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Dedications and Educational Opportunities at Congress

Lynn Young, President General

Yesterday was a great first day of Congress week. I will have to admit that the highlight of my day was being able to introduce my granddaughter, Campbell Lynn, to any and everyone I could find in the hallway. I can't wait to sign her DAR papers in 2031!

I am delighted to be participating in two special dedications today, one for the Atlanta Chapter’s stained glass windows and the other for the Texas Lone Star Lounge.

The Atlanta Chapter donated three beautiful stained glass windows to DAR in honor of our upcoming 125th anniversary in 2015. These windows were originally in the old Atlanta Chapter house, but have been kept in storage for many years since the house was sold. They have now been restored and cleaned by glass experts and installed in DAR Headquarters. Two of windows flank the doors to the Museum Gallery and the other is hung on the wall in the NOC Assembly Room. You will notice a name on the window to the right of the gallery has a misspelling, it should read “Georgia” rather than “Georia.” This occurred during the original construction and was left incorrect during the restoration for historical accuracy.

The Texas Lone Star Lounge (the newly named lounge in Constitution Hall) was in need of repairs and redecoration and the Texas State Society was kind enough to step in and sponsor this project to help make this area of our Headquarters more appealing to over one million guests who visit Constitution Hall annually. Recessed lighting was installed, new paint and wallpaper was chosen and the flooring was updated as well. Thank you Pamela Wright for selecting this as her State Regent’s Project and to all the Texas Daughters for their love and generous support. 

This afternoon I will be participating in the Gift Acceptance Ceremony. This will be such a wonderful opportunity to meet with these donors and to thank them for their tremendous gifts to the National Society.

There will also be educational activities for members to participate in today. If you are interested in learning more about the DAR Library and how to use its resources, I encourage you to attend the DAR Library orientation this morning in the O’Byrne Gallery at Headquarters. DAR Library Director, Eric Grundset will be giving an introduction to all things DAR Library.

The Committee Forums will begin this afternoon with the Education Forum at the Grand Hyatt. Just as a reminder, these are educational presentations where you can learn more about the work of various DAR committees and how to become involved. Be sure to check the Forum Schedule to see when different committees will have their presentations. These presentations will be posted on the Members’ Website following Congress.

I hope those attending Congress have safe travels Washington, D.C. I am looking forward to greeting everyone during tomorrow evening’s Opening Night Ceremony!