State Regent Amanda Lazarus and the Rhode Island Daughters shared history, food and their lovely motto “Hope” with me during their state conference. Visiting the luxurious John Brown house was eclipsed only by shooting a cannon donated by General A.E. Burnside and others to the Squantum Club. Thank you to Dymond Bush and Emily Kasbohm, my personal Pages!
- Pamela Wright, President General
Rhode Island Daughters are proud of the rich Revolutionary War history within their state and welcomed President General Pamela Edwards Rouse Wright for her official visit to the Ocean State May 11-13. She joined myself and honored guests for a tour of the John Brown House on Friday, May 12. John Brown was a member of the Sons of Liberty and is well known as the unofficial leader of the Gaspee Incident of 1772, an act of armed resistance against British taxation. The State Regent’s project honors the 250th anniversary of the burning of the Gaspee by marking the graves of participants and promoting the story of the Gaspee.
Rhode Island Daughters kicked off their 129th Annual State Conference later that afternoon with an America 250 marker dedication and wreath laying at the North Burial Ground in Providence, RI. Funded through generous contributions to the State Regent’s project, the marker celebrates and honors members of the Sons of Liberty who burned the Gaspee in 1772, Rhode Island’s first revolutionary act. Kathryn Walker West, National Chair for America 250, shared in the ceremony that the North Burial Ground is also the final resting place of approximately 300 Revolutionary War veterans, including African-American and Native American men who made up the 1st Rhode Island regiment, and Stephen Hopkins, one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence.
That evening, members and guests enjoyed a friendship dinner at the Squantum Association in East Providence. Much to the delight of everyone assembled, the President General and myself, with the assistance of two members of the Kentish Guards, fired a cannon to commemorate the evening as we celebrated stars and stripes forever and rejoiced in our DAR ties of service and friendship.
The conference began the next day with the Heritage Club and Founders Club Breakfast, where Mrs. Wright expressed her gratitude and appreciation for the impact that Rhode Island daughters make at the National Society with their philanthropic support.
During the conference, Rhode Island daughters sparkled in service and recognized the many ways that members and chapters continue to make a positive impact in the community. Graduates for the DAR Leadership Training Courses were recognized with cords and certificates, and certificates were presented to the five members who recorded the most Service to America hours in 2022.
Mrs. Wright provided the keynote address after lunch, sharing highlights from her own DAR journey as well as the pillars of her President General’s project. Chapters with 100% participation in the President General’s project were recognized with photos and certificates, and an additional contribution to her project was presented from the Rhode Island State Society.
Another highlight of the day was honoring our 2023 State Outstanding Junior, Madelyn Paquette. Maddie is a member of the Pawtucket Chapter and also served as Personal Page to the State Regent for this conference. We also recognized the Rhode Island 2023 Good Citizen, Annelise Demers, who has also been named the winner for the Northeast Division.
The final conference of the Lazarus administration was a resounding success thanks to the hard work of the Conference Committee, led by Melinda Ragosta, and the hard-working Pages, led by Dymond Bush. Rhode Island is an engine for service, and the 129th Annual State Conference provided an opportunity to energize and inspire members in their support of historic preservation, education, and patriotism.
Today's DAR
