This past weekend Long Island Chapter, NSDAR celebrated its 90th Anniversary, and chapter members were joined by representatives from numerous Tennessee chapters and state officers at the MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center in Kingsport, TN. On June 24, 1929, Mrs. James Lyle and fourteen Kingsport women
organized the chapter that would be named for the four mile long island in the middle of the Holston River. Known to be the treaty ground for the Cherokee nation, our namesake island is listed on the National Register of Historic places and is designated as a U.S. National Historic Landmark District. When I say I am from the Long Island Chapter, people outside of the Tri-Cities don’t realize there is one so noteworthy in Tennessee.
During the chapter’s 90 year history there has never been a state regent from its membership, and the last state regent from Northeast Tennessee was Mattie Mettetal that served from 1971-1974 and whom the Tamassee Smith Mettetal Building was named. Needless to say there was much to celebrate on Saturday. I was thrilled to be able to honor daughters that had been members for over half of the chapter’s 90 year history.
Present for the festivities were Betsy Boyd 51 years, Elaine Southerland 46 years, Jackie Rhoten 46 years, Becky Briddell 46 years, and Julie Hyatt 46 years. It has been an honor to serve with these women during my tenure as an active Long Island member since 2010. Becky Briddell, served as state librarian under Linda Tinker Watkins, 1992-1995, and was named TSDAR Volunteer of the Year in 2012.
Chapter Regent Jackie Rhoten and her team of daughters created a wonderful setting at the MeadowView for the luncheon, which featured dogwood invitations, programs and decorations. After selecting the dogwood symbol for personal reasons from my childhood, I was thrilled to learn it had a connection to Kingsport as well. In the 1940’s dogwoods were planted along a main street, Memorial Boulevard, to commemorate WWII and the Kingsport veterans of that war. Truly this symbol has come full circle for me personally with connections from my childhood through now.
While I had been asked to give the keynote on our administration goals and projects, I was caught off guard when Kingsport Vice Mayor Collette George awarded me with a commendation from the Kingsport City Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
This unexpected award that the chapter requested, reminded me of how honored I am to be serving as your state regent and to be able to represent the Northeast Tennessee daughters. I am so happy to have been a small part of the Long Island history and excited to see what the next 90 years will bring to the chapter.
In Service,
Cecile
