NSDAR

The Red Cedar Chapter, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, honored Constitution Week at the Austin Public Library on Sept. 17. Polly Jelinek was the chairperson for this event. She said that the rapport was so good between every age group, and this year’s presentation/display was one of the best we have had. Everyone looked at the flags and the flag information, and the younger children were very thrilled to have a flag in their hand.

Three U.S.A. flags were displayed, one with 13 stars, and another that had flown over our Nation’s Capitol on July 3, 2013, the same day that George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Mass., 227 years ago. The third flag was a tactile U.S.A. flag with the “Pledge of Allegiance” in Braille. The Red Cedar recently presented the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind with 10 of these flags. A parchment copy of the Constitution was displayed, along with many handouts such as The Flag Code, The Declaration of Independence, The American’s Creed, and The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America. Approximately 125 American flags were handed out.

The Red Cedar Chapter had an additional display this year, which was a very historic and unique collection belonging to Karyl Brabbit. Her George Washington display included a George and Martha Washington dance card program from the late 1700s, a bicentennial banner of George Washington dated 1732-1932, red, white and blue, a signed and numbered lithograph of George Washington, dated 1756, portrait pictures of the Washingtons; a beautiful flow blue centennial plate, a reproduction of the pattern Martha Washington ordered for the White House, and a centennial woven damask cloth of the election of George Washington to the President of the Federation.

The NSDAR encourages “Bells Ringing Across America” to commemorate the founders’ signing of the Constitution in 1787. At the request of the Red Cedar Chapter, four bells rang from bell towers in three different towns on Sept. 17 at 4 p.m., the same date which church bells peeled across the city of Philadelphia 227 years ago.

The Grace Baptist, West Campus, in Austin. The Grace Baptist bell was originally placed in the original Baptist Church in Austin in 1866. The original church building was built in 1863-1864, and was on the corner of what is now Oakland Ave. and First Street Southwest. This bell was made in Troy, New York

The Grace Lutheran Church in Albert Lea. The bell at Grace Lutheran was originally located in the bell tower of the old Freeborn County Courthouse.

The Cathedral of our Merciful Saviour, Faribault. The Cathedral bells played “Come on Brave Boys” (also known as “Chester”), “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” and “Yankee Doodle.”

Shattuck – St. Mary’s, Faribault. The Shattuck bell played “Stars and Stripes Forever.”

The U.S. Constitution is the oldest constitution still in active use in the world today and is the basic document of our republic, which protects the individual liberties of all citizens through written law.

 Duplicate Bridge

Tournament results for Sept. 17 with five tables played: First place, Eunice Michaelis and Warren Behrends; second place, Dave Ring and Orrion Roisen; third place, Cleo Osmundson and Edna Knobbe; fourth place, Romelle Enderson and Marilyn Gesme; fifth place, Vandy Newman and Gene Muchow.

Duplicate Bridge is played each Wednesday at noon at the Mower County Senior Center in Austin. All Bridge players are welcome. Call Dave Ring at 507-434-4189.

 Brownsdale Study Club

The September meeting of the Brownsdale Study Club met with Fern on Sept. 17. LaVonne did the reading of the Collect. Roll call was answered with a favorite book. 10 members were present.

Old business: Selecting topics for roll call for new year. Set up for the 90th anniversary on Thursday at 9:30 p.m.

Rena told us about another Women’s Club, the Cumberland Women’s Club. They also read the Collect. They meet at the senior center, and have 60 members. We were told that Mary Stewart wrote the Collect.

Happy birthday was sung for LaVonne, Ida and Mildred. The meeting was adjourned.

LaVonne gave the Outside Reading, Houses in Jesus’ time.

Houses in villages were usually one room. Houses in cities were usually more than one room—more prosperous. Also had a courtyard with trees, shrubs, sometimes a well. Meals were eaten in the courtyard.

Rena led the main topic which was the Patriot Day ceremony. The Patriot Day ceremony was held Thursday, Sept. 11 at the Mower County Veterans Memorial on the lawn of the Law Enforcement Center. Local veterans and residents met to remember those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001. Chair Norm Hecimovich led the Pledge of Allegiance and also gave the Patriot Day talk. There was a military salute to all fallen comrades.