Greg Bland NCSDAR Outstanding American History Teacher of the Year in NC

The 2010 NCSDAR Outstanding American History Teacher of the Year in North Carolina is Greg Bland. Greg received this award on April 10, 2010 at the 110th NCSDAR State Meeting, which was held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina at the Marriott Hotel. This prestigious award is given out to only one person by the Daughters of the American Revolution each year.

L to R: Vicki Kay, Brunswick Town Chapter Historian, Greg Bland and Lois Marlow, State Historian

110th DAR State Conference

The 110th NCSDAR State Conference was held April 9-11th at the Marriott Hotel in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The following members of the Daughters of the American Revolution were in attendance: L to R Yvonne Brown, Ella Maugans, Phyllis Wilson, Vicki Kay, Jackie Craft, Brenda Birmelin, and Lisa Pomeranz.

Author Emily Weil Releases Latest Book

The Brunswick Town Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution held its March 10th meeting at the Brunswick Senior Center in Southport, NC. The guest speaker for the meeting was Emily Weil, author of “Cornwallis’ Campaign: Wilmington to Yorktown.” The focus of the book is on the British General’s march through eastern NC during the Revolutionary War. Copies are $25 for the 153 page hardback edition published by the Wayne County Historical Association. Wayne Co. Museum, 116 N. William St. Goldsboro NC 27530 919-734-5023. The email is waynecountymuseu@bellsouth.net.Her last publication focused on the Civil War. This historical book is “After Sherman’s March.”

Weil has written 6 books and won 3 awards from the NC Society of Historians. She has also written 2 plays, 2 skits, 10 short stories and several video scripts. She is active in all phases of volunteer work – both locally and at the state level. She won the Governor’s Award in December 1999 and the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in November 2005. This award is presented to individuals who have a proven record of exemplary service to the state for thirty years or more. Individuals are selected for contributions to community and career, among other qualifications. Weil resides in Goldsboro, North Carolina.

Ella Ruth Maugans, her mom Jerry Odom and Norma Fraser

Ella Ruth Maugans, Jerry Odom and Norma Frasier at the Veteran's Hospital in Fayetteville, NC surveying all of the blankets that Charles Brice crocheted along with many other volvunteers in the Southort area. These blankets will be distributed on February 14, 2010 to all of the Veterans at the hospital as a special Valentine's Day program.

National Salute to Veteran Patients

National Salute to Veteran Patients:

Every year, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers nationwide celebrates National Salute to Veteran Patients. This week-long celebration occurs the week surrounding Valentine's Day. The purpose of National Salute is to honor our Veterans; to encourage community support of our Veterans and to increase awareness of VA's role in providing comprehensive health care to our Veterans.

At the VA Medical Center, Fayetteville, North Carolina, they celebrated all week long by hosting visitors, distributing Valentine Day cards, and hosting special events. On February 11th, they had a Valentines Gift Distribution Day. Volunteers and service organizations donated items to stuff red gift bags for every hospitalized Veteran. One special gift was a hand-knitted red, white and blue afghan. Knitting groups throughout the community and from out-of-state worked all year on this special project to ensure that there were enough red, white and blue afghans to place in the gift bags. The Daughters of the American Revolution Brunswick Town Chapter was one of the participants in this special project. Norma Fraser, Chief, Voluntary Service stated "I want to thank the members of the Brunswick Town Chapter of the DAR for their generosity and continued support of our Veterans." There were over 40 afghans donated by the residents of Southport and St. James, as well as a few out of state participants.
Jerry Odom also had made 11 quilts for the deceased veterans. The quilts are placed on a veteran’s bed for one week to honor them. Jerry Odom and her daughter Ella Ruth Maugans are co-chair of the Veteran’s Committee. They visit the Veteran’s Center quite frequently with many donations of coffee, clothing, toiletries, afghans, quilts, socks, and sweat pants.


Norma N. Fraser
Chief, Voluntary Service
VAMC Fayetteville, NC
(910) 822-7027

Charles Brice Receives DAR Community Service Award

The Brunswick Town Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution presented Charles Brice with the prestigious DAR Community Service Award , which was presented by Community Service Chair, Nora Hickam, at the February DAR meeting at the Brunswick Senior Center in Southport.

Charles was awarded the Patriot National Roll of Honor for selfless service to America’s hospitalized GIs and veterans. He was named to the Patriot national Roll of Honor by the State of North Carolina.

In 2004, Charles Brice learned to crochet while attending the original senior citizen center in Southport. The director there taught him how to start an afghan by crocheting a granny square. Charles has been hooked ever since. He enjoyed it so much that he started crocheting blankets and when he had enough to fill a good sized box he donated them to our solders in Afghanistan.
In 2009 after Charles Brice lost his contact to send blankets to our soldiers, the Brunswick Town Chapter of the DAR asked him to help with a project called National Salute to Veteran Patients. This week-long celebration occurs the week surrounding Valentine's Day. The purpose of project is to honor our Veterans; to encourage community support of our Veterans and to increase awareness of VA's role in providing comprehensive health care to the Veterans at the VA Medical Center, Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Knitting and crocheting groups throughout the community and from out-of-state worked all year on this special project to ensure that there were enough red, white and blue afghans to place in the gift bags. The Daughters of the American Revolution Brunswick Town Chapter was one of the participants in this special project. Norma Fraser, Chief, Voluntary Service stated "I want to thank the members of the Brunswick Town Chapter of the DAR for their generosity and continued support of our Veterans."