E D U C A T I O N A L
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APRIL 2009
- President's Message
This is the month that King's Daughters and Sons throughout the world celebrate the founding of the Order. Working in Christ's name throughout the centuries has always resulted in great wonders. This Order is a wonder, too. Would you expect that a meeting of ten women gathered in New York City in 1886 to form a small local organization to help the impoverished in that city's slums would be the catalyst for a Christian organization which would spread over not only over North America but also South America, Asia, and Africa? Surely, this amazing feat was unexpected.
Many factors did not work in favor of such a happening. For example, consider the status of women at that time. Ladies were not expected nor did many of them wish to be leaders of a worldwide organization. Of course, Margaret Bottome and her friends did not start out to be leaders of such a far-reaching organization. They simply met to plan what they could do to further spread the Word of our Lord and express the love of Christ to others through their work and actions. Their concern specifically was with those with whom they came in contact, and their adoption of the silver Maltese Cross as the Order's emblem was to mark members as Christians so that those in need might call on them for the help they were so willing to offer.
Now the wonder of it all is that even in that period of slow communication, slow travel, bigotry, and bitterness within the United States following the horrors of the Civil War, these first members' words, purposes, and works did spread and spread rapidly across denominational lines and across the Mason-Dixon line. Within that first year - 1886 - Circles were organized in Ohio, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana. After that the word of the Order spread like wildfire.
For 123 years, The King's Daughters and Sons has been a vital force throughout the world. Today hundreds of thousands of dollars of scholarships enable students to reach their dream of being able to afford higher education. Each summer students travel from the various continents to participate in the Chautauqua Scholarship Program. Members in Circles have become active in spreading information about autism and promoting literacy for children and adults. Other worthwhile Branch and local projects are too numerous to begin to list.
As we embark on another year of giving time and funds, I urge you to remember the Original Ten ladies - Margaret Bottome, Mary Lowe Dickinson, Isabella Charles Davis, Georgia Libby, Mary Louise Irving, Frances Payson, Susan Schenck, Mrs. Cortland Field, Mrs. J. F. Ruggles, and Helen Hammersley. Think of their energy, foresight, and commitment to the welfare of others that started this wonderful organization, The King's Daughters and Sons. For more information about the history of the Order, see Sue Buck's and Ethel Welch's articles on the website and order a history book from Headquarters, P.O. Box 1017, Chautauqua, NY. May God continue to bless every member as you work to glorify Christ, our King.
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