Colonial Dames from all across America met at the Ritz-Carlton in Arlington, Virginia, October 18-21, 2018 for the 62^ndBiennial Council Meeting of The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America. President Jessica Graney led the West Virginia delegation.  View images from the meeting.

Women attended workshops and other unique learning opportunities such as hearing nationally-acclaimed speakers, patriotic music performers, and sharing ideas with Dames from 40 states.

The Colonial Dames commemorative bronze tablet honoring the settlers of the Jamestown Colony, the first permanent settlement in the new world (1607).
The Dames paid tribute to these ancestors in 1907.

Dr. William M. Kelso, Director of Archeology for Jamestown Discovery on Jamestown Island, was the guest speaker for the National Board Dinner on October 18. The Jamestown colony was the first permanent settlement in the New World. Kelso discussed the excavation of the 1607 fort site and the Archaearium Museum which houses over 2,000 artifacts. NSCDA commemorated the 1607 settlement with a bronze tablet, now in the reconstructed Anglican church.

Carly Fiorina, a graduate of MIT Sloan School of Management and inspiring American businesswoman, was the keynote speaker for the October 20 dinner at the Ritz-Carlton. Fiorina spoke on patriotism, leadership, and the important historical preservation work of Dames since 1891. Fiorina is an American businesswoman who served as CEO of Hewlett-Packard; currently she is chair of the philanthropic organization Good360.

A National Board Meeting was held at Dumbarton House, NSCDA headquarters in Georgetown. Jane Boylin, former NSCDA-WV president, is director of Dumbarton House and a Vice President of NSCDA.

Saturday, Oct. 20, featured workshops on historical Activities and Preservation, Patriotic Services, Museum Properties, Registrars, Strategic Planning, Membership and Young Dames, Communications/Marketing, and Finance. At the general session, each state president reported on special projects to preserve colonial history in her respective state giving members numerous ideas to take back to their states. Dame Anne Silbernagel was added to the NSCDA Roll of Honor for her service to her state society.

Sunday afternoon, October 21, Dames honored fallen patriots at Arlington National Cemetery at a 3:30 p.m. ceremony. The speaker was Dr. Denver Brunsman, Associate Professor of History at George Washington University.

NSCDA was the first women’s group to create commemorative monuments honoring the colonists from the Jamestown Colony and the soldiers in Arlington National Cemetery.