Lord Craven Chapter Celebrates 50 Years

From left are Dottie Fiddleman, First State Vice-President; Brenda Hamilton, State Chaplain; Doris Thompson, Lord Craven Chapter Chaplain; Lollie Holland, State President; Bonnie Becmer, Lord Craven Chapter President; Bobbie Lou Ray, President of Sir Richard Grenville Chapter; Diana Seals Wood, Chapter President of Samuel Swann Chapter; and Beth Dawson, President of Ann Marwood Durant Chapter.

Members of The National Society North Carolina Colonial Dames 17th Century, including State President Lollie Holland and other officers, traveled from Greensboro and other areas of North Carolina to help the Lord Craven Chapter celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the chapter.

The Lord Craven chapter was organized by Jeannette Cox St Amand on Dec. 30, 1961, in Wilmington. Many of its programs highlight colonial heritage, research, and records.The luncheon meeting was held Jan. 21 at the Madeline Suite at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Chris Johns, a cellist from Wilmington, entertained before the luncheon. Ann Hutteman and her technical assistant, Elaine Hensen, prepared a PowerPoint presentation covering the past 50 years of The Lord Craven Chapter. The Lord Craven Committee Chair Undine Longo and her committee coordinated all of the arrangements for the event.

Visit the Lord Craven blog to get more details about the chapter and what they have been doing this year at http://thelordcravenchapter.blogspot.com.

There was reference to how this chapter came to be named after Lord Craven. Lord Craven, one of the Lords Proprietors, for whom this section of North Carolina was originally named, was voted the first choice by the chapter in the fall of 1962. Having a membership of 21 ladies enabled the first coastal chapter of Colonial Dames to be formed.

To become a member of Colonial Dames you need to prove lineage back to 1650 in the United States. President Bonnie Becmer circulated a journal and invited everyone present to write their thoughts and wishes to leave for posterity. This journal will be kept by the chapter historian to hopefully inspire future members when planning the 75th anniversary for Lord Craven.