President General's Page |
 Mrs. Martha R. Van Schaick President General 2010–2012 Photograph courtesy of Convention Photography Services, Inc. |
As you read this, my first year as President General has come to an end, and our 118th Annual General Convention has been written in the pages of our UDC history. In the past year, I have traveled across the country to Division conventions, Chapter meetings, and Confederate Memorial Day Services where I have brought greetings or given the keynote address. We often say that “time flies when you are having fun,” and I guess that is why this first year has gone by so quickly. It has been filled with lots of work, many sleepless nights, thousands of miles on the road and in the air, countless hotel rooms (good, bad and ugly), meeting old friends, making new friends and wonderful memories, learning firsthand what members, Chapters, and Divisions have been doing to honor their Confederate ancestors and to commemorate the Sesquicentennial. You have welcomed me into your homes, your towns, your lives, and your hearts. We have dedicated markers and memorial monuments; commemorated the First Shot firing on Fort Sumter; shared tears of joy at the birth of a new baby or the wedding of a child or grandchild; embraced and shared tears of sadness at the death of a family member or a UDC sister. All are memories I will cherish for different reasons. As we all begin our plans to celebrate Thanksgiving with family, please remember our military men and women serving so far from home. If you know a family who has a loved one in the military, please send them a card or call and let them know that you are thinking of them and that their sacrifices to our country are appreciated. For every soldier serving our country, there is a mother, father, brother, sister, spouse, or child who is also sacrificing. Let these families know that we will never forget the sacrifices their family has made and continues to make for our freedom. Happy Thanksgiving! Martha R. Van Schaick |
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