Society Saturday: Children of America Loyalty League

The Children of America Loyalty League was organized in St. Louis, Missouri on 29 June 1917. Its purpose was to teach children to love their country and to provide aid to soldiers and sailors, the Red Cross, and other children. It was founded by Mrs. Nat Brown.

Dues were 20 cents per year for children. For adults, honorary membership cost $1 per year, and active membership cost $5 per year. The organization's national song was "The Rainbow of the Free" by John L. Herman (music) and Will DeFord (lyrics).

 In 1917, the organization donated socks to soldiers in France, and donated glasses of jelly to war hospitals in France.

The Children of America Loyalty League's events included performances, parties, and fashion shows. On 14 September 1917, the league held a celebration at the St. Louis Coliseum in honor of the 103rd anniversary of the writing of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

 The league held a masque and pageant, "The Song of Truth and the Court of Youth," on October 3, 4, and 5, 1918 at the Odeon Theatre in St. Louis.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 29 September 1918, page 18B

The league gave lawn parties which featured entertainment. On 9 July 1920, a lawn party was held at the home of my great-grandmother Kathleen (Graham) Boe. The entertainers included my grandfather John Boe and his siblings Florence, James, Theodora Catherine, and Geraldine.

St. Louis Star, 1 July 1920, page 19

On 30 April 1921, the league held a children's fashion exhibition.

St. Louis Star, 29 April 1921, page 17

On 29 July 1921, another lawn party was held at Kathleen (Graham) Boe's home. The entertainment included a fortune-teller, a snake charmer, a museum, and a fish pond.

St. Louis Star, 21 July 1921, page 17

 On 10 December 1921, the league held a Christmas party.

St. Louis Star, 9 December 1921, page 19

In 1921, when the Old Glory chapter of the Children of America Loyalty League was reorganized, Kathleen (Graham) Boe became secretary-treasurer.

St. Louis Star, 20 September 1921, page 15

References
"Children of America Loyalty League." Musical Monitor, vol. 8 (1918), p. 223. Available from Google Books.
"Children's Aid to Red Cross to Be Nation-Wide in Scope." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 8 July 1917, p. 17.
"Children's Lawn Party." St. Louis Star,  21 July 1921, p. 17.
"Children's League to Send Socks to Soldiers Abroad." St. Louis Star, 6 September 1917, p. 2.
"Children's Loyalty League Lawn Parties." St. Louis Star, 1 July 1920, p. 19.
Children of America Loyalty League Christmas party advertisement. St. Louis Star, 9 December 1921, p. 19.
Herman, John, and DeFord, Will. The Rainbow of the Free: National Song of the Children of America Loyalty League. St. Louis: Kunkel Brothers, 1921. Available from Internet Archive.
"League Chapter Reorganized." St. Louis Star, 20 September 1921, p. 5.
 Masque and pageant adverstisement. St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 29 September 1918, p. 18B.
"Summer 1921 Children's Fashion Exhibition." St. Louis Star, 29 April 1921, p. 17.
"Writing of National Anthem Celebrated." St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 15 September 1917, p. 3.

Society Saturday: NSDU Memorial Service and Monument Rededication

Today I attended a memorial service for Civil War soldiers that was held by the Private Joseph Bessette Chapter, National Society Daughters of the Union 1861-1865. I am a member of the chapter. We placed flowers on the graves of Civil War soldiers at the Old Newton Burial Ground, Newton, Sussex County, New Jersey.

After the service, we held a rededication of the Defenders of the Union monument in Newton, which was erected in 1895 by the citizens of Sussex County, New Jersey. We then toured the Hill Memorial Museum.

Society Saturday: National Society Daughters of the Union 1861-1865

The National Society Daughters of the Union 1861-1865 (http://www.nsdu.org) is a hereditary society which honors soldiers and patriots who supported the Union during the Civil War. The society was founded by Mrs. Frank Crowell on 9 October 1912. Women who are lineal or collateral descendants of a man or woman who provided military or civil service to the Union during the period from 1861 to 1865 are eligible for membership.

