DAR Literacy Promotion Chair, Carol Hart Delivered 250 Books to the Literacy Council

 Carol Hart, Brunswick Town DAR Literacy Promotion Chair delivered 250 books to

 to the Literacy Council of Brunswick County this morning. Program Director, Sue Railing, and the Asst. Adm, Patrice Agner are pictured above  with the books that were donated on October 30, 2018. More books are expected to be received for donation at the November 14th DAR meeting.

District VII DAR Members Making Donations to Help Other Daughters Who Were Hit Hard by Hurricane Florence

Lisa Pomeranz, our District VII Director attended the October 10th, Brunswick Town DAR meeting at Brunswick Electric in Shallotte, NC to inform us about the many daughters who have been affected, as a result of Hurricane Florence. She said daughters from all over the United States are mailing her donations to help the stricken families. Read her letter below to all of the Daughters.

District VII Daughters and Hurricane Florence Impact

Hurricane Florence started making her appearance in the evening of September 13.  The hurricane was downgraded to a Category 1 as the storm began to stall when it neared the Carolina coastline. Early the next day on September 14, Florence made landfall just south of Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.  By that time, many of our Daughters had heeded the mandatory evacuation orders and were safe in other locations where they remained until the roads and conditions were safe for them to return to assess the storm’s impact on their homes, property and communities.  

Even as power and water were slowly being restored and we made our way back home, the storm damage became very apparent approaching the coastal plain.  Many roads were blocked including a section of Highway 17 which is the main thoroughfare along the coast. Even two major Interstates were closed due to flooding and damage.  The towns of Wilmington, Southport and others were cut off for days due to flooding, road washouts and failed bridges.  It took many hours longer than normal to return to our communities to see what Hurricane Florence had done to our area.  

As I write this, one only has to drive through our town, and many others, to see streets lined with damaged belongings, removed from uninhabitable homes. Within District VII we know of three Daughter’s homes that are a complete loss and these ladies are unable to return to their homes at this time.   There are three more that have had such significant damage that they will be unable to return to their homes for an extended period of time.  On a bright note, once word got out, the outpouring of support from around the State and the country has been amazing!  Daughters from West Virginia are sending almost a thousand dollars in gift cards collected in only one week!  The California Daughters have offered 200 children’s books to help local schools get back on their feet!  The Georgia and South Carolina Daughters have also offered to collect needed items.  We are truly blessed to be a part of this organization where we reach out to those in need.

Our ladies and fellow Carolinians are resilient! But even they need assistance and you are answering the call.  How can you help?  The needs are great for our Daughters who have lost their homes and for our communities who have lost so much.   Please send gift cards for grocery stores doing business in NC (Lowes Foods, Food Lion, Harris Teeter, etc), home improvement centers (Lowes, Home Depot), Target, Walmart, PetSmart, or national drug store chains.  Your Literacy Chairman may collect books to be donated to our local schools that have suffered significant damage.  Cash donations may be made to assist with immediate needs or to help Daughters pay their dues, which are due this month.  Our Daughters would appreciate any cards, notes and prayers that you may have to offer.  Please send your donations and well wishes to Lisa Pomeranz, 5114 Prices Creek Dr.  Southport, NC  28461 and they will be distributed to our grateful Daughters and throughout the communities where most needed. Thank you so much!

Thank you all with a full and grateful heart. 

Lisa Pomeranz

District VII Director

Overview of the Brunswick Town DAR Meeting on October 10, 2018

 Mr. Ruocco spoke about The Seabee’s, the USN Construction Battalion.  Mr. Ruocco served during the Viet Nam War as part of the 133rd Battalion.  They were responsible for building hospitals and bridges and providing infrastructure.  They built a runway for military planes in 56 hours.  Seabees were organized during WWII, recruited from construction workers and farmer workers who already knew how to construct or operate heavy equipment, given basic military training and deployed.  There were 150 Battalions during WWII, today there are only eleven that operate in 30 person teams.  They still build hospitals and schools but also help with reconstruction in war zones.  They still deploy with the Marines and today include women.  Today retired Seabee’s volunteer in the community and among their projects is building ramps for veterans.

Dennis Ruocco, standing next to a display of scrapbooks brought in by Carol Jutte and Phyllis Wilson, Historian. Phyllis's father was in WWII and stationed in the Philippines. One of his duties was to prepare a scrapbook with photographs and detailed information of all the platoons plus write a book, which he self published in later years. 

