Newspaper Page Text
History And Objectives
Perry DAR Recognized
As One Os Nation's Best
The General Daniel
Stewart DAR chapter of
Perry is a part of the
Georgia State DAR
Society, which is a part of
the National Society,
Daughters of the American
Revolution whose
headquarters is in
Washington, D.C. Mrs.
Heyward Boyette is regent
of the local chapter. At
State level Mrs. A.C.
Pritchett is a Com
missioner for Meadow
Garden, home of George
Walton, a signer of the
Declaration of In
dependence, and Mrs.
Lewis Smyth is District
chairman. At national
level Miss Martha Cooper
is a trustee of Tamassee
DAR school.
The national society was
organized in 1890; it was
chartered by the U S.
Congress and reports
annually to the US.
Congress of its work. The
membership is limited as
the member must be
directly descended from
either a soldier of the
Revolution or someone
who gave assistance to the
war effort. At the present
time there are more than
200,000 members. The local
chapter has 75 members.
The name might indicate
that the organization is one
chiefly concerned with the
American Revolution. This
is not true. There are more
than 40 committees to
handle the many facets of
DAR work. The DAR work
is really big business. The
block of three buildings
owned and maintained by
the Daughters is said to
be the most magnificent
and most expensive
buildings ever conceived
and built by women in the
history of the world. This
was said by a non menber.
Until Kennedy Center was
opened recently the DAR
offered Washington the
only large auditorium for
meetings and en
tertainment and the
Constitution Hall is still the
largest. The Daughters
shared this building with
Washingtonians except for
one week in April. The
objectives of the Society
are Historic, Educational
and Patriotic.
Memorial Hall
For preserving history
there is a museum in
Continental Memorial Hall
with many period rooms
furnished in the time of
Colonial and
Revolutionary periods.
Also in this building is a
geneo logical library,
second only to the one in
Salt Lake City. To en
courage boys and girls to
know American History,
an American History
college scholarship is
offered, American History
medals are presented and
prizes for essays in the sth,
6th, 7th, and Bth grades.
The, focal chapter has
participated in the last two
each ' year and many
Houston county boys and
girls have been the win
ners through the years.
There has been no local
winner for the scholarship.
The organization is also
active in preserving and
marking historic spots and
in locating and marking
the graves of
Revolutionary soldiers.
D.A.R. Schools
Interest in education
follows that of historic
nterest. The Society owns
and maintains two schools.
Tamassee DAR School is a
boarding school in South
Carolina where unwanted
children are given a
homfelike upbringing. Miss
Cooper is trustee of this
school. The other school is
Kate Duncan Smith DAR
School in Alabama. It is a
day school for mountain
children. The Georgia
State Society gave a
classroom at the school in
honor of Miss Cooper. In
addition to these schools
the NSDAR gave financial
and advisory aid to Berry
College in Georgia,
Crossnore in North
Carolina, Hindeman
Settlement in Kentucky,
Hillside (for unwanted
young boys) in
Massachusetts, and
Northland College in
Wisconsin; also are helped
two Indian schools
namely: Bacon in
Oklahoma, and St. Mary's
in South Dakota.
In addition to the
American History
Scholarship the NSDAR
has a $10,000,000 fund for
scholarships for doctors
who will work with the
Indians; scholarships for
nurses and other various
types. The state Society
has two large scholarships
for Berry, many small
ones for the University
system and one tor Mercer
Law School.
Under Education is the
Americanism Manual for
new citizens to study,
Textbook Study, Motion
Picture work, Junior
American Citizens' clubs
and others.
National Defense
Patriotism is the third
objective. The most im
portant work in this field is
the Nafional Defense work.
The Daughters continually
study the status of the
National defense and keep
in constant touch with the
United States Congress to
preserve our national
defense. Proper respect to
the Flag of the United
States of America is
stressed. Observation of
all national holidays,
Constitution week in Oc
tober and American
History month in February
is continually stressed.
The Daughters serve the
veteran patients at the
Veteran Hospitals, and the
local chapter has received
state recognition for the
work done in this field. The
work with the Children of
the American Revolution
falls more in this field than
any other.
Five medals are given to
outstanding men, women,
boys and girls. The local
chapter two years ago
presented the Medal of
Honor to Senator Sam
Nunn. Each year locally
are presented the DAR
Good Citizen pin, The
R.O.T.C. Medal, and the
Good Citizenship medals
Representative Larry
Walker has hanging in his
office a framed Good
Citizenship medal
presented by the General
Daniel Stewart DAR
chapter.
Bicentennial Gifts
The NSDAR began the
work on the US.A.
Bicentennial in 1970. As a
gift to the Nation for the
sum of $150,000 they fur
nished the second floor of
Independence Hall in
Philadelphia for all
visitors to enjoy. The
Governor's Assembly
room and the Committee
Room were furnished with
furniture and accessories
of the 1776 period. Now the
NSDAR is having murals
painted on the wall of the
East Wing, House of
• "-esentatives, Nation's
u tol in Washington,
as another Bicen
tennial gift to the nation
and at a cost of $150,000,
The members of the
General Daniel Stewart
gave an average of SI.OO
each for each of these
projects. The Georgia
State Bicentennial project
is restoring and furnishing
Meadow Garden in
Augusta, the home of
George Walton, a signer of
the Declaration of In
dependence. For this
project the local chapter
gave some money and a
table and two chairs circa
1790.
These few things of
many things indicate that
the Daughters are not
ancestor worshippers,
sitting back drinking tea.
They try to live up to the
heritage of their
Revolutionary ancestors
and strive ever to keep this
the strong country that the
men and women of 1776 left
to their descendants.
The local D.A.R. chapter
is 62 years old having been
organized February 18,
1914 with eighteen charter
members.
