February meeting James Harlan Chapter of the DAR

A regular meeting of the James Harlan Chapter of the DAR was held in due form on Feb. 22, 2020, at the Vet's Hall in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. Regent Gayle Olson called the meeting to order at 10 AM, with 15 members (4 officers) and 2 guests. Members: Judy Rawson, Cathie Schreiner, Carol Klopfenstein, Laura May Beattie, Pat White, Waunita Gibbons, Helen See, Carol Messer, Mary Savage, Wilma Lewis Whitham, Maria Whetsler, Sylvia Ridinger, Barbara Welander, Gayle Olson and Becky Wright. Guests: Darlene Lutes and Laura McCormick present.

Gayle read the President General's message asking us to 'shake it up” and 'have fun doing it.” We are challenged to bring new energy and excitement to our chapter meetings and to our mission. This is expected to make it more appealing in recruiting new members.

Registrar- Carol Klopfenstein gave credit to Wuanita Gibbons for her hard work finding patriots for the 4 ladies who attended last month. She found a patriot for Martha Brown, Jean Carpenter and Linda Miller. Wuanita is working with Darlene Lutes trying to find a patriot that will work for her.

Gayle suggested that we need to show our appreciation to the veterans for allowing us to hold our meetings in their hall. Gayle asked Dean King what we could do and he said what they really need was help. Gayle suggested that we could help them at their meals or special events by baking, cooking, or serving. Several were interested and Gayle will get a schedule of future events from the vets and ask how we can be of service.

Gayle said that our chapter can have 5 members serve as delegates at the State Conference, April 23-25, 2020, in the West Des Moines Sheritan. She asked for volunteers to serve as delegates. After discussion, a list of 5 was accomplished. They are Maria Whetsler, Carol Messer, Diana Klaus, Cathie Schreiner, and Gayle Olson.

Gayle said it is time to organize a nominating committee. Nominations for new officers need to be made by May 1st..

Protocol Point – Sylvia Blaesing (absent, but submitted a written report) The Official Procedures & Protocol as administered by the National Society was revised February 2020. The booklet can be found in the National Society's website. One easy way is to log onto the National Society; go to Committees: and then click on Protocol.

State Bylaw- Sylvia (written report) The State Proceedings Book shall be the Official Record of a State Regent's two-year term of office. The proceeding shall be published biennially. These proceedings shall be published no later than one year after the close of her term.

National Defense –Janet Mills (absent, but Mary Savage gave her report) The report asked the question, 'Did you know that the Department of Defense does medical research? The CDMRP, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program appropriated $350 million in 2019 for medical research. One disease of special concern is arthritis. Service members are diagnosed with arthritis twice as often as other citizens.

DAR School_ Helen See reported that there are 5 official DAR schools and 2 more schools we support. They are all located in the southeast portion of the US. She told about the 2019 DAR tour of these schools.

Conservation – Pat Brown (absent but submitted written report) The report was about pollinators and how important they are. It is suggested that when doing your fall yard cleanup to leave a corner in a natural state with leaf litter and brush as shelter for wildlife. Add a hummingbird feeder hung out of direct sunlight and use ONLY nectar mix or your own by mixing 4 parts water to one part sugar. The feeder should be thoroughly cleaned twice a week. Have a water source for wild life, refilling daily to avoid mosquitoes.

American Indians – Sylvia Ridinger reported on the Anastazi Indians and their various types of dwellings, living in the four corners area of the western US.

Service to America – Wuanita Gibbons reports that so far in 2020, members have turned in 238,000 -239,000 hours of service.

Commemorative Events – Barb Welander shared facts about President's Day. The day honors 4 US President's birthdays: Ronald Reagan Feb. 6th, William Henry Harrison Feb. 9th, Abraham Lincoln Feb. 12, and George Washington Feb. 22nd. Barb and Pat White also reminded us about the Harlan Lincoln House Brown Bag Lunches in March. The schedule is: Mar. 3: Sharing the Farm Story: the Voices of Iowa Project by Robert Neymeyer, Mar 10: The Invisble Iowa Wesleyan by Anna Villareal, Mar. 17 : Winning the Vote: the 72-Year Campaign for Women's Suffrage by Dr. Dianne Bystrom, Mar. 24: The Historic Mount Pleasant, Iowa & Greencastle, Indiana Connection by Pat White, Mar. 31: Nancy Drew and the Ghost of Ladora by Patricia Essick.

America 250! Chapters are asked to appoint an America 250 Chair, who will collect highlights from chapter members about their Patriot ancestors to share short 'Our Patriots” minutes at each chapter meeting. 'Our Patriots” minutes may be enhanced with a selection from 'Revolutionary Flashbacks.”

' Chapters are encouraged to use social media to promote and celebrate the stories of our Patriots in order to increase public awareness of the men and women who achieved American Independence.

Chapter chairs are encouraged to develop projects to inspire their members to find and feature Revolutionary War-related memorials in their community. These can be posted on the chapter website and social media pages and/or 'Our Patriots” which may attract interest in their stories:

' create a list of Revolutionary War patriot graves in the area

' make a list of streets in your town that are named for a Revolutionary War patriot

' compile a list of counties in your state named for a Revolutionary War Patriot

' highlight sites of interest from the period of the Revolution & host an event there

Through our DAR activities and service we have the opportunity to inspire our members and our communities by discovering, remembering, and sharing the stories of our Patriot ancestors as we celebrate America 250!

A reminder: March 2: Items for state newsletter due to Karla Wright and Tina McCleary, IowaDaughters@gmail.com

The program today was A Doll Bed Turning by Becky A. Wright, featuring a large selection of her doll quilt collection with antique doll beds and furniture.

Today's hostesses were: Pat Brown, Sylvia Ridinger, and Barb Welander.

March is Women's History Month. The March meeting will be March 28, 2020. The program will be Women Who Impact, presented by Denise McCormick. The hostesses will be: Carol Messer, Helen See, and Jane Neil.

Members of DAR descend from a patriot who fought in the American Revolution. The objectives of DAR are historical preservation and the promotion of education and patriotic endeavors. For information on joining DAR, contact Carol Klopfenstein, 319-257-6987.