop.  My husband was born in Oklahoma and had a grandfather in the 1889 land rush.  It always feels a bit like home when I travel to Colorado’s eastern neighbor.  State Regent Cindy Henderson had a great weekend planned and the chapters in Frontier District were gracious hostesses.  I hated to leave so soon, but Colorado had a workshop the same weekend and I was able to return in time to join Daughters in Colorado Springs.  Thank you, Oklahoma, you are certainly Rising Stars!

- President General Ann Dillon

The stars were shining during the Oklahoma State Workshop August 24-26, 2017! Almost 200 Oklahoma Daughters attended the state workshop in Norman, OK, and enjoyed visiting with our guests; President General Ann T. Dillon, Historian General Ginger Trader and Georgia State Regent Joyce Patton.  

The two service projects for the Oklahoma Workshop benefitted both Veterans and Bacone College.  Members brought tube socks and washcloths for Veterans and food and toiletries for the New Student Pantry at Bacone College.  The pantry is free to students with school ID and they may visit it twice a month. 

Opening night of the workshop was Thursday evening and President General Ann Dillon spoke about the greatness of America.  She gave an inspiring call for us to remember, rethink and revise how we treat each other and how we honor God.  She reminded us that our love for our country is greater than our differences and that we must not just learn tolerance, but respect for others. 

NSDAR Director of Development, Sandra Pollock, also attended the workshop and gave an update on the State Regent’s Project, the Oklahoma Enrichment Center, during the Friday morning business session.  Phase I of the project is complete and now Phase II has begun.  Phase I of the Oklahoma Enrichment Center consists of three computerized interactive stations designed to enhance the DAR Museum objects.   One station is behind the O’Byrne Gallery and two are on the third floor where an entire wall is dedicated to the Oklahoma Enrichment Center.  Phase II will include a portable classroom setting in the O’Byrne Room and a large Smartboard which will enhance museum programs that reach thousands of visitors each year.  The Smartboard will also be used in the DAR Library for genealogy programs.

The Oklahoma Workshop featured a New Horizon’s Luncheon which was held Friday at noon.  The focus of the luncheon was to introduce and educate the members about the New Horizon’s Course.  I presented a PowerPoint overview of the course and then presented each of the six Oklahoma New Horizon graduates who shared what they had gained from their work on the course.  The New Horizon’s State Coordinator, Roberta Hooper, then gave detailed instructions on how members can obtain access to the modules and how grading is done.  It was a very informative lunch and many Oklahoma Daughters expressed interest in completing the course.