The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) now holds the Guinness World Record title for “Most letters to military personnel collected in one month,” with a total of 100,904 cards. Pack Horse Ford Chapter members contributed to this national project. Marilee Cunningham, Chair of the DAR Project Patriot Committee, spearheaded collecting note cards individually written by Chapter members and friends.

During the Shepherdstown parade on July 4, over 25 members from the Pack Horse Ford Chapter and Henrietta Bedinger Lee Society, National Society Children of the American Revolution distributed red, white and blue necklace beads, patriotic bracelets and rings, small U.S flag, and Pledge of Allegiance bookmarks to spectators. Chapter member Kim Sencindiver constructed the float and decorated it in patriotic colors with a banner on each side of the float.

On June 7, over 50 members and their families attended the Chapter’s annual picnic at the War Memorial Park in Martinsburg. Hostesses were Katherine Genung and Cheryl Rodgers. Members made homemade appetizers, vegetable casseroles and desserts to compliment the catered barbecue.

After the picnic, Berkeley County Solid Waste Authority Chairman Clint Hogbin spoke on the recycling efforts in Berkeley County. He is the former chairman of the Berkeley County Farmland Protection Board.

Hogbin is a Berkeley County native and is the seventh consecutive generation of the Hogbin family born in the Eastern Panhandle. Regent Cheryl Brown presented Hogbin with the “Certificate of Award for outstanding conservation work in Berkeley County, WV.” Each year, Hogbin volunteers over 1,000 hours toward conservation.

Newly elected Chapter officers took their oaths for the 2016-2019 terms. They include Kathy Sholl, regent; Patricia Toffling, first vice regent; Patty Stealey, second vice rcegent; Susan Smith, chaplain; Marsha Krashoc, corresponding secretary; Katherine Genung, treasurer; Dorrene Hale, registrar; Cindy Nicewarner, historian; and Ann Christy, librarian.

In Washington, D.C., during the week of June 13, DAR welcomed more than 4,000 of its members to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Continental Congress. On Wednesday, June 15, Chapter members traveled to D.C. to attend the WV Daughters breakfast at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. During Continental Congress, Cheryl Brown served as Vice Chair of the Registration Line Committee, and Johnna Nicewarner as an Assistant Chief Page. Johnna held the West Virginia flag while State Regent Barby Frankenberry gave her report in Constitution Hall.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism.

Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. With more than 183,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world’s largest and most active service organizations.

Those who would like to learn more about the Pack Horse Ford Chapter should contact Regent Kathy Sholl at 304-876-1250. To learn more about the work of today’s DAR, visit www.DAR.org.