Alamo Chapter NSDAR is in its 99th year!




Compiled History of Alamo Chapter NSDAR
Prepared by Mrs. J. P. (Diane) Scannell, September, 2012

Alamo Chapter, NSDAR, was organized November 13, 1913, by State Regent Mrs. Harry Hyman, who, as organizing regent with a full slate of responsibilities, chose Mrs. E. J. (Leta) Larkin to be the first acting regent.   Records indicate there were eighteen ladies who were charter members.  The last of these passed away in 1986 at age 91.

During the past 99 years, Alamo Chapter has had 47 regents to guide us, with many elected to a second term of office.  In the early years, monthly meetings were held in members' homes with the hostess providing light refreshments.  With the growth of our membership, this practice is no longer practical and we now hold regular meetings at a local country club.

In 1932, while Mrs. Thomas R. Lentz was our regent, community pride commemorating the Washington Bicentennial was shown by the planting of an Arizona ash tree in the Alamo courtyard and fifty Spanish oaks on the campus of Jefferson High School.  Additional trees were planted at Boysville.  Bronze markers were also placed at these locations.  Members planted 250 trees for this observance, some of which were at Travis Park.

At the beginning of World War I, Alamo Chapter organized a Red Cross Circle at the home of Mrs. Hyman.  The Circle raised $60 and bought wool and, meeting every Tuesday with an average attendance of eighty members, knitted several hundred pairs of socks which were distributed to soldiers through the Red Cross.  We had a total of 134 relatives of our members in service.

During the influenza crisis, three members nursed at the base hospital and at Camp Travis.  One member, Mrs. Haltom, living near the base hospital gave room and breakfast to relatives visiting sick soldiers. This mother wears a service pin with five stars, representing four sons and an adopted one.

In 1932, Mrs. R. L. Dalton and her committee won $500 for the chapter by competing in the Housewives' Cooperative Campaign. In the early 1900s, many women’s organizations were formed world wide under various names such as Housewives’ Cooperative Association and Women’s Cooperative Guild. Each organization seemed to have pet projects including needs of housewives, military peace, women in the work force, household economy, education issues, and much more.  We don’t know today exactly what Mrs. Dalton and her committee did in this competition.   The chapter also placed second in the Battle of Flowers Parade during San Antonio’s Fiesta that year.

During Mrs. John J. Grissom’s term as regent (1933-1935), the chapter stressed highway beautification under a new state law, proposed by TSDAR, forbidding destruction of plants along highways.  A second tree was planted on Alamo grounds.  Chapter member, Mrs. Lentz was elected state librarian 1934-1937.

After WWI ended, the chapter continued patriotic service by placing copies of the Constitution of the United States in public and private schools and teaching Americanization to the children of foreign born parents.  Daughters of the American Revolution magazines and genealogy books were placed in the public library.  During this time, the chapter annually offered $5.00 in gold to the boy or girl who wrote the best essay on Revolutionary subjects.

In 1936, three wrought iron markers reading “San Antonio / founded 1718 / Alamo Chapter / D. A. R.” were donated by members, were placed at strategic locations as you enter San Antonio, in recognition of the Texas Centennial. One is located at the intersection of Roosevelt and Mission Drive on the West side of the property at San Jose Mission.   Another is located at the Northeast corner of the intersection of the Old Austin Highway and Broadway, and the location of the third marker is being researched.

Mrs. Samuel R. Knight was our regent from 1939 to 1941.  During her term, Mrs. Robert H. Parkinson presented the flag of the chapter. Just before war began in 1941 the chapter donated a gown and mannequin to the Texas Governors' museum in Denton, Texas. Following her term as regent, Mrs. Knight was elected state treasurer for 1943-1946.

During the years of World War II, chapter members again donated time and money helping the Red Cross. Members also purchased in excess of $200,000 worth of war bonds, including $200 donated to the chapter. This became our building fund.

