Society Saturday - Boundary Stones of DC

Our speaker at the Daughters of Founders and Patriots of America banquet was Shari Thorne-Sulima. She is a former DAR State Regent of DC and told us about the boundary stones in the district.  

When the area of the District of Columbia was surveyed, it formed a square.  There was a lot of Masonic symbolism involved n the layout of the district and the design of the stones themselves since George Washington was a prominent mason.

There were a total of 40 stones placed around the perimeter of the district.  The first stone was placed in 1791 by Washington in Alexandria, VA.  

The engraving on each of the four sides was as follows:  

The side facing DC - "Jurisdiction of the United Ststes"

The opposite side - either "Virginia" or "Maryland" as appropriate.

The other two sides gave the year placed (1791 or 1792) and the magnetic compass coordinates.

Photo from Wikipedia.com

The stones are on federal soil and are in the jurisdiction of the National Park Service.  The DCDAR has been active in raising money to preserve both the stones and the iron fences around them.

www.nationalsocietydfpa.org 

www.boundarystones.org

Society Saturday- Lineage Week Begins

It's that time of year, and members of national lineage groups travel to our nation's capital for Lineage Week.  This year, due to scheduling, it's actually more like Lineage Fortnight.   In any case, it's a great opportunity to see old friends and make new ones, all while we are carrying out the historic, patriotic, or educational missions of the various Societies.

My week began with the Daughters of the American Colonists meeting.  At the Fellowship Dinner, we met  "Women Who Wait".  Deborah Franklin told us of her relationship with Ben Franklin.

Next, Rebecca's Boone told us about her life with Daniel Boone.

Both ladies took care ofc hearth and home while their husbands were out. Ben Franklin was gone for 16 years in England and France as a diplomat.  Daniel Boone was gone for months at a time hunting and exploring the frontier.

We learned that these Founding Fathers could not have done what they did without their wives managing the household and raising the children back at home.

National President Phyllis Jones conducted the business meeting where we accomplished a lot.

The DAC Candlelight Supper is always a lovely evening.  This year we were entertained by Matt Briney, director of new media at Mount Vernon.  

He told us about the Agent 711 interactive smartphone app that his team developed for visitors to Mount Vernon.  It provides an interactive method for young and old to learn about George Washington and his spy ring.

I am looking forward to my next visit to Mount Vernon so that I can try out this app.

www.nsdac.org

Society Saturday - Celebrating 125 Years

Chicago Chapter NSDAR celebrated their 125th Anniversary as the first DAR chapter at a tea held at the historic Drake hotel in Chicago.

Ladies were encouraged to wear hats and gloves, and over 260 attended. The afternoon started with a receiving line that included special guests, the President General and the Illinois State Regent.

Everyone then enjoyed a lovely tea that included learning about the history of Chicago chapter, the Illinois State Organization, and the National Society of DAR.

This was followed by musical entertainment.

Happy Anniversary to Chicago DAR.

Society Saturday - Continuing to fight against foreign aggression

The President National of the U.S. Daughters of 1812 visited the Illinois Society today.  Her message compared the patriots of the War of 1812 who fought against British aggression to some of the threats that face us today from various extremists.  One way to "fight back" is through education.  She hopes to increase awareness of why we fought the War of 1812 through various educational programs.  She would like to distribute information about events of the War, the composition of the Star-Spangled Banner, and other facts from 200 years ago to elementary and high school students through the use of cards, puzzles and games.

Before our meeting, we visited some of the sights in Chicago including the marker placed by the Illinois Society U.S.D. 1812 at the site of the Fort Dearborn Massacre.

During the meeting, we were pleased to honor one of our Honorary State Presidents with the Spirit of 1812 Award for her ongoing work on behalf of our Society.

After the meeting, some of us visited the Isle a la Cache Museum.  This is a hidden gem in the southwest suburbs that tells the story of the early fur traders in the area. There, we received a private tour from the Museum director.

www.usdaughters1812.org

Society Saturday - Writing Their Stories

Illinois Society Children of the American Revolution held their state conference in Moline Illinois.

State President Sarah Callahan presided over the conference.   Miss Callahan's project was "Writing Their Stories".  She raised money to help publish books containing interviews with veterans.

Members and seniors learned about all of the activities during the year.  Over the year, members learned about the Battle of Bunker Hill, conserving bees, George Washington's tent, and merchant marines.  They wrote letters to servicemen and sent donations to mountain schools.

Although there were reports, business, and voting for new officers, there was a lot of fun as well.  The children made new friends and renewed old friendships during the pizza party, pool party, and dance.

http://www.ildar.org/iscar/

Society Saturday - Dartmoor Prison and St. Michael's All Angels Church

One of the foci of the United States Daughters of 1812 is a spot in England.  It seems a little strange at first, since we were fighting against the British during the War of 1812.  Once you learn the history of the Prison and the Church, it becomes obvious why we support them.

Dartmoor Prison was built between 1806-09 in Princetown, England.  This is near Plymouth and the southwest tip of England.  It stands on a desolate location on the moors.  The original purpose was to house the prisoners of the Napoleonic Wars.

photo from wikipedia.com

On 2 April 1813, 218 American prisoners of war were forced to march the 17 miles from their prison ship in Plymouth to Dartmoor prison.  Over the next 2 years, the prison would house a total of 6551 prisoners - most were POW's from the War of 1812.

Between 1812 and 1814, prisoners from Dartmoor were used as cheap labor to build a church in the nearby community.  They worked in nearby stone quarries, transported the heavy stones up the hill to the church, and helped to erect the church building.  They were paid 6 pence per day for their labors, but if any one of them escaped, they would all forfeit their earnings.

photo from wikipedia.com

The US Daughters of 1812 became involved with the St. Michael and All Angels church and the prison in 1910 when they donated a stained glass window to the church.  It is a lovely window and still adorns our membership certificates.

photo from usdaughters1812.org

The USD1812 has also been involved with memorializing other areas nearby, including the cemetery where the POWs were buried far from home.

photo from legendarydartmoor.co.uk

The prison is still in use today - for criminals, not POW's.  The church is not used for regular services, but will host concerts and other events.

Society Saturday - DAR Days

The Illinois DAR tried a different approach this year.  Instead of making 4 one-day stops around the state, DAR days was split into 2 two-day weekends - one in central Illinois, the other in southern Illinois.  Instead of the usual parade of chairmen with their 2 minutes or less presentations, there were several workshops of various interest to different officers - there was something for Regents, Registrars, Treasurers, and Secretaries, to name a few.

Our State Regent's theme is "Be Yourself, Be Together, Be DAR" and her symbol is the bee.  Some of the chairmen took this to the extreme. 

At night we had a presentation on Grave Witching.  It was interesting, but I'm not sure I have any unmarked graves to find.