SUBMITTED REPORT
The Edenton Tea Party Chapter, NSDAR, will be recognized with two National First Place awards for Commemorative Events held last year. Both the Independence Day Celebration and the 250th Anniversary of the Edenton Resolves (the Edenton Tea Party) were selected by the National Organization as the first-place events in the Nation.
Peggy O’Connell, National Chair of Commemorative Events for Tea Parties and Rae Anna Victor, National Chair for Independence Day events, contacted Beth Taylor, chair of the Edenton Tea Party Chapter’s July 4 Commemorative Events Committee, of the awards on April 3.. Bonnie Henn, Chapter Regent, will attend the National Convention in Washington DC to receive these awards during the Commemorative Events Award Ceremony to be held at Memorial Constitution Hall on June 26.
Independence Day Celebration Ceremony
This is not the first National DAR Award the Edenton Tea Party Chapter has won for its Independence Day Celebration Ceremony. The chapter won the First Place National Award in 2016, 2022, and now for 2024; Second Place National in 2023; and Third Place National in 2020 and 2021.
The Independence Day Weekend Celebration is a combination of the July 3rd Military Appreciation Night, which is held in conjunction with the Edenton Steamers baseball team, and the July 4th reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Joseph Hewes Monument on the Historic 1767 Chowan County Courthouse Green. Edenton Tea Party Chapter members Jean Kuchta and Pamela Oliveira served as co-chairs of the July 3rd Military Appreciation
Night, and Kathleen Towers was vice-chair with chair Beth Taylor for the July 4th Celebration.
The annual July 4th Ceremony began in May 2000, when the late Virginia Wood had the vision of an Independence Day community ceremony that would be held on the Old Courthouse Green to include reading the Declaration of Independence in its entirety. Wood also envisioned that a biographical history of Joseph Hewes would be presented at his monument. With the cooperation and support of Taylor, this vision became a reality in six week’s time and has continued, grown and been consistently sponsored by the Edenton Tea Party Chapter for the past 25 years.
The coordination with the Edenton Steamers Baseball Team began in 2020 and was organized and spearheaded by then chapter registrar Candy Roth, whose husband, Gary, is treasurer of the Steamers and a member of the executive board. He is also head of the fundraising effort for the Steamers through the Food Lion card sales. In 2021, then chapter vice regent Taylor joined in as co-chairman of the event. In 2022, Leatha Fischer served as chair, and Jean Kuchta and Pamela Oliveira were co-chairs for 2023 and 2024.
The Independence Day Weekend Celebration was incredibly special in 2024 as it was the unofficial kick-off to the Edenton-wide celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Signing of the Edenton Resolves.
At the 5th annual Military Appreciation Night, chapter members, clad in special Edenton Tea Party Chapter, NSDAR/Edenton Steamers golf shirts, greeted over 1,000 community members to the biggest game of the year.
Chapter members served as greeters, ticket takers, money counters, raffle and concession booth sellers and kitchen and beer garden staff.
Chapter member and Navy veteran, Rae Ohlert, led those in attendance in singing the National Anthem; she later led the crowd at the seventh-inning stretch by singing an armed forces medley and encouraged participation by veterans. The chapter’s newest and Junior member at the time, Cameron Perry, threw out the first pitch.
At the 25th annual July 4th Reading of the Declaration of Independence, the signers of the Edenton Resolves were special guests and honored at the celebration.
On October 25, 1774, 51 women from Edenton and the surrounding area signed a statement affirming their support for the first North Carolina Provincial Congress’ decision to boycott British goods to protest the Crown’s mistreatment of the American Colonies.
The boycott was one of the events that led up to the American Revolution (1775–1781).The 51 signers’ statement, known as the “Edenton Resolves”, forms one of the earliest-known protests written and organized by women in the American Colonies; this protest later became known as the “Edenton Tea Party.”
In honor of the Edenton Resolves Signers, the entire July 4 th Celebration was comprised of women, and everyone was in colonial dress. Edenton Tea Party Regent Bonnie Henn opened the ceremony; Celebration co-chairs Beth Taylor and Kathleen Towers welcomed those attending; Registrar Candy Roth made a special presentation on the Edenton Tea Party Women; Historian Anne Rowe led the Pledge of Allegiance and Chaplain Clara King led the American’s Creed. Rev. Elizabeth Polk, Pastor of the Edenton United Methodist Church led the prayers, Heidi Critz sang the National Anthem and Chapter Archivist Martha Smith researched and read the Joseph Hewes biographical sketch.
The absolute highlight of the ceremony was chapter member Rae Ohlert who recited from memory (NOT read) the entire Declaration of Independence! When she was finished, there was at first dead silence and then the crowd
applauded and cheered with patriotic zeal. It was an amazing sight to see – over 400 people waving the little American flags they had been given in celebration of our country!
The ceremony continued to its conclusion with a benediction given by Rev. Polk and “God Bless America” was sung by Heidi Critz. After the Colors were retrieved, Past Chapter Regent Sandra Sperry recited the names of the original 13 colonies in order from North to South – New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia – and a bell was rung for each colony.
Everyone left the Green full of patriotism and pride. As one news reporter later wrote, “It is the most perfect July 4th ceremony I have ever attended.”
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children.
Edenton Resolves Event
On October 17, 18 and 19 of 2024, the Edenton Tea Party Chapter and the North Carolina Society DAR hosted a three-day event that celebrated the signing of the Edenton Resolves, later known as the Edenton Tea Party. Daughters from across the nation came to Edenton to take part in this celebration, including President General Pamela Wright, Historian General Suzanne Heske and many more National and State Officers. There were many events held in conjunction with this three-day celebration.
The event began with the grave marking ceremony in Beaver Hill Cemetery of Sarah Blount Littlejohn’s grave. Descendants of Sarah Littlejohn were on hand to honor this member of this signer of the Edenton Resolves.
Dedications for Mary Creacy, a signer of the Edenton Resolves, were held at her home, Greenfield, which was later owned by Virginia Wood, a member of the Edenton Tea Party Chapter. A 250th Plaque was placed by the National
Society DAR in Elizabeth Vann Moore Park as a remembrance of the town’s importance during the Revolutionary War.
“Tea Trolley” tours of the town were given to visiting dignitaries. Dinner at Hayes included a keynote by Samuel Dixon.
The following weekend, the city celebrated then 250th anniversary of the signing of the Edenton Resolves to include a parade featuring 51 local women in colonial attire, many of whom were DAR members and a presentation of Essays by local students who also had the opportunity to ring the bell in the Historic 1767 Chowan County Courthouse.
Edenton Tea Party Chapter member, Sally Frances Kehayes was the Co-chair both events celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Edenton Tea Party.
About NSDAR
Since its founding, DAR has admitted more than 1,000,000 members. As one of the most inclusive genealogical societies in the country, NSDAR currently boasts over 190,000 members in 3,000 chapters across the United States
and internationally. Women 18 years or older – regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background – who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution, is eligible for membership.
Any woman who believes she may be eligible for membership should contact Membership Chair Beth Taylor – 252-482-3592 or 39btaylor@gmail.com for additional information.
You may also go to the chapter website at ncdar.org/EdentonTeaParty_files/ or the Facebook page, facebook.com/EdentonTeaPartyNSDAR/ for information.