DAR Blooms During April Executive Week

April in Washington, D.C., means, of course, the profusion of Japanese Cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin and throughout the city.  But it also brings the return of the Executive Committee for its week of executive deliberations and events. This year’s session was exceptionally busy and packed with purpose. I’m delighted to share a short summary of our activities and actions.

Activities:

One of the greatest honors of our administration has been commemorating the centennial of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. On Tuesday, we were given the privilege of placing our National Society’s 102nd annual consecutive wreath upon the Tomb to remember those whose identity is known only to God. It was a special time for us, as we were also invited into the Tomb Guards’ quarters to meet two of these fine young Americans. DAR holds the unique distinction of having the longest, unbroken chain of placing an annual wreath upon the Tomb, which we have done each year since 1921.

Our National Headquarters welcomed Hungarian Ambassador to the United States Szabolcs Takas and nearly 100 of his guests as he sponsored a panel discussion and World War I Centennial Photography Exhibit to launch a new book by Hungarian photographer and businessman Attila Szalay-Berzeviczy. A portion of the U.S. sales of the book, “In the Centennial Footsteps of The Great War,” will benefit the World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. The presentations, exhibit and reception provided the opportunity to discuss the current events unfolding in Eastern Europe and compare them to those that led to WWI. This event was held on April 6 (the 105^th anniversary of the U.S. entry into World War I) and concludes our National Society’s commemoration of the Centennial of World War I. Earlier in the week, I enjoyed a small private dinner at the Ambassador’s home. The conversation was fascinating, the food delicious and the setting extraordinary.

We were also fortunate to attend the official opening of the new DAR Museum Exhibit: “To Supply a Nation, Origins and Impacts of Everyday Things.” It explores the materials necessary to create the necessities of Colonial life. The thought-provoking display includes interactive activities, notably a “barrel making” example that kept a few of our executives busy! It will remain on display in the Museum Gallery through Congress, and I know that you will enjoy visiting it yourself.

National Parliamentarian Linda Sehrt treated us to lunch at the famed McDonald’s Tea Room of her youth in Gallatin, Missouri, during her Sunshine Luncheon. We feasted on “dainties” and learned more about the history of this famous restaurant at which both her grandmother and mother worked. It was listed as one of the 10 best restaurants in the nation by Duncan Hines – yes, there really was a Duncan Hines and he was a culinary expert.

Finally, on Friday evening, my husband and I attended the 75^th Horatio Alger Awards, which honor ‘Perseverance, Integrity and Excellence” at DAR Constitution Hall. Among the honorees were Stedman Graham, Herschel Walker, Jane Seymour and former VA Secretary Robert McDonald however, in the opinion of your President General, the real star of the show was DAR Constitution Hall!

The Horatio Alger Association, according to its website, “was established in 1947 to dispel the mounting belief among our nation’s youth that the American Dream was no longer attainable. The Association bears the name of the renowned author Horatio Alger, Jr., whose tales of overcoming adversity through unyielding perseverance and basic moral principles captivated the public in the late 19th century. The organization’s founder, Dr. Kenneth Beebe, in close association with Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, hoped to inspire individual Americans to reach their highest potential, thereby strengthening American society as a whole. They created the Association to recognize men and women of outstanding achievement as a way to remind Americans of the limitless possibilities that exist through the free-enterprise system.”

Actions:

In addition to planning for our upcoming 131^st Continental Congress in June, our week of formal meetings included reports from department heads and deliberations on topics that resulted in 66 Executive motions. Among the approvals authorized:

• Allocation of the 2021 Chapter Achievement Award contributions made by chapters to support the various mission areas of the National Society.
• The awarding of DAR Project Patriot, DAR School and DAR Scholarship committee recommendations.
• Creation of streamers to be sold through the DAR Store that may be attached to Chapter and State banners to recognize 25, 20, 75, 100 and 125 years of service; in addition, banner streamers to recognize those that attain 100 percent participation in the President General’s Project will be provided to qualifying states and chapters.
• Printing of a new Chaplain’s Handbook, to be available for sale at the DAR Store by Continental Congress.
• Distribution of 36 DAR Historic Preservation Grant projects for 2022-2023, totaling $250,253.
• Payment of $75,000 in Vivian’s Outreach to Women (VOW) Grants from the Vivian Luther Schafer Fund for Indigent and Homeless Women to support Operation Stand Down in Johnston, RI; Steps 4 Life Community Services in Loma Linda, Cal.; and the Veterans Multi-Service Service of Philadelphia, Pa. These grants support programs for homeless female veterans.
• Provision of $46,200 of support to Bacone College, $31,000 to the American Indian Youth Camp, $35,000 to Chemawa Indian School and $20,850 in American Indian Fund grants (the last to fund indigenous cultural programs in South Dakota and a farm-to-school program in Nebraska).

As always, you will find additional photos about many of these events on my DAR President General Facebook page. I am now on the road again, making the nine final official visits of my term in office. Please join me by following the page to see the exciting things happening all across the USA in Today’s DAR!