Children of American
Revolution
A junior branch, the
Children of the American
Revolution, was organized
in Perry in 1968 by the
senior group under the
direction of Miss Marth
Cooper, and became an
official part of the Georgia
and National Societies.
The children's group was
named Commodore Perry
Society, CAR, in memory
of the naval hero of the
battle of Lake Erie,
Commodore Oliver Hazard
Perry, for whom the City
of Perry is named.
Blake Smyth was the
first president.
Commodore Perry
Society, C.A.R. was
recognized in 1976 as the
most outstanding society
in the nation for the second
year, the first time a
society has been so
honored, and one of its
members, Clare Smyth,
was elected the National
First Vice President at the
81st Annual National
Convention of the National
Society, Children of the
American Revolution, held
on April 23-25 at the
Sheraton Park Hotel,
Washington, D.C.
Billy Jerles, son of Dr.
and Mrs. William Jerles,
has served as President of
the society for the past two
years, during which its
outstanding ac
complishments in alt
phases of the aims and
work of the C.A.R. have
earned it top honors twice
nationally.
During the seven years
of its organization, this
society has received
numerous state and
national awards, bringing
home twelve first prizes
and trophies from the state
conference last February.
In the National Merit
Award competition, this
society has been a con
sistent Gold Ribbon
winner, with the following
Perry AARP Chapter
Organized In 1 974
The Perry Chapter
Number 1744 of the
American Association of
Retired Persons was
organized in February
1974. The Perry Kiwanis
Club sponsored the local
chapter.
The national fellowship
that is AARP was
organized in 1958 under the
leadership of Dr. Ethel
Percy Andrus, its founder
and first president. Dr.
Andrus, founder of the
National Retired Teachers
Association in 1947,
received requests from
throughout the nation to
establish a national
organization for mature
persons 55 years old and
over.
At the age of 72, Dr.
Andrus led the way in
establishing the nation's
largest non-profit
organization whose only
purpose is to serve older
people and help them meet
their problems more
successfully.
The success of AARP is
based on the many ser
vices the organization
offers its nearly seven
million members. Its
services include group
Health Insurance, Nursing
Home program, pharmacy
service, consumer in
formation, travel service,
legislative role, tax aide,
health education program
and others.
Local Officers
The first officers of the
Perry chapter were Milo
Medlock, president;
Moody Mulkey, vice
president; Miss Martha
Cooper, treasurer; and
national prizes: 2nd prize
in 1970, Clare Smyth,
President; in top 10, 1972,
Kris McQuaig, President;
and 3rd prize, 1974, Ellen
Bailey, President.
During the first six
years, Mrs. Lewis B.
Smyth, member of
General Daniel Stewarf
Chapter, D.A.R., the
sponsoring organization,
served as Senior Society
President. She was suc
ceeded by Lt. Colonel
(USAR-Ret) Lewis B.
Smyth, member of Colonel
John Cooley Chapter,
S.A.R., the co-sponsoring
organization,
All committee work this
year has centered around
the National theme, "The
Time is Now", relating the
Bicentennial to the United
States of America today.
In addition to the
workstudy programs of
Government Studies,
Conservation, American
Indians, the Commodore
Perry Society has actively
promoted the National
Heritage program
throughout the year.
Many programs on the
history of Houston County
and Old Perry have been
given for other groups, a
Bicentennial Music
program given tor the V.A.
Hospital in Dublin,
presentations of historic
documents made to school
libraries, flag sales held
continuously, and eight
flag presentations made to
individuals, to schools and
to classes, of the official
Bicentennial, Georgia and »
the U.S.A. Flags.
A special project has
been the publishing of
articles about the
Revolutionary ancestors of
residents of Houston
County, a complete set of
which will be made to the
Perry Houston County
Library and to the
Genealogical Dept, of the
Washington Memorial
Library in Macon. A
special Conservation
project was the planting of
200 trees for the Bicen
tennial, and beautification
of the roadside park on
U.S. Highway 41 N.
Mrs. Edith Rossier,
secretary. These officers
also served in 1975 with the
exception of Miss Cooper
who was succeeded by
Robert Roper as treasurer.
The board of directors
was composed of the of
ficers and D C. Peterson,
Forest Purdom, and Mrs.
Ruby C. Hodges.
The 1976 officers are
Mrs. Aurelia Cooper
Evans, president; Ken
LeVan, first vice
president; Alton Rainey,
second vice president;
Mrs. Charles Perfect,
secretary; and, Robert
Roper, treasurer.
Directors are the officers
and Milo Medlock, D.C.
Peterson, Forest Purdom,
and Mrs. Ruby C. Hodges.
The chapter meets the
second Tuesday night in
every month in the Social
Hall of St. Christophers'
Church. Interesting
programs are given and
refreshments served at
every meeting. Once a
quarter there is a covered
dish supper.
Services rendered by the
Perry chapter include a
Directory of Community
Services, tax-aide help,
safe driving instructions,
and instrumental in get
ting city and county tax
laws passed to benefit
citizens 65 or more years
old.
Chapter members have
had trips to Nashville,
Tenn., Atlanta, Callav.'Gy
Gardens, and Savannah.
There are now 168
members in the chapter.
Ken LeVan is membership
chairman.
We’re Proud Os The I
Reputation We Have 111
Built Nationwide For 111
The Past 40 Years — IN
- And We’re Proud 111
lOf Our Great Nation- - I |
Long May It Live 1
In Freedom 11
mw
PERRY |
HOTEL
"NATIONALLY FAMOUS" I I
YATES AND NANNETT GREEN I 1
HAROLD AND ELAINE GREEN I I
HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL THURS., JULY 1, 1?74,