Motivation Monday - ProGen 20

I have embarked on a new venture.  I have joined a ProGen study group.  We are studying the book Professional Genealogy: A Manual for Researchers, Writers, Editors, Lecturers and Librarians, edited by Elizabeth Shown Mills.  I am in the 20th group of people doing this organized study. 

Each month we read one or two chapters of the book and prepare an assignment to coincide with that chapter.  We are organized into 3 sub-groups of 8 people who meet on-line once a month to critique each other's assignments and discuss the book.

 

This program lasts for about 19 months and the homework has already proven to be fairly time-consuming.  I am looking forward to learning everything I can from this program, and I look forward to getting to know the other study group members while I refine my own skills.

 

http://www.progenstudy.org/index.html

Society Saturday- DFPA General Court

The National Society, Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America had their General Court (annual meeting) in April.  This event lasts almost 3 days. 

Wednesday morning begins with an Executive Board meeting.  This is followed by the luncheon of the National Officers Club.  General Court itself begins Wednesday evening with a banquet.

The banquet is in the elegant Mayflower hotel and is always a nice start to the meeting.  After everyone met the National Officers in the recieving line, they were treated to an excellent meal.  Our banquet entertainment this year was a group of ladies who sang selections from the 1940's, in the style of the Andrews sisters.

The business meeting of General Court was held on Thursday.  A memorial service was conducted to remember 42 ladies who had died over the previous year.  We were grateful for our pages Frances and Donna who helped with the memorial wreath.

On Friday, there was a brief Executive Board meeting followed by a group tour of the State Department (more on that next week).  After the tour, some of us took the memorial wreath to the Women in Military Service Memorial (WIMSA) for a brief wreath-laying ceremony.

Betsy Gauld, Peggy Christie, Frances Lowe and Kimberly Nagy at the entrance to WIMSA

The ladies in the Hall of Honor.

Conducting the ceremony.

Placing the Wreath.



www.nationalsocietydfpa.com

Society Saturday - Descendants of Early Quakers

On Friday afternoon of Lineage Week, the National Society Descendants of Early Quakers has their annual tea.  This is a group of men and women who can trace their ancestry to a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) prior to 1835. 

Although the organization has no official ties with the Quaker religion, they do try to reflect some of its terminology and practices.  For example, they do not make motions or vote, but instead, "Agree in Unity".  The Officer titles are unique as well.  For example, there is a Presiding Clerk, a Recording Clerk, and a Keeper of the Common Fund.

The Presiding Clerk was Marlene Wilkinson.  She led the meeting through the reports of officers, an election, and a decision to make a charitable donation to Earlham College in Indiana (a Quaker school).

The program was given by Rick Hollis on "Cultivating Simplicity" and was very informative .

After the program, the officers for 2013-15 were installed by Past Presiding Clerk Carole Belcher.  The new National Presiding Clerk is David Stringfellow.

www.earlyquakers.org



Society Saturday - Daughters of American Colonists

National Society Daughters of American Colonists meets at the beginning of Lineage Week.  Due to other commitments I was only able to attend their Candlelight Supper on Tuesday evening.

This is a formal banquet with candle votives on the table, but there is more lighting in the room than just candlelight.  At the beginning of the banquet, there is a candle lighting ceremony.  Three candles are lit:

• The first represents the past - our ancestors - and is usually lit by an Honorary President or Honorary Vice President
• The second candle is the present - what our society is doing now - and is lit by a current National Officer
• The third candle represents the future - and is usually lit by the National President of the Children of the American Colonists.  (CAC is sponsored by DAC).

 After dinner, there are introductions of those seated at the head table.  The introductions are somewhat unique - in addition to the usual name and title, the person giving the introductions will tell something educational.  This year, we learned about state trees.  For example, when the National President Carole Holt was introduced, we learned about the Western Hemlock, the state tree of  her home state, Washington.

After introductions, we had our program.  Dr. Henry Miller of Historic St. Mary's City gave a very interesting program about some of the women who lived in Early Maryland.  He of course, spoke of Margaret Brent, the first woman in the colony to not only speak before the legislature, but to ask for the right to vote.  He told the story of Anne Wolseley Calvert, wife of Philip Calvert, an early leader of the colony.  He also spoke of several lesser known women who each contributed in her own way to the establishment of the colony.



 www.nsdac.org