Our first regent, Mrs. Leta Larkin, bequeathed her small home to the chapter at the time of her death. It became the new chapter house and was carefully remodeled.  Eventually maintenance, taxes, and insurance became prohibitive and it was necessary to sell the property.  The proceeds were wisely invested and continue to increase in value.  Member Pauline Turner Fake also willed the chapter a substantial fund with the stipulation use only the interest from the account for chapter needs, while maintaining the principle intact.

Many other members have been generous. Regent Mrs. Lillian Parkinson gave us a new chapter flag. After 30 years of use, repairs were necessary and regent Mrs. Sara Hitt had it repaired.  The Minna Scott Hyman Memorial Library was established when her family records were donated.  This was the beginning of our chapter library which is now located in a secured room at the San Antonio College library, accessed only by approved staff and chapter members.

 Alamo Chapter, NSDAR strongly supports Junior Members and are proud to list these ladies as Alamo Chapter Juniors as of this writing:  Christine Louise Barsun O'Day, Marrs Mclean Bowman, Catherine Haines Burroughs, Laurel Ann-Marie Gonzalez, Sally Ann Hiler, Serenity Rebecca Lewis, Kelly Barsun Miller, Sarah Renee Modisette, Anna Christine Nau, Lacey Kathryn Petty, Jena Elizabeth Randall, Kimberly Grace Rogers, Susan Chandler Smith, Amy Knowles Stovell, and Amber Suzette Winters.

Chapter member Sandra Oliver Barsun edits our award winning newsletter which is published twice a year.  Through stories, interviews, and photographs, she chronicles the activities of the chapter.

Each of our regents has left her legacy and Alamo Chapter has earned its share of honors, both from TSDAR and NSDAR.  We've worked with other area chapters through the San Antonio Area Regents' Council to attend naturalization ceremonies, pilgrimages to the Alamo and many other functions to honor our military heroes.  We've honored many students over the years with medals for outstanding efforts as DAR Good Citizens, and American History and R.O.T.C. participation.

In 2003, Past Regent (1991-1993) Shirley Quintrell updated the history, citing data and knowledge of Lila Raines Marshall who researched and prepared the history in the 1970s, as well as material taken from Texas State History of DAR, ca.1977, Alamo Chapter pp. 171-173. Her update was presented for the chapter’s 90th celebration in a meeting on November 13 that year.

Our patriotic service and civic functions in the community continue and will be updated here through oral interviews with long time members and dedicated work of chapter members.


The official flower of Alamo Chapter NSDAR
is the Texas Bluebonnet.
Membership

Alamo Chapter NSDAR cordially invites prospective members to contact us and visit one of our luncheon meetings.  Our registrar and lineage research volunteers are happy to assist with application papers.
Eligibility

Any woman is eligible for membership who is no less than eighteen years of age and can prove lineal, blood line descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving American independence.  She must provide documentation for each statement of birth, marriage, and death.





Merry Ann T. Wright was elected as the President General
of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
for the term of 2010-2013.

Our emblem is a golden wheel banded with the deepest blue;
each shining spoke, tipped with a star,
the distaff showing through.
The only jewel in the world that money cannot buy,
without such proof of ancestry as no one can deny.

Our Motto: God, Home, and Country.

The Wright Administration Theme:
"Preserve the Past, Enhance the Present, Invest in the Future."

The Wright Administration Scriptures are:
"And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love.
But the greatest of these is love."
-- I Corinthians 13:13

"...and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice,
to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God."
-- Micah 6:8



  Pamela Rouse Wright was elected as State Regent
of the Texas State Society Daughters of the American Revolution
for the term of 2012-2015.

The TXDAR Theme is:
"Legacy of Love & Loyalty."

The TXDAR Scripture:
"In everything you do, put God first, and He will direct you and crown your efforts with success."
-- Proverbs 3:6




Web hyperlinks to non-DAR sites are not the responsibility of the NSDAR, the state organizations, or individual DAR chapters.
 For technical problems with this page, contact the webmaster.
 Last update October 10, 2012.