Society Saturday - Heritage Weekend Begins

We are in the midst of the Second Annual Illinois Heritage Weekend.  This year we have 4 more organizations joining us and more attendees as well.

A national organization joined us for our luncheon - The Guild of Colonial Artisans and Tradesmen 1607-1783 was planning to have 2 national representatives join us and give our luncheon program.  While this organization traditionally meets in April during Lineage Week, they try to have an occasional fall meeting somewhere outside of Washington DC.  They thought that our Heritage Weekend would be a good opportunity for them to visit Illinois.

The Guild was founded in 2004 to honor our working-class ancestors.  Men and women who descend from a colonial artisan or tradesman are eligible.  The Guild website has a listing of these colonial trades - some of which are no longer in existence.

President General Nell White was planning to fly in from her home in Arkansas.  Unfortunately this was the same day as the air traffic control disaster, so her flight was cancelled.  Honorary President General Jeannine Kallal stepped in and gave her program about the "Trades of the Mayflower Passengers". 

We learned that many of the passengers were weavers, some were merchants and one was a blacksmith.  It was a very interesting program and inspired many of our attendees to look for an artisan or tradesman in their lineage.

http://www.averymiller.com/

Lineage Week is Coming!

Every year, members of many national lineage groups meet in Washington DC for Lineage Week.  It is actually 11 or so days of meetings, including breakfasts, luncheons, teas and banquets.  We meet many of our dear friends from across the US (and Canada) and talk about all the wonderful things the various societies do over the year.  And, we start planning for the next year.  My schedule is fairly non-stop from when I arrive Monday afternoon until I leave Sunday morning.  This year, I will be attending events for:

• Women Descendants of Ancient & Honorable Artillery Company (banquet) 
• National Society Children of the American Colonists (breakfast)
• National Society Daughters of the American Colonists (meeting and banquet)
• Order of the First Families of New Hampshire (tea)
• Order of the First Families of Maine (tea)
• National Society Daughters of Founders and Patriots (meeting, luncheons and banquet)
• Descendants of Sheriffs and Constables (tea)
• National Society Children of the American Revolution (meetings)
• Guild of Colonial Artisans and Tradesmen (tea)
• National Society New England Women (breakfast)
• Sons and Daughters of Colonial and Antebellum Bench and Bar (banquet)
• Sons and Daughters of Antebellum Planters (banquet)
• Associated Daughters of Early American Witches (breakfast)
• Descendants of Colonial Clergy (banquet)

Luckily, some of these are joint meetings, but I will still be eating all week!  And this is only about half of all lineage groups that meet - many overlap and we have to pick and choose which ones to attend.  I am a member of all the groups listed above and an officer or chairman of most of them, so those are the ones I attend.
I will try to update the blog during the week with all of our festivities.