Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-19
THE COLONIAL DANES.
National Society to Convene in Wash
ingten Tomorrow Morning.

The National Society of the Colonial
Danes Of America will open its convention
tomorrow morning IN the parlors Of the
Arlington Hotel. The sessions will be Sc
cret and will continue for four days, or I'M
til the business is concluded.
The Colonial Danes as an order. Is
among the younger of the patriotic socie-
ties, but dates back Of revolutionary days.
The membership Is quite small, only about
1900. Only those women are eligible to
membership who are direct descendants of
an officer in the colonial wars or Of some
one who reached prominence In the strug-
gle Of the colonies for freedom from Eng
lands thrall. 1t Is not proper to seek adj
mission to the order, and to do so lays one
liable to rejection. no matter how fair the
lineage. II invited by some one already q
member you stand a fair chance to get In
IL your lineage Is clearly defined.
Representation In the order Is somewhat
uniquely distributed. The thirteen original
states are each entitled to a representation
Of five delegates. The other states and ter
representation pro rata.
The sessions Of the national organization
are held biennially. and the constitution
provides that they shall be held in Wash
ington. The Colonial Danes met in Wash
ington the last time in 1900.
The meeting will be called to order by
Mrs. Justine Van Rensselaer,, the president
Of the national association The office of
officers are: Second vice president. Mrs.
Herbert A. Claiborne of Richmond, Va:
third vice president. Mrs. Samuel Colt of
Hartford, Conn; secretary. Mrs. William
Reed Of 1O3 Monument street, Baltimore;
assistant secretary, Mrs ]. ]. Jackson of
Baltimore; treasurer, Mrs. Alexander J.
Cassatt Of Philadelphia: registrar. Mrs.
Emil Richter. Portsmouth. N. H.. and his
torian, Miss Annie Hollingsworth Wharton.
One Of the important Incidents of
the convention from the public point of
view will be the unwilling of the Spanish
war memorial monument at Arlington. at
4:3O o'clock on Wednesday, May 81. This
monument is the gift OF the National So
ciety of Colonial Danes, and will be I'M
yelled with appropriate ceremonies.
On THURSDAY evening. May % the Dis.
Danes will entertain the members of the
national society at the Washington Club,
ITO 1 street northwest. The officers of
the Washington society include Mrs Bev-
hazy, vice president; Mrs. Henry Heath,
treasurer: Mrs. Rosa Wright Smith. sec
rotary. and Mrs. Gen. William Henry
One Of the Questions that will come before
the conventionj.it fs understood, win be the
consderationIIf msAhods to enlarge the
collection Of csionial keiics that are deposit
ed in the Nationals Museum About two
years ago permission vas granted to the
society to- place a. hblleetion of relics Of
colonial times in the 1huseusn, and 1t is row
the desire Of n1e ofhcers of the association
to greatly enlarge this, 1t Is probable that
an appeal will be made to the various state
societies to Cooperate with the national
society in the work. The New York society,
however, has aemuseam Of its own, which
was opened in the old Van Cortlandt man
sion. March 27. 1s97:@This old building was
erected In 174Ss, and was only saved from
destruction blythe rtiAheIy action Of the So
ciety. which is, deeply interested In the
preservation Of old landmarks and the
buildings Of thsf colonial and revolutionary
period yet extant.