Greetings Daughters!
This past month has seen this Regent traveling the state as chapters are winding down their DAR year and transitioning to new leadership. It has been a great pleasure to be invited to install these new Chapter officers! What has been particularly noticeable and gratifying to see as I travel north and south, is just how many new members are stepping up and saying “Yes” to leadership roles in their Chapters. Thank you, ladies, for hearing our message and for responding so positively with that “can do” spirit! Getting new members involved in the chapter is key to retaining them. I wish all of our new chapter and District officers much success over the coming term.
As we begin the final month of the Broderick Administration, we have several exciting events coming up for you to attend and be a part of . This weekend, June 4th is our “Kick Off to Congress” BBQ at State HQ in Glendora! Hot dogs, hamburgers and dancing to the sounds of City Beat and celebrating both outgoing and incoming administrations – sounds like a recipe for fun!
June 12th, will see us in Monterey, at the Royal Presidio Chapter for the first marking of a Spanish Patriot ancestor’s resting place, that of Ignacio Vicente Vallejo. We look forward to learning more about him from his descendant, Martha Vallejo McGettigan and to honoring him with this dedication.
Our final event will be the 51st California Congressional Tea to be held at the Mayflower Hotel. We hope that those traveling to Continental Congress this year have purchased their tickets as this event is now sold out! Congress will be a wonderful return to our “House Beautiful” for Opening Night on June 29th and will end on Sunday morning, July 3 with the installation of your new State Regent, Sharon Maas and State Vice Regent Christina Ramos following the last business session.
This message is my last to you as your State Regent. It is difficult to believe that two full years have passed so quickly! It seems only yesterday that we were trying to wrap our heads around the idea of a virtual Fall Council – not holding Council was certainly not an option! We made it through that Council virtually learning along the way, so that by the time State conference came along, and we found ourselves still in lockdown, we were ready! We all learned Zoom, Teams and lots of additional technology to continue our ability to gather.
You, our members, continually inspired me with your ideas for making things happen with drive-by donations, virtual gatherings such as colonial cocktails and birthday parties, monetary donations, sewing masks and PPE, book clubs and donations – the list is just endless. You carried on with indomitable spirit, enthusiasm and grace as together we lived the “We Can & We Will …Rise and Shine to God, Home & Country” motto. Your cards, calls, letters, emails and posts gave me support and sunshine, continually letting me know that we were in it all together and would come through this historic time with record participation in all things DAR. For all of this, I thank and appreciate each and every one of you.
Serving as your State Regent and representing each of you has been the honor of a lifetime. Getting to know you and spending time with you has been one of my deepest joys. The friendships built over this time are treasures and I will hold on to them tightly!
Thank you from this very full heart for all that you do and all that you are,
Susan
Susan Broderick, CSSDAR State Regent