[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 189 (Tuesday, December 11, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2536]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING THE KETEWAMOKE CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE 
                  DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. STEVE ISRAEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 11, 2007

  Mr. ISRAEL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Ketewamoke 
Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American 
Revolution. The National Society of the Daughters of the American 
Revolution was organized on August 9, 1890 in Washington, DC. Seventeen 
years later, on December 2, 1907, in the Town of Huntington, Long 
Island, the Ketewamoke Chapter, NSDAR was organized with 19 charter 
members. The name Ketewamoke is the Native American name for the region 
around Huntington known as ``the place having the best beach or 
shore.'' The Chapter was incorporated in 1913. Today they have 88 
members.
  The threefold purpose of the Society as a whole is the same now as it 
was when the Society was organized in 1890 and chartered by an Act of 
Congress in 1895: ``To perpetuate the memory and spirit of the men and 
women who achieved American independence; to 
promote, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the 
general diffusion of knowledge; to cherish, maintain and extend the 
institutions of American freedom, to foster true patriotism and love of 
country.'' The Ketewamoke Chapter continues to include these three 
objectives (historical, educational and patriotic) in its monthly 
programs.
  One of the first accomplishments of the Ketewamoke Chapter was to 
restore the Village Green and mark the spot with a bronze tablet on a 
boulder, in 1915. inscribed, ``Huntington Village Green.'' This ``Town 
Spot'' was the location of Huntington's earliest form of government 
where, beginning from its settlement in 1653, a small group of men 
continued to meet and vote over the years.
  Also in 1915, the Ketewamoke Chapter outfitted the original Women's 
Ward in Huntington Hospital with 8 beds. A bronze plaque marking this 
event still hangs in the old Huntington Hospital building. During World 
War II, when the National Society bought $210,000,000 worth of war 
bonds, more than $100,000 of these bonds were purchased by members of 
the Ketewamoke Chapter. Since then, the Chapter has placed mill stones 
from local mills at the ``Town Spot'' and on the grounds of the Chapter 
House, thus preserving local history. It has cleaned up and marked the 
graves of many of the local American Revolutionary soldiers. They 
continue to honor these patriots by placing flags on their grave sites 
every Memorial Day and by the Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at 
Huntington's Old Burial Ground.
  Currently, the Chapter works to promote patriotism through community 
projects. They encourage local students to appreciate American history 
through our annual American History Essay Contest for grades 5 through 
8. They encourage students to be good citizens by awarding annual Good 
Citizenship medals to students of 15 local schools. These students must 
fulfill the qualities of honor, service, leadership and patriotism. 
They support other local community services through our individual 
volunteer efforts in hospitals, literacy programs, and veteran and 
senior citizen projects. They give financial support to many National 
and State DAR projects such as the two DAR schools in the Appalachian 
region and the education of Native American youths through scholarships 
and the support of the Bacone College and the Chemawa Indian School. We 
present ROTC medals to qualifying cadets in local secondary schools.
  They are uniquely fortunate to be one of only a few Chapters in New 
York State which owns an historic Chapter House with a fine collection 
of period artifacts. It is their privilege and responsibility to 
preserve and to maintain this Chapter House which dates back to 1837.
  We take great pride in being members of the Ketewamoke Chapter, 
NSDAR, which is the oldest established DAR Chapter on Long Island. We 
take pride in honoring the memory of our patriot ancestors and in 
honoring all American patriots, past and present.

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