The Society's objectives are:
1. To honor the memory of the men and women who contributed toward the preservation of the Union during the Civil War, extending over the years 1861-1865
2.To foster a spirit of patriotism, loyalty and love of country
3. To uphold the honor of the Flag of the United States of America
4. To give financial aid to Lincoln Memorial University, Harrogate, Tennessee

Today I attended the charter meeting of the  Private Joseph Bessette Chapter, which is currently being formed in the Butler, NJ area by Organizing Regent Jennifer Dowling Norato. I am one of the organizing members. New members are welcome!

Society Saturday: DAR Presents Sword to General Joseph Wheeler

In 1898, the Cumberland Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution presented a sword to General Joseph Wheeler. Wheeler was the senior cavalry general in the Confederate Army of Tennessee during the Civil War. He was also a general in the United States Army during the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War.

Nashville American, 4 May 1898, page 3

Nashville American, 6 October 1898, page 3 

Nashville American, 7 November 1898, page 6

  Nashville American, 9 November 1898, page 5

Nashville American, 10 November 1898, page 5

Society Saturday: New York Irish History Roundtable

The New York Irish History Roundtable was founded on 4 July 1984. It promotes research on and interest in the Irish in New York City and their history over the last 300 years. It publishes an annual journal, New York Irish History.  It sponsors lectures, field trips, scholarships, walking tours, and museum exhibitions. For the last eight years, it has sponsored an Irish-language (Gaelic) mass at the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral.

Today I attended one of the New York Irish History Roundtable's lectures: "The City of Homes - The Irish in Brooklyn" by Dr. Stephen J. Sullivan. Dr. Sullivan's lecture was very enlightening for me, since my Irish-born 4th-great-grandfather Hugh Winters lived in Brooklyn. Earlier this year, I attended another of the New York Irish History Roundtable's lectures' I heard Joe Buggy speak about researching Irish ancestors in New York City.

Links
New York Irish History Roundtable
New York Irish History Roundtable Facebook page

Society Saturday: Friends of Wayne Historic Museums

Schuyler-Colfax House. 25 June 1936. Photo by Nathaniel R. Ewan [Public domain]. Available from Library of Congress and Wikimedia Commons.

The Friends of Wayne Historic Museums is a service organization which is dedicated to preserving and creating awareness of the heritage of Wayne, New Jersey.

Three museums are owned and operated by the Wayne Township Parks and Recreation Department: Schuyler-Colfax Historic House Museum, Van Riper-Hopper House, and Van Duyne House. More information is available on the Historic House Museums page of Wayne Township's Web site.

I am a member of the Hester Schuyler Colfax Chapter, NSDAR. The chapter has planted bulbs at the Schuyler-Colfax House, and is working on raising money for the restoration of the house, which is the oldest in Wayne. The house was built by Arent Schuyler in 1695.

Members of the Hester Schuyler Colfax Chapter are pictured on the Volunteer page of Wayne Township's Web site.

A Friends of Wayne Historic Museums membership application is available online.

Society Saturday: Hester Schuyler Colfax Chapter, NSDAR

In October 2012, I became a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution. I joined the Hester Schuyler Colfax Chapter, which is based in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. The chapter was named after Hester Schuyler, who married William Colfax, Captain of George Washington's Life Guard.

Every year, local students receive Good Citizenship awards and are honored at an awards tea and ceremony. Sometimes there are guest speakers at meetings (for example, Bob Bracken from the Titanic International Society and Judy Sullivan from the Ramapough Conservancy) at meetings. We visited the historic Van Allen House in Oakland, New Jersey.

The chapter is helping with the restoration of the Wyckoff Union Cemetery in Wyckoff, New Jersey (my hometown), and collects Box Tops for Education.

The chapter also has a Facebook page.