Dianne and I would like to thank the following members for their assistance in the ceremonies. Each was chosen for a specific reason that coincided with our anniversary. First, the ladies were all from Columbia and were available for the sudden date we were given. The ladies were as follows. Emily De-Quincey Newman, Regent of the Columbia Chapter which was the first chapter organized in our state. As a result of this chapter's organization, the SCDAR was formed. Sara Stork, Regent of the William Capers Chapter who is the -great-granddaughter of Sara Aldrich Richardson, our third state regent who was played a major role for two of the items placed by the SCDAR at the State House. Nancy Bunch, Regent of the Ann Pamela Cunningham Chapter who represents the government officials who have assisted the SCDAR in making these tributes possible. She has also been a tremendous resource to the SCDAR as we celebrated our 125th anniversary!
The first rededication ceremony was at the Partisan Monument on the Sumter Street side of the State House. This beautiful monument is directly across the street from Trinity Church. When you come for Fall Forum in August, come early and allow time to drive to the State House and see this beautiful tribute to Marion, Pickens, and Sumter and the men who served with them.
Please turn up your volume on your computer. Since the monument is so close to the street, traffic did drive by during the ceremony. If you have any difficulty hearing any part, I have included the script below the video. Also, please keep in mind that amateurs were doing the filming.
Script
for the Re-dedication Ceremony Monuments, Tablets, and Medallions Placed by the
SCDAR at the SC State House
South
Carolina State House Grounds
June
13, 2018
Written
by Penny Renwick
DIANNE
:
Throughout the 2017-2018 year, the SCDAR
has been celebrating its 125th anniversary. It has been a wonderful year of
re-dedications, commemorations, and tributes honoring and recognizing the work
of our Honorary State Regents and our membership throughout our 125 year
history. Today, we will conclude our
year-long celebration with the re-dedication of the Partisan Monument and
tributes to our South Carolina Signers of The Declaration of Independence and
Signers of The Constitution of the United States, one of our female patriots
and the Bicentennial project. Due to the
work of our State Legislature and the dates of Continental Congress, we were
unable to coordinate a date that allowed for our membership to attend this
celebration. As a result, we are
videoing the dedication and placing it on Penny’s blog for all to see. We
hope that you will enjoy and will make arrangements to visit the State House to
see these beautiful tributes the next time you are in Columbia.
Our rededication will begin with the
invocation given by Sara Stork, Regent of the William Capers Chapter and great-granddaughter
of our 3rd State Regent, Sara Richardson, who was a member of the
Core Committee of the Partisan Monument and the one who received the
legislation to have this monument placed on these hallowed grounds.
INVOCATION:
SARA STORK
Lord
God, we praise You today for the blessings you have provided for us through a
country that was built upon the principles of freedom, equality, and justice
for humanity. Thank you for the men and
women who contributed over 200 years ago for the cause of freedom and liberty,
for those who felt so strongly that they sacrificed their lives, their fortunes,
and their sacred honor for the good of their fellow man, and for those who gave
the ultimate sacrifice – their very lives.
As
our nation’s birthday approaches, may we never forget that freedom is not free
but comes at a cost. We ask you to be
with those men and women who today have dedicated their lives through the
branches of our armed forces to ensure that the sacrifices of our forefathers and
the freedoms that we take for granted are not lost but remain in place.
In
Thy name we pray. Amen.
DIANNE:
Thank you Sara.
The Ritual will be led by Nancy Bunch, Regent of the Ann Pamela
Cunningham Chapter whose family strove to work with the SCDAR to allow tributes
such as the ones we rededicate today to take place.
RITUAL:
NANCY BUNCH
The Pledge
of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States
The American’s
Creed
The Preamble to the
Constitution of the United States
The Salute
to the Flag of South Carolina
DIANNE:
Thank you Nancy. Over the 125
years of the existence of our state society, the members have accomplished many
wonderful achievements. One of those was a monument commemorating the
leadership of the Partisan Generals of South Carolina during the Revolutionary
War Marion, Pickens, and Sumter as well as the men who served with them. This
beautiful monument stands on the South Carolina State House grounds on Sumter
Street directly across from Trinity Church.
It was featured in the District 2 ad in the current issue of the”American
Spirit Magazine.” Penny will now give a
brief history of the Partisan Monument.
HISTORY
OF THE PARTISAN MONUMENT: PENNY RENWICK
Thank you Madam State Regent.
The desire to have a monument commemorating the
Revolutionary War was a desire of our first elected State Regent Rebecca
Bacon. As the granddaughter of General
Andrew Pickens, she recognized that there was a monument for two of the three
wars; however, a monument to the American Revolution was not one of them. During the regency of our third state regent,
Sara Richardson, she saw to it that legislation was passed for the monument to
be placed on the State House grounds and a sum of money secured. However, this monument took several
administrations to complete. When the
call from NSDAR came to raise funds to first build Memorial Continental Hall,
work on the Partisan Monument had to be put aside. The national membership responded
beautifully, but the work on the Partisan Monument had to be turned over to our
next state regent Virginia Bratton.
Again, our daughters were called upon by NSDAR, this time to pay for the
state’s beautiful monolithic column for the Memorial Portico. The SCDAR was the first state, to not only
pledge the money for its column, but to actually present the $2000 to pay for
the column. Bratton’s effort allowed the SCDAR to place its full attention
toward the monument during the administration of Frances Mayes. Mayes was determined that this project
would be completed during her administration. She and the other members of the committee
worked tirelessly to see that the monument was completed in order to turn
attention toward building a school in the mountains to serve the mountain
children. At the state conference in
1913, the SCDAR conducted a beautiful ceremony to dedicate the monument and
recognize the leadership of the Partisan Generals from South Carolina along
with the men who served by their side.
DIANNE:
Thank you Penny.
We of the Daughters of the American Revolution –
chartered by Congress to preserve “those things of value to the country…
historically, educationally, and patriotically” – do hereby recognize the
efforts of the daughters that came before us in service to God, Home, and
Country.
As a result of a time in our
history, historians writing about the American Revolution were not kind to
South Carolina and its contributions to the Revolutionary War. Historians neglected South Carolina and the
fact that the most battles of the war were fought in our state. They did not credit our leaders and soldiers
with their efforts that ultimately led to the conclusion of the war. The early daughters in our state society
worked to eradicate this by creating a monument to recognize these men. The design of the monument and surrounding
area were meant to allow passersby to reflect on their achievements and make
people cognizant of the freedoms they possess as a result of these men.
Today, the members of the SCDAR are
proud to honor the work of our daughters of the past who rose to the occasion
at a time when our national society needed our commitment while still remaining
committed to our first state project.
Their efforts ensured that our South Carolina patriots were recognized
for their struggles to bring about a free nation with a government of the
people, by the people, and for the people who just powers are derived from the
consent of the governed.
DIANNE AND EMILY PLACE THE WREATH.
DIANNE:
At this time, we will move inside
the State House to continue.
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