November Meeting: Women's Suffragette March Re-enactment

Women's Suffragette March and Library Visit

Attendees: 7 members (5 pee wees) and 8 seniors

Members and Seniors learned about the Women's Suffragette March through a Facebook post before the meeting. Seniors discussed the ideal starting place for our march on Facebook. To learn more about the original march, check out this website: https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/events-will-remember-suffragists-who-lined-locust-street-in-demonstration/article_5e885b80-78ad-5d56-b355-555740af9c87.html?fbclid=IwAR3-mw-KwU7oh2vI5fInppajnQeJC1lr79PpPpv9yLz3Z6WGXijOvyoPm_k

It was determined that we would start our march at 19th Street and Locust, about the middle of the original demonstration. This was roughly where the old Art Museum was and the central point of the demonstration. Speeches were given at this location. Women stood, silent, for about a mile's length of the street. The men were walking from their hotel to the conference hall, between the walls of women.

Our members gathered in their formal wear. The ladies wore their white dresses, white gloves, and yellow sashes. They brought a yellow parasol (umbrella), like the ladies from the original suffragette demonstration. The gentlemen wore their suits and hats. As we began our march, Seniors explained the demonstration to the children. They began to understand just how big of a demonstration it was, the longer we walked. At one point, we stopped for the girls to stand along the side of the road and the boys to walk down the street in front of them.

As we approached the public library, we saw that there were two entrances. The back entrance was closer, or we could walk around to the front entrance. We stopped and took a vote. The girls voted for the closer entrance (there were 4 girls) but the boys voted for the front entrance (there were 2 boys). To show members what it was like before women were allowed to vote, we followed what the boys voted for. We went to the front entrance, even though it was further away and more people voted for the closer entrance. Once we got inside, we found out that the children's library was closer to the other entrance, so maybe we should have gone in that door!

We had a short meeting outside and then we went to find the Children's Library. There, members were challenged to find books about leadership. They learned how to use the computers to search for books. They also found books about women's suffrage, the right to vote, and the revolutionary war. The members were able to explain to other patrons and the library employees about their march for women's suffrage.

Contest Connections:

Organizing Secretary - Consider the passage of the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution during the 100th anniversary and reflect on the significance of the amendment for women’s suffrage.

State Assistant Organizing Secretary - Learn about the efforts of Missourians to achieve woman's suffrage in the U.S.

Registrar - Increase member involvement in society activities by planning fun and interactive events that will engage members at the society level.

Librarian - Explore library resources and services.

Leadership Development - Promote the development of leadership skills in C.A.R.

October Meeting: Tea Party for Mary Ball Washington

"Tea Party for Mary Ball Washington"

Attendees: 6 members (5 pee wees) and 5 seniors

Before the meeting, members had a chance to read George Washington's Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior and discuss them with their parents. (Books were donated by the Reverend John Clark Chapter DAR and were given out at the previous meeting.) 


At the meeting, Ms. Moll read the book "Dear Mr. President," which animates the Rules of Civility. Members discussed these rules of civility and made a slide show to discuss how to act at a tea party and at formal events.

Once members understood appropriate behaviors at a tea party, they went to the formal dining room for their own tea party, in honor of Mary Ball Washington, George Washington's mother. They learned how to use fine china and tried hot tea with honey and milk. They also had English shortbread tea cookies. Members were able to practice their manners as they asked for seconds on the tea and cookies.






Following the tea party, female members were fitted with golden sashes for the reenactment of the Suffragette's March. Members will be reenacting the march at next month's meeting.


Members discussed appropriate attire for next month's meeting: Ladies are to wear white dresses, gloves, and their yellow sashes. Gentlemen are to wear suits and hats.

At the end of the meeting, the members were able to re-enact the Boston Tea Party. This activity was planned for last month's meeting, but the rain prevented them from completing the activity. Last month they learned about the Boston Tea Party and how it compared to Shay's Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion.

Afterwards, the members took the tea water outside to dispose of it in the garden. They were able to see how the water made rivers and eroded the dry soil below.

Contest Connections:

1st Vice President - Examine the contributions made by George Washington's mother, Mary Ball Washington, to mold his character. 

Corresponding Secretary - Discover the Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior and the impact it had on George Washington's development as a leader. Examine the rules and its relevance to today's society.

Organizing Secretary - Consider the passage of the 19th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution during the 100th anniversary and reflect on the significance of the amendment for women's suffrage.

Registrar - Increase member involvement in society activities by planning fun and interactive events that will engage members at the society level.

Government Studies - Learn how the Founding Fathers established the framework for the government of the United States of America and why it is used today. Learn about the Boston Tea Party, Whiskey Rebellion, and Shay's Rebellion.

July Meeting: Packet Planning Meeting

Packet Planning Meeting

Attendees: 5 members (4 peewees) and 7 seniors

Members came together to plan their calendar for the year. Before the meeting, families reviewed the Foundations of Freedom National Program. Members wrote lists of what they wanted to do this year with C.A.R. Members and seniors worked together to create a calendar of events for the year.

Members watched several videos about Women's Suffrage and Transportation Anniversaries. Then they had fun splashing and playing in the pool in the back yard!

Contest Connections:

2nd Vice President - Members watched videos about transportation anniversaries. They wanted to go to the St. Louis Science Center to the Apollo 11 anniversary party so we added that to the calendar.

Organizing Secretary - Watching videos about the Women's Suffrage movement and then discussing. The children wanted to have a march to the St. Louis Public Library to honor the Women's Suffrage movement and the march that they had 100 years ago so we added that to our calendar.

Registrar - Several members (aged 6) wrote lists of what they wanted to do for the year. They wanted to do things like having a tea party (in honor of George Washington's mother), visiting the St. Louis Public Library, and making George Washington's desk out of clay.

October Field Trip: Cahokia Mounds

All the members in 1!

5 members, 1 prospective member, and 6 seniors visited Cahokia Mounds to learn about the Organizing Secretary, Assistant Organizing Secretary, and American Indians programs.

Organizing Secretary Program: Members looked for information about the Lewis and Clark expedition, and learned ways that the American Indians helped the expedition to be successful.

Assistant Organizing Secretary Program: Members learned about archaeology and how it changes our understanding of history as we learn more about how people lived in the past.

American Indians Program: Members learned about how the Indians lived at Cahokia when it was first built, and during our countries early years. They learned about how the Indians helped our ancestors and the Lewis and Clark expedition. They got a lot of pictures!

July Field Trip: Old Courthouse

Members and prospective member at Old Courthouse

We went to the old courthouse in St Louis which is the first federal building west of the Mississippi River. We learned about Lewis and Clark, Native Americans and how they lived, and about the Dred Scott Case.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

We learned that Lewis and Clark bought everything in Illinois and followed the Missouri River. They picked up a Native American guide by the name of Sacagawea in Sioux nations. We learned that the Native Americans hunted Bison (Buffalo) for food, clothing, and sport.

Members participated in a mock trial.

Lastly, we learned about the Dred Scott Case through a mock trial. We got to play the parts of the different people in the trial. Dred Scott was an African American slave who wanted freedom. He went to court because he went into a couple of states where slavery was illegal. He thought he should have been freed because he was in those states. At trial, Dred Scott was declared free, but it was brought further and further up to the point where it reached the Supreme Court. They declared that Dred Scott was a still slave. Finally, he was freed by his first owner, who who bought him for a dollar and then freed him.

There was 5 members, 5 seniors, and 1 perspective member present.

Written by: Marcus, Age 13