My Dear California Daughters,
Rise and Shine! We are already into February!
As you clicked “send” to deliver you chapter credential forms to the State Registrar on time giving delegates the opportunity to select our Society’s leaders for 2020-2022 and as you marked your CMR reports “complete” to share with our National leaders your many accomplishments of this past year, your State Regent was in Washington, D.C. where our National Executive Officers, Vice Presidents General, and nearly 50 State Regents gathered for the National Board of Management meeting.
We visited two sites of historical significance: the D.C. home of Woodrow Wilson and Clara Barton’s home in Glen Echo, Maryland. Leadership workshops, a special service project, a most informative presentation on Clara Barton – an amazing, accomplished woman and Founding Daughter – an introduction to the latest and probably most valuable museum acquisition, and even a tour of the renovated space to house the new DAR Insignia Store filled the two days prior to the general meeting. Then Saturday, we gathered to discuss the work, accomplishments, and goals of our Society.
Two items of note:
Daughters throughout the country have responded to the President General’s “Next Act” project with eager participation, as evidenced with nearly 1,900 seats already having been purchased by chapters and individual Daughters. Don’t delay if you want to honor or remember someone special in your DAR journey. Too, details were provided for launching the DAR Insignia Store. The staff will be ready for your business at Continental Congress in June.
And, of course, membership – growth and retention – was a major topic. The National membership total reached just over 190,300 members for the first time since the Kemper Administration. This accomplishment will be negated when too many members are dropped for non-payment of dues at the end of February. California faces the same fate with our membership growth to over 10,000. I know chapter treasurers, regents, membership committees, registrars have worked hard and spent many hours to collect dues from all members. And after December 1st, you repeated these efforts again to collect from the delinquent. You called, sent reminders, and used email, sent personal notes through the postal service, texted, visited members in their homes all to encourage these members to maintain their connection to our Society. Your extra efforts are acknowledged and so sincerely appreciated! Developing and discovering ways that all Daughters feel connected and valued is never ending.
We are heading down the home-stretch with plans and preparations for State Conference. Daughters, especially delegates, are reminded to prepare themselves for voting. We will be electing new officers and voting on several amendments to the State Bylaws. You are directed to the members’ only website to “Meet the Candidates” in order to review brochures and click on Call to Conference for the link to the “2020 CSSDAR Proposed Bylaws Amendments.” An Announcement with information regarding the proposed amendments was sent to chapter regents earlier for distribution. If you have any questions, please direct them to Leonora Branca, Chair, State Bylaws Revision Committee. Come prepared to vote!
A contrary iPad that refused to “send” and a quick stop-over to visit our precious girls in the California Pouch Cottage at Tamassee, delayed this message. Our “California Girls” are hungry for love… and through the wonderful care provided by the staff and thoughtful tokens of affection from California Daughters, they are well fed.
My visit with the girls had me reflecting on how DAR touches the lives of so many… many most of us will never even know. What would each of our communities be like, how would local school children be served, our veterans remembered, active duty and First Responders supported, historic icons protected, good citizenship understood and promoted, who would provide for the needy and most vulnerable if the DAR didn’t exist… if your chapter were no more? Daughters, you do… you are Making a Difference through your service to God, Home, and Country!
With Love and Appreciation,
Adele Lancaster
State Regent
