Submitted by Suanne Z. Thamm
Reporter – News Analyst
October 6, 2021
Below is a Proclamation recognizing the month of October as, “National Colonial Heritage Month.” National Society of Colonial Dames XVII Century, Princess Amelia Chapter President Sharon Clark Driscoll and member Lynn Leisy, appropriately attired in 17th Century dress, accepted the Proclamation from Fernandina Beach Mayor Mike Lednovich at the October 5, 2021 Fernandina Beach City Commission meeting:
WHEREAS, established in 1915, the National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century is an women’s organization whose members are lineal descendants of ancestors who lived and served prior to 1701, in one of the Original Colonies of the United States of America; and
WHEREAS, the Society is comprised of chapters located in forty-six states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. Over 11,000 members share a common interest in American history, love of, and respect for our nation, and a desire to work together in harmonious fellowship, all in an effort to perpetuate the memory of the colonists and their lasting legacy, which shaped the foundation our great nation; and
WHEREAS, by virtue of their ancestral descent from our earliest forefathers’ arrival, the members of the Society feel a fundamental obligation to honor the hardships and heroism of those who sought spiritual and economic freedom in the new world; and
WHEREAS, to uphold and continue the values and ideals of their ancestors, the Society’s work is dedicated to the preservation of historic sites and records and support of charitable projects and education. Through these and many other activities, the Society acknowledges and honors those individuals whose enduring legacy of virtue, courage, and patriotism formed our proud nation.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Fernandina Beach officially joins with the Princess Amelia Chapter of the National Colonial Heritage Society XVII Century in proclaiming the month of October 2021, as: “NATIONAL COLONIAL HERITAGE MONTH.”
In accepting the Proclamation Princess Amelia Chapter President Sharon Clark Driscoll thanked the City for the recognition and highlighted the various activities that the organization conducts to further an understanding of the role of the earliest American immigrants.