Duffle bag and scrap books.

Museum and gift shop - this is the weaving shop at Crossnore School. It is a beautiful facility. If you have never visited it before try to schedule a trip there. You can sign up for a tour of the facility. Kathy Dillinger has spent many years working there is one of the contact people who will take you on a tour.

A weaver working at the Crossnore School near Blowing Rock, NC

See that beautiful periwinkle cape on the table. Well, yes Phyllis Wilson purchased it. She can't wait until the weather gets a bit cooler to wear it. Pat Tucker, DAR Schools Chair, arranged to have all the beautiful woven scarves, shawls and caps along with placemats and napkins available at the October 10th meeting. Pat Tucker still has some of the beautiful woven items at her house. So give her a call if you are interested in seeing any of them. You can also go on line to view these items.

https://www.crossnore.org/store/

L to R: Norma Eckard, Commemorative Events Chair and Helen Radcliffe, DAR Schools, Co-Chair, is holding a plaque and Norma is  holding an award. The award was one of 100 presented to different organizations. 1918 Fort Caswell Rifle Range Memorial in Caswell Beach, NC is now an official United States World War I Centennial Memorial.

Vicki Elam and Cindy Sellers hold the awards presented to them by Regent, Carol Jutted. View awards below.

L to R: Carol Jutte, Regent, and Cindy Sellers, Registrar

Carol's granddaughter, Nicole Boyd will become a member of our DAR chapter. Carol just signed  her papers. 

Cindy Sellers, is happily watching Dana Majernik sign her papers for a new supplemental. Congratulations Dana.

New Members sworn in at the October 10th meeting.
L to R: Brooke Triplett, Membership Chair; Cindy Sellers, Registrar; New members: Vicki Wade; Jo-Anne Alford; Teresa McLamb; Sibyl McLamb (Teresa McLamb's mother as a guest receiving granddaughter Lydia Chandler's DAR pin); Sally Meginley; Registrar assistant and Workshops and Carol Jutte, Regent

Purple Onion Cafe 

Purple Onion Cafe has been catering our lunches when we have our DAR meetings at Shallotte Electric, the second Wednesday of each month. We have been very happy with their tasty sandwiches, salads and home made potato chips.They are located at 4647 Main St. #1, Shallotte, NC 

New member Vicki Wade is enjoying the choosing the variety of sandwich choices available at the luncheon provided by The Purple Onion Cafe in Shallotte, NC.

Regent, Carol Jutte chatting with member, Diana Suttle during the lovely lunch catered by The Purple Onion in Shallotte.

Amazon Smile Program 

We signed up for Amazon.smile by just going to the above website. It was really very easy to do.  We often purchase things on amazonprime and you still have the same choices of items. If makes one feel good to know that they are contributing to our DAR Brunswick Town Chapter. This does not cost you any more money to buy something. It is wonderful. You can choose any organization you want to sponsor. Contact us if you need assistance.
Martha Koletar -  mkoletar@aol.com
Phyllis Wilson  - par4wilson@gmail.com

.Nicole Boyd signing her application for Brunswick Town Chapter, NSDAR along with her mother Angela Boyd (member of Brunswick Town Chapter), her brother Travis Boyd (a member of Sons of the American Revolution, Ohio) and Carol Jutte, Regent, Nicole's grandmother overseeing the signing.

Constitution Week Information:

Diana Fotinatos reported that many Constitution Week activities were postponed or cancelled due to Hurricane Florence and were being rescheduled.  She thanked Susan Zimmerman, Heather Holbrook and Mary Sands for the bulletin boards at Supply and Virginia Williamson elementary schools and Harper Library in Southport and all who had helped with the planning of several events.  Caswell Beach Mayor Deborah Ahlers did sign and has posted a Proclamation in the Town Hall.  Diana and Sandy Winstead will be doing classroom presentations to fifth graders at three elementary schools.

The Constitution Minute was “While Gouverneur Morris has been nicknamed the “Penman of the Constitution,” the real hand wielding the quill that scrawled the final copy of the Constitution belonged to the assistant clerk of the Pennsylvania State Assembly. He was paid $30.00 and given just two days to write most of the document’s 4,543 words on four sheets of vellum parchment.  While his script was requisite, his work was not flawless.  

