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.



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