Article by Bonnie Briscoe, DAR chapter member
Gila Valley Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution celebrated ten years as a chapter at their recent April meeting. Ten years ago, they started with 15 members and today have 34 members, 6 associate members and 10 active prospective members. At their organizing meeting in 2014 and being on the salsa trail, one of the state DAR officers affectionately referred to this new chapter as “The Hot Stuff Chapter”, which became a mantra for this evolving group.
Some of their service projects, which focus on historic preservation, patriotism and education, include reading about the American Revolution to 4th & 5th grade classes in the area’s smaller schools; providing scholarships for local dual-enrolled high school students; recognizing DAR Good Citizen students in Graham and Greenlee Counties; making wheelchair quilts, walker bags, pillow cases and book bags for local and state veterans; providing meals for the homeless at the Gila Valley Samaritan Home; participating in local parades throughout the year; displaying flags to honor their American Revolution patriots at the annual Field of Honor sponsored by the Lions Club; conducting a program for the community at the Safford City-Graham County Library during DAR Constitution Week in September and supporting the historic restoration project associated with the Ebenezer Bryce Foundation.
Interested in knowing more about DAR? Contact Chapter Regent, Helen Masten (928-899-4482), Chapter Registrar, Bonnie Briscoe (928-428-5904) or any member of the Gila Valley Chapter. To learn more about the work of today’s DAR and this chapter, visit www.dar.org.
