The December meeting of the Colonel Abram Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was held at the Landmark Center December 12, 2016 with 12 members and one associate member present.
Regent Louise Hansen led in the DAR Ritual, Pledge of Allegiance and the American’s Creed. Associate member Caroline Ayers Harnsberger gave a short talk about “Trauma of War on Women and Families”.
President General Ann T. Dillon’s Christmas message read by Mary Ann Franklin “wished blessings that one expects and none of the stress that one fears”.
The National Defense Report read by Wanda Shough told of the history of the Pentagon.
Catheryn Vaughan read the newspaper article about the weather situation for the protesters of the proposed pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux tribe in North Dakota. Vaughan also showed a photo of Navy sailors aboard the USS Halsey at parade rest as the ship passed by Kilo Pier and the flag at Pearl Harbor during the 75th anniversary of the Japanese attack on the naval harbor.
Onie Vaughn’s conservation minute described President Theodore Roosevelt creating the United States Forest Service and establishing 150 national forests, 51 federal bird reserves, four national game preserves, five national parks, and 18 national monuments. It is the 100th birthday of the Park Service.
For the history report, Janice Axelson chose the Life of James Armistead, a slave turned spy in the American Revolution. Armistead was a slave of a Virginia official named William Armistead . He joined the American Army and was given a special mission to pose as a runaway slave and infiltrate the British camp.
He became a spy in Charles Cornwallis’s camp. Cornwallis came to trust him and asked him to spy on the Americans thus he became a double agent. In the end, Armistead contributed to Washington’s final victory over Cornwallis at Yorktown.
Flo Bell’s health minute reminded members to use hand sanitizers on shopping carts, store doors and ATMs. Researchers have found 3,000 types of bacteria on dollar bills that could possibly cause gastric ulcers, pneumonia, staph infections and food poisoning.
Registrar Wanda Shough reported one perspective new member and one supplemental had been verified.
State Regent project is the Constitution Room at Montpelier. Contributions will be accepted at the next meeting.
Louise Hansen presented the program “Life and Music of Irvin Berlin.” Berlin was an American composer born May 11, 1888, and considered one of the greatest songwriters in American history. He was born in Imperial Russia and arrived in the United States at the age of five. His first major international hit was “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” in 1911.
Berlin wrote an estimated 1,500 songs during his 60-year career including “Easter Parade,” “White Christmas” and “There’s No Business Like Show Business.” Hansen played several of his Christmas songs on the piano and the members sang along.
If anyone is interested in becoming a member of the Colonel Abram Penn Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, please contact Regent Louise Hansen at (276) 694-4787.
