Visiting the Natural State

On March 17, I flew to Little Rock for the 108^th Arkansas State Conference, Mary H. Deere, State Regent. Known for its natural beauty and abundance of natural wildlife, the area was incorporated into the U.S. as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.  It became Arkansas territory in 1819 and a state in 1836.

Mary’s theme is “Celebrate America, Be an Angel, Help a Vet” and her emblem is an angel. I enjoyed hearing how the 2400 members in 44 chapters fulfill our mission and support our nation’s wounded military and veterans.  The Daughters have adopted the Arkansas Freedom Fund, an organization that plans special rehabilitative and recreational outdoor events and successfully received one of NSDAR’s Special Project Grants.  

The State Officers Club dinner, Mary Bonner, President preceded Opening Night. I was delighted to accept a donation from the Club for the President General’s Project. 

After bringing greetings at the first evening session, I was quite surprised to receive an Arkansas Traveler Certificate from a representative of the Office of the Secretary of State. In 1941, the state created the Arkansas Traveler Certificate to honor out-of-state visitors, the first presentation going to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Leslie Rutledge, the first female to become Arkansas Attorney General, gave the keynote address on Public Service and Consumer Protection.  The office deals with more than 8,000 consumer complaints annually and Ms. Rutledge cautioned us to be aware of the people and sites our children interact with on social media.

Many of the 300 members and guests attending the conference were there for the first time and we enjoyed posing for a group photo.

On Friday morning, I had the pleasure of hosting the President General’s breakfast for our donors prior to the first Business session. I shared news from headquarters including the recent television and movie filmings at our buildings. The ladies had lots of questions and I enjoyed answering them.   

Reports were presented by State Officers, Chairs and District Directors.  Highlights included:

• Nine chapters retained 100% of their members
• 16 chapters had a net increase in members
• Over 94,000 Celebrate America! hours were recorded last year
• Chapters presented 54 programs honoring our Vietnam Veterans
• The Abendschone chapter grew by more than 10%
• The Jonesboro Chapter recorded almost 12,000 Celebrate America! hours last year
• The James K. Polk Chapter recorded stories of Vietnam Veterans which were played on local radio

The 50-Year Club members were recognized at the "Angels Among Us" Luncheon and I gave a presentation on the Guardian Trust Campaign.  The National Defense Distinguished Citizen Award was presented to Foster C. “Jock” Davis, who served in the Army for 37 years, and authored an autobiographical book on depression and the military, Brothers Four.

The American Heritage Women in the Arts Award was presented to Suzann Waggoner, an award winning artist and DAR member.  Her works are exhibited in numerous galleries and in the Archives of Women Artists, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.

It was a pleasure to recognize 34 chapters who had achieved 100% participation in the President General’s Project and to pose for a group photo.  Additionally, the state presented a check to become a President General’s Project benefactor.

While State Registrar Barbara Lewis was leading a workshop, Honorary State Regent Fern Taylor took me next door to the Old State House to see the Arkansas DAR Room. Built in 1835, the state house served as the home of state government until the Arkansas state capitol opened in 1912. History of the Arkansas DAR Room by Dorothy Williams indicates that women’s organizations, including DAR, were instrumental in saving the building as early as 1908.  In 1947, the old state house was made a museum by acts of the Arkansas legislature and a few years later the DAR room was established.  Originally used for meetings the room is furnished as a Revolutionary War era parlor and features a magnificent Breakfront, beautiful chandelier, and other valuable items. Arkansas does not sponsor a period room at Headquarters, but instead shares this elegant parlor with state residents and visitors to assist them developing a deeper appreciation of the lives, customs and times of our Revolutionary forbears.

The Angels for Vets Banquet Friday evening began with the chorus led by Robin Yates performing a lovely medley of “Let There be Peace on Earth” and “Angels Among Us” followed by introduction of each guest by the table hostesses.  I enjoyed the table decorations featuring photographs of members performing community service.  The head table also had a wonderful photograh by Jayne Spears of American flags, “Celebrate America” and “Be an Angel, Help a Vet.”

My presentation that evening was on Tomorrow’s DAR and I challenged the ladies to see the world through the eyes of an 18 year old who would be eligible to join DAR, reminding them that we must evolve as a society while staying relevant to our enduring mission. Mary gave me a marvelous book on Arkansas historical monuments and an Arkansas charm. The evening concluded with a presentation of the newly elected State Officers and “The Yellow Rose of Texas” sung by Robin Yates.

I left early Saturday and regretted missing the Teacher and Student Awards ceremony at the Old State House following the final Business Session. The angels of Arkansas DAR are truly Celebrating America and helping veterans!