History

 

Paradise Valley Chapter

Paradise Valley, Arizona

 

 

 

 

The Paradise Valley Chapter held its Organizing Meeting on September 28, 1996 at the Paradise Valley Country Club.  The Organizing Officers were:

 

Regent Mrs. Julia-Isabel Dameron Lichtenberg-Davenport,

Vice-Regent/Chaplain Mrs. Clarice Elaine Dameron-Lichtenberg,

Secretary Mrs. Betsy Sanders,

Treasurer Mrs. Gretchen Gillespie,

Registrar Mrs. Cora Lee Dameron Yaeger,

Historian/Librarian Mrs. Cynthia Caughey Weber.

 

The chapter was organized with 15 organizing members, and 3 pending charter members.  Seventeen Arizona daughters joined as Associate Members to show their support of this new chapter.  Daughters organizing this chapter descended from the following Patriots:

Godfrey Carriger of NC

Jacob Brazelton of MD

Henry Tuggle of VA

George Redmon of NC

Thomas Jewett of VT

Elisha Stoddard of CT

Moses Porter of CT

 

This twenty-fifth chapter in Arizona, at the time, requested its name be Paradise Valley.  Paradise Valley was named by Frank Conkey, Manager, Rio Verde Canal Co., in 1899.  It is a broad valley lying east of the Phoenix Mountains and west of the McDowell Mountains.  When the promoters of the Rio Verde canal project first saw this broad level valley in the early spring covered with flowers and the palo verdes in full blossom, they all said, “this is Paradise Valley”.

 

The chapter organized while Mrs. Patti Godber was State Regent, and Mrs. Kay Allen was the Organizing Secretary.  The chapter was given permission in April 1996 to organize, and is probably one of the fastest to organize, in only five months.  The National Board of Management approved the chapter October 12, 1996.  The Paradise Valley Chapter was the first chapter in the state of Arizona to be organized by a junior member.

 

The wonderful Organizing Meeting was attended by seven of the ten state officers.  Also attending were one Honorary Vice President General, two Past Vice President Generals, and three Honorary State Regents.   There were 40 guests present for this wonderful event.  Many kind and wonderful gifts were presented to the chapter and the Regent at this meeting.  A unique gift honoring a well-represented Patriot was donated.  Organizing Vice-Regent/Chaplain Mrs. Clarice Elaine Dameron-Lichtenberg, donated her newly published “We Remember the Carrrigers” to the Chapter for donation to the NSDAR Library.

 

To celebrate its first birthday, a wonderful lunch was held at the Paradise Valley Country Club and a donation of the complete Patriot Index was sent to Valley Forge Visitor’s Center.  Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio graciously spoke at one of the chapter meetings.  Former Paradise Valley Mayor Joan Horne shared the history of Paradise Valley with the chapter at another meeting.

 

In less than two years the chapter membership doubled. As of June 2004, the member ship was over 40 ladies. The chapter received the highest level of chapter awards possible from National for Chapter Achievement.  The first year, the Organizing Chapter Regent was selected as the Arizona Outstanding Junior for 1996.  The young chapter also had this member representing them on the state board as she was elected as the State Recording Secretary for 1998 - 2000.  This chapter was the first in the state to have a web site linked to National’s page and the first in the state to have an on-line newsletter.  The Organizing Regent donated her time to design a web page for 25 of the 26 chapters, and a state web page with an image map linking the chapters together.  This effort resulted in making Arizona the first state with every chapter having a web page that was accessible from the state page image map.

 

The Organizing Vice-Regent/Chaplain also served as the State Constitution Week Chairman and arranged a wonderful tour and bell ringing for the state Constitution Week event at the Arizona State Capitol in September 1997. This included television coverage on two stations, and youth from 2 schools.  The chapter made local news when they held a Constitution Signing at the library.  Over 200 signatures were collected in support of this document.

 

Since that illustrious beginning, Mrs. Gretchen Gillespie Lovell was Chapter Regent for 2 terms. She was followed by Ms. Kathryn Eskesen for 2 years. Our current Regent is Mrs. Susan Krecker. Each year our chapter has earned the highest level of Chapter Achievement Awards, earned by the various volunteer services we provide to our community, state and country. We are very proud of each project we dedicate our time and efforts to and know that anyone who joins our chapter will share in these feelings.

 

Paradise Valley Chapter Home Page

 

Arizona State Society of DAR

 

National Society DAR Web Site 

 

 

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Jan 23, 2008