The Battleship North Carolina will be the scene of a Naturalization Ceremony on Wednesday, September 16 at 11:00 a.m., hosted by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Hello Ladies,

Please read the following sent by Jo Campbell of the Wilmington Ladies Tea Walk Chapter. I told her our chapter would like to help. We need to bring a couple of batches of cookies. If you have never been on the Battleship North Carolina in Wilmington before, this is a good chance to attend. The date is Wednesday, September 16 at 11:00 a.m. As regent, I will be going, representing the chapter and bringing cookies. I am hoping others will want to come, too. We can go together and car pool leaving around 9:15 a.m. Please contact me if you want to go. Thank you.

Diane Kuebert

PRESS RELEASE

The Battleship North Carolina will be the scene of a Naturalization Ceremony on Wednesday, September 16 at 11:00 a.m., hosted by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. The service will be conducted by Lisa Wohlrab, Supervisory Immigration Services Officer and the Oath of Allegiance and keynote remarks will be presented by US Magistrate Judge Kimberly A Swank.

Members of the Wilmington Ladies Tea Walk, Otway Burns, Brunswick Town, Battle of Rockfish, Joseph Montford and Richard Clinton Chapters of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution will provide refreshments and patriotic items for the new citizens. Dolly Witt of the Otway Burns Chapter will perform the National An-them. The Eugene Ashley High School Symphonic Band and the Ashley JROTC Color Guard and Sword Detail will perform for the ceremony.

Some of the new citizens are members of the United States military. Veterans are encouraged to attend to welcome these and all of the new citizens to our country. There is no charge to attend the ceremony. This does not include a tour of the Battleship.

 At this time, Immigration Services is expecting approximately 25 new citizens. This number can change, but that is the preliminary number they gave us. It's a slightly smaller number than in some previous years. Adding guests plus those being sworn in makes a total of 75-100 folks to be served. Wilmington Ladies Tea Walk will supply water for the crowd. Each of the remaining chapters provide several batches of cookies.

A press release has been sent to the Wilmington Star News which lists each of the chapter names so you can claim it for your Constitution Week activities. It has also been sent to the Island Gazette in Carolina Beach. Your chapter names will also be printed in the ceremony program. WECT should also have a reporter and camera person on board. I will forward to you copies of newspaper articles when I see them printed, and would appreciate your sharing any you have printed with us. It would be great if we could get a group picture made on the Battleship - maybe around the big ship's bell. Might as well pose for our bell ringing while we are there! 

To come aboard the ship, simply tell the clerk in the ticket booth that you are there for the Naturalization Ceremony and they will let you through the gate. The ceremony begins at 11:00. I would suggest arriving a little early. I am asking the Battleship to set up extra chairs

In the event of rain, we will move ceremony into the auditorium at the Battleship. It's not a huge space, but it should work.

We will have extra trays there, but it would certainly be helpful if you brought them on something. Table will be set with cloth, flower arrangement and container for water bottles. 

Thanks,

Jo Campbell, Americanism Chair

Wilmington Ladies Tea Walk Chapter, NSDAR

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