Greetings, California Daughters!
I hope our California Daughters have been keeping cool during this hot summer! As we head into August and the “dog days” of summer I am sure we are all looking forward to the cooler temperatures in the Fall! While the thermometer might say summer, the calendar is inching towards Back to School. August is a great time for chapters to take advantage of Back-to-School sales to stock up on supplies our classroom teachers will need throughout the year. A great Community Classroom “service in seconds” project is to stuff backpacks with supplies and snacks for those students who might need a little assistance. Don’t forget the teachers, classroom aides and administrative personnel at school; they can always use some appreciation too! You can sneak in information about becoming a member to the adults and work on membership as well!
Back to school is when we start introducing our contests into the schools: DAR Good Citizen, American History Essay Contest, and the Patriots of the American Revolution DAR High School Essay contest. The DAR also has many resources for teachers, including lesson plans on the National website under the Community Classroom Committee page. There is even one for the upcoming Constitution week September 17-23 – and don’t forget the Constitution Week poster contest!
As you can see there are many opportunities to fulfill the Education portion of our mission. Planning projects and programs that apply to multiple committees on the Chapter Master Report is a great way for your chapter to sparkle! Speaking of the CMR, we will teach you just that: how to make the most of your chapter’s efforts with a fun and informative workshop at Fall Council!
The kick off of a new DAR year is a great time to publicize your chapter. How we serve our communities makes us relevant today even though our mission has not changed for one hundred and thirty-two years! Not sure how to highlight your chapters sparkle in your community? Recognize some excellence in your community and give an award! At Council there will be a workshop about how to use DAR Awards to publicize your chapter and shine in your community.
The “Calls to the Council” for both the Northern and Southern meetings are out – and we are anticipating lots of fun, fellowship, and collaboration! You don’t want to miss out! Use this link to discover the details – and find out how to register!
https://members.californiadar.org/index.php/district-officers/cssdar-council
As we head towards the fall, our chapters start business meetings again and the councils will inspire you to new heights in service and friendship. That is really what makes us come back to the DAR – special friends with a common link to service. So, grab a friend, or even better, bring someone new, and enjoy shopping, learning and maybe even a little dancing as we grow together in friendship and service to God, Home, and Country!
Thank you!
Sharon Maas
State Regent