Between the final article and the delegate signatures on the Constitution’s final page is an “errata” paragraph listing some of the minor errors he made along with his corrections. No one could answer the Constitution question “What is the name of the man who was the engrosser or actual penman of the original copy of the United States Constitution?”  His name was Jacob Shallus.   But Diana awarded the prize to Cindy Sellers for remembering that American Spirit Magazine had an article on the engrosser.  

Carol Jutte delivering food to the Supply Fire Department. After the chapter meetings and any food left over the Brunswick Town Chapter donates the food to the local fire departments.

VETS To Washington

Carol Jutte, Pat Gooding and Gwen Causey attended a send- off for 27 veterans going to Washington DC on October 4th.  The trip was organized by Leland American Legion Post 68.  Veterans had served in WWII, Korea, Desert Storm, Afghanistan and during the Cuban Missile Crisis.  Carol wrote a letter for each veteran to have in their room when they arrived.

Constitution Week Will Still Happen - But at Another Date and Time

L to R: Diana Fotinatos, Constitution Week Chair and Carol Jutte, Brunswick Town DAR Regent watch while  Mayor Ahlers signs our proclamation for Constitution Week.

Seated Mayor Deorah Ahlers  Standing L to R: Carol Jutte, Regent, Martha Koletar,  Public Relations Chair, Diana Fotinatos, Constitution  Chair, and Phyllis Wilson, Historian. Mayor Ahlers signed our proclamation for Constitution Week and will display the proclamation at the Caswell Beach town offices for the month of October. Missing from photo is Sandi Winstead former Constitution Chair.

    CONSTITUTION WEEK CHAPTER REPORT 2018

It's been an interesting and unusual Constitution Week this year for our chapter as a result of hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael.  In spite of mandatory evacuations, we are determined to honor the 231st anniversary of the signing of the United State Constitution.  

Thanks to Susan Zimmerman, Heather Holbrook, and Mary Sands, we did get Constitution Week bulletin boards up at Virginia Williamson Elementary and Supply Elementary, as well as a beautiful display at Harper Library in Southport before the mandatory evacuations were ordered. And thank you to Jo-Ann Alford and Vicki Wade who were ready to help at Southport Elementary but the schools closed due to the hurricane before we could get there.  

Ringing of the Bells was to have a great turn out this year but given the event was to take place on day three of a slow moving hurricane, we were forced to cancel with the Cub Scouts who were to ring the bell at Oak Island Presbyterian Church, as well as with all the other churches that agreed to participate.  We would still like to thank all chapter members who reached out to their churches to have them include the event in their church bulletins and invite their churches to participate.  Especially Dale Spencer, who invited three churches to participate.  We did salvage the event though, thanks to a brilliant suggestion from Sandi Winstead to invite chapter members to set their cell phones to ring at 4PM on September 17.  We had no way to know who had internet service or received the message, but Martha Koletar and Carol Jutte helped us reach out to chapter members and we extend a big THANK YOU to all chapter members who were able to participate.  

This speaks to the fact that the Constitution stands as a testament to the tenacity of Americans throughout history to maintain their liberties and freedom, and to ensure those inalienable rights for every American.  We certainly were not going to let hurricane season stand in our way of honoring one of America's most important documents.

As for our classroom presentations scheduled for Constitution Week, they were rescheduled at at Southport, Supply, and Virginia Williamson Elementary Schools but are in the process of being rescheduled again as we brace for hurricane Michael.  Bolivia Elementary, unfortunately, remains closed due to damaged sustained to their building from hurricane Florence but has invited us back next year.

And lastly, I'm happy to report Mayor Deborah Ahlers of Caswell Beach, who during hurricane preparations for her community, was kind enough to reschedule our proclamation signing and is displaying the proclamation in the Caswell Beach town offices for the month of October.

So, while it was not the Constitution Week we planned, it has certainly been and continues to be a memorable one!

                                                            

Diana Fotinatos  

Constitution Chair         

Cell: (917) 363-5510

 Diana Fotinatas leading a discussion  about  Constitution Week a few weeks later after Hurricane Florence hit the area so hard. Diana and Sandi Winstead provided exceptional information about the Constitution and brought the students into the discussion.

Diana Fotinatas, Carol Jutte, Regent, and Sandi Winstead pose for a photo after presetting their program as the Virginia Williamson Elementary School in Bolivia, NC.