First DAR Meeting

I went to my first DAR meeting on Saturday February 13, 2016. Here in Massachusetts and the rest of North East United States we were experiencing very cold and brutal weather. The temperatures were well below zero. The wind chills in Worcester were -17 degrees F. They were advising us to wear layers of clothes and not expose our skin to the weather for any length of time. When I read the e-mail from Ginger Carter, Registrar of the Colonel Timothy Bigelow Chapter of the DAR in Worcester Immediately I decided that it was time to go to a meeting even if the weather was bone-chilling cold. I am not a winter person. Thus I have to force myself out.

I got to the Chapter House (The Timothy Paine House,) “The Oaks” built circa 1774 early. As I walked around the first floor I got the feeling that I had made a mistaken the time, but thought there were cars out front. The next person that came in the building was the Chaplain, Judith Wood , the Chapter Chaplain and she greeted me very warmly; then took me under her wing and brought me upstairs and introduced me to Linda Hart, Regent. I felt at home at once thanks to these wonderful women.

From there I was introduced to several women and we went downstairs to have coffee; I felt very embraced and lucky to be in their company. Then the meeting started and I was sworn in as an official member of the DAR. 

Me (Genevieve Vaundell De Haan, L-R, Judith Wood, Chaplain, Ginger Carter, Registrar, Linda Hart, Regent

Photo taken by Jennifer Willson

During the meeting I heard about all the wonderful projects this Chapter is participating in. They are a busy bunch and there is quite a diversity of projects. It was a very exciting experience. After the business meeting there was a presentation of the Chapter's major project. Restoration of the their home "The Timothy Paine House" circa 1774. I love old houses and think we should preserve more of them, after all they are our history along with the people who built and maintained them.
My Revolutionary soldier is Jonathan Treadway born in Connecticut.

Genevieve Mary Fish Vaundell- Today February 21, 2016 a post on Ticonderoga Historical Society Face Book Page.

Today February 21, 2016 a post on Ticonderoga Historical Society Face Book Page.

Here is the link to the Ticonderoga Historical Society website---

http://ticonderogahistoricalsociety.org/ticonderogas-old-roads/#comment-6283

from their Museum collection

[1]Here in Ticonderoga we may say with truth that we are still using one of America's oldest roads. The carry from Lake George to the navigable water below the lower falls was used from a time to which the memory of man runneth not as a highway for the north and south travel thru the wilderness.  Much of our village street known as The Portage follows this ancient path. 

This article brought up wonderful memories of my Mom (Genevieve Fish Vaundell) who lived in Ticonderoga as a young girl until her Mom Emma Georgiana (Howe ) Fish Ash, age 47 died in 1928 when Genevieve was 13 yrs. old. 

Words like "the Portage", “Weedsville School”, paper mill”, “Alexandria”, “Hague”, “Chilson Hill”, and many more: brought memories of my mom talking about her early childhood The happiest and  best years of her life growing up in Ticonderoga, New York according to her.

I can remember when our family visited there in the summer my Mom always saying she was "going back home."  My mom passed away 4 yrs. ago at the age of 97. Thanks to the Ticonderoga Historical Society, Arthur Carr,  and mom for the memories.

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[1] This paper was researched and written by Arthur Carr.  It was read at a meeting of the Ticonderoga Historical Society on February 5, 1962. 

My Quest For DAR Membership

Sorry it’s been awhile since I posted anything. I guess I didn’t think I had anything important to blog about. You know how life seems to get in the way.

Since my last blog in May 2015 I have been researching and trying to get all the documentation on my Revolutionary Soldier Jonathan Treadway and his descendants.

I will write more on my ups and downs a little later, but right now I want to tell the world that I was successful.

Ginger Carter, Registrar for the Colonel Timothy Bigelow DAR Chapter, Worcester, Massachusetts has been my hero. Without all her wonderful help and assistance I do not think I could have become a DAR Member. 

The following is a chronological list of my quest for DAR membership.

1)   End of April 2015 after talking to a CT DAR member at their booth at the NERGC (New England Regional Genealogical Conference) held in Providence, RI I decided to reach out to Ginger Carter a member of the Worcester DAR Chapter.

i)      She sent me an application form. Also she gave me all the guidelines and what I needed to send in with my application form. We were in  contact via e-mail.She was there when I needed her.

2)   Kept in touch and kept sending her my documents.

3)   October 9, 2015-met with Ginger at “the Oaks” the Worcester Chapter Dar's meeting house in Worcester, MA. and went through what I had for documentation. Ginger wanted to check just one thing with the MA DAR Registrar.

4)   October 17, 2017-Ginger stated that my application was ready to go as soon as I sent my application fee.

5)   November 12, 2015-Ginger notified me that my application was posted as being received at the DAR headquarters in Washington, DC and we just had to wait while they verified it. I took this as a good sign as it was my Mom’s birthday (she would have been 101).

6)   January 10, 2016-Ginger notified  that DC had verified my application and I would be voted in as a DAR member at the National Board of Management in DC on February 5, 2016.

7)   January 5, 2016- I was voted in and given my own national DAR number. Ginger notified me.

  

8)   February13, 2016-I was sworn in as an official member of the Colonel Timothy Bigelow DAR Chapter and received my DAR pin. and yearbook. Also received my new member’s packet and certificate in the mail.