Welcoming Our New Regent

I recently got to interview our new chapter regent Dr. Kathy Mellott. She has exciting plans for us as we begin America 250’s main celebration years. Please enjoy:

Edy-Thank you for meeting with me; we are so happy to welcome you as our new chapter Regent!

Kathy-I am looking forward to getting to know the members of the ever-growing Gettysburg Chapter, and I am proud and privileged to have been asked to serve as Regent.

Edy-Because our chapter podcast is called What We Love about DAR, I'd love to hear maybe three things you love best about our organization.

Kathy-I have been a member of DAR since 2008 and have made many friendships, inside and outside of my chapter. I love getting to know other daughters and hearing their stories about what brought them to DAR. I love researching my family history.  I am proud of my Patriotic heritage and am happy to share my family story.

One of my favorite events sponsored by DAR is welcoming new citizens to our wonderful country.  I was involved with the naturalization ceremony in my previous chapter and have attended several ceremonies since coming to Gettysburg.  I look forward, as Regent, to being more involved in the naturalization ceremony in Gettysburg, which coincides annually with Remembrance Day, Nov 19th, the anniversary of the Gettysburg Address.  What an honor!

Edy-Our DAR mission revolves around historic preservation, education, and patriotism; will you be focusing on one of these specifically in the first year of your administration?

Kathy-I consider it an honor and privilege to be Regent in the year of the semi-quincentennial of the founding of our country. My concentration will be on the history of the country and marking milestone events in our nation's 250-year history. My immediate predecessor has been planning the celebration and, hopefully, her plans will continue. We have plans to plant a Liberty Tree in Adams County, which has stood as a beacon of hope since the Sons of Liberty met under the original tree to discuss their opposition to Britain. Generously sponsored by and in partnership with the PA Freemasons, America250PA's Liberty Tree Project includes a certified Liberty Tree, from the seeds of the original PA

Liberty Tree, to be planted in each of PA's 67 counties.

The Gettysburg chapter has some very talented women who keep track of America's history milestones and keep us informed through Facebook and the website as these milestones arise. We have several daughters who volunteer for local historical associations and veteran organizations. They keep the chapter informed about events in which our members can participate. The chapter participated recently in recognizing Lower Marsh Creek (now Adams Co) volunteers to the Continental Army. We stood at the location of the Getty’s Tavern where the enlistment took place on June 24, 1775.  We were privileged to

meet 250 years to the date.

The Gettysburg 250th Committee has plans to reenact the reading of the Declaration of Independence at the Dobbin House, a 1776 house still remaining in Gettysburg, now used as a popular restaurant. The Gettysburg Chapter is very involved and will attend on July 4, 2026 in colonial garb.

Edy-We would love to know more about you. When did you move to Gettysburg and was there anything that surprised you about our area or our chapter?

Kathy-Before my husband, Pat, and I retired to Gettysburg, we had participated in Gettysburg Bike Week for about 10 years. We noticed how quiet and serene it was to drive through the battlefields. It surprised us considering the history of the Battle of Gettysburg. We decided during one of those rides that when we were ready to retire, we would look for a home in Gettysburg. We started looking during Bike Week 2019 and continued looking until we found our forever home in 2020. Unfortunately, that was right before the COVID Pandemic, and everything closed down that March. We would visit our new house on weekends and started moving in slowly throughout 2020. By January 2021 we had both

retired. I sold my Audiology practice in the DC area in December 2020 and moved to Gettysburg.

Due to the pandemic and the many tasks involved with closing a business, I didn't change DAR chapters until the middle of 2021. The Gettysburg chapter is twice as big as my previous chapter, the Colonel Tench Tilghman Chapter in Bethesda, MD. I served there as Regent, Vice Regent, Treasurer and Registrar. At one time, the Colonel Tench Tilghman chapter was appointed as guardians of the Bethesda Madonna of the Trail. The Madonna of the Trail is a series of 12 identical monuments to the spirit of pioneer women in the United States. The monuments were commissioned in the late 1920s by the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) and follow the Old National Pike across the country from Maryland to California. I love history!

Edy-Please tell us about the upcoming chapter meetings and other events we can enjoy together.

Kathy-Our meeting day and time in our bylaws are the second Friday of each month (Oct.-June). It has been suggested that we have one weekend event in the fall and one in the spring. We are in the process of planning these based around 250th anniversary milestones. 

Dates already scheduled are Oct. 10, a talk about Colonel Tench Tilghman; Nov. 14, Veteran's Luncheon and recognition at the Dobbin House; Nov. 19 Remembrance Day and New Citizens ceremony; and Dec. 12, a Holiday event at the Apple Museum. The remaining schedule will be completed at the next Executive Board meeting, yet to be scheduled. Members of the chapter are encouraged to submit ideas for speakers. We are also in the process of obtaining a more permanent location for our monthly meetings.

Edy-I know you've done a great job of appointing committee chairs and vice chairs who will lead our chapter's wonderful activities these next three years. Are there any positions you are still seeking to fill? Chapter Daughters can reach out to you to volunteer to get more involved in chapter fun by emailing our chapter at gettysburgdar@google.com. Also, be sure to check out our chapter website, Facebook pages, videos, and other podcasts by following the links in the description.

Kathy-There are a few chapter committees that I would like to see filled for the coming year, especially American Indians and DAR schools. If anyone has special interest, they can contact me for which committee fits their interests.

Edy-Are there any other encouraging things you would like to relate to our chapter members as we begin our DAR year?

Kathy-We are all from different backgrounds, locations and experiences, but we all share interest in historic preservation, education, and patriotism. Together we can promote these interests through our service to the chapter, our communities, our State and to our National Association.  No one person can do it alone.  I look forward to your ideas, suggestions and support through the next 3 years. God bless the USA.