DAR chapter in jeopardy

The Patience Wright Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, based in Laguna Beach, will be celebrating its 70th anniversary in November. However, due to the chapter’s potential closure the same month, the event may be bittersweet.

The chapter, established in 1939, is the oldest DAR chapter in Orange County and has spawned many other local chapters in cities such as Newport Beach, Mission Viejo and San Clemente. However, because of declining membership and decreased community visibility, Laguna’s chapter is in danger of being forced into closure.

The group spearheaded the Laguna Beach Patriot’s Day Parade, among other contributions to the local community, but membership has waned over the years.

“We had a state officer come down in June and she was really upset because there was not more than six ladies from the chapter,” said Gloria Padach, current member and past regent of the Laguna Beach chapter. “You can’t run a chapter with six elderly woman.”

Padach, who is also an active member of the chapter in Newport Beach, said while age is a main reason for the decline in membership activity, community visibility is another important factor. Padach recalls incidents where she encountered people around the city who did not know a Laguna chapter even existed.

“How are you going to get members if they don’t know you’re here?” she asked.

In an effort to boost membership and gain publicity within the city for the chapter, the Laguna chapter is also holding a Genealogical Workshop from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Susi Q Senior Center, 380 Third St. The workshop, which is free and open to the public, aims to help people search deeper into their family roots.

“We will have e-mail hook ups so we can get into the many genealogical programs out there, we will have genealogy books. We’re trying to pull people from different [geographic] areas to be able to help and to bring their printed material with them,” Padach said.

Padach said that those who have very little information concerning their past should not be hesitant to come.

“All we ask you to do is bring as much as you know. Like this woman from Mission Viejo, all she knew was her grandfather and grandmother’s names, that’s all she could give me. But I got her back to her great-grandmother who was a DAR and I found her number, no problem,” Padach said.

DAR state officers warn that if the chapter does not increase its membership by November, the California State Society will disband the chapter. But Padach hopes that it will not be the case.

Padach also wants to implement many of the outreach methods used by the Newport chapter, such as awarding medals and certificates to students from fifth to 11th grade for exemplary work in American history courses.

“The women that I’ve talked to from different chapters say they will be there to help. ‘We will be there, we will work with you, we don’t want to see the chapter go down.’ And that’s how all of us feel about it. But unless the chapter itself can help itself, there’s not much we can do.”