Chapter History
On January 21, 2021, the Hollywood Chapter, NSDAR, celebrated its 110th birthday! What began as a dream in 1909 by a few women materialized in January 1911! From this young chapter with only 29 charter members, has grown a vibrant, thriving chapter full of incredible women.
Hollywood Chapter, NSDAR, has a long history of combining philanthropy with social events. For decades there were annual luncheons and card party fundraisers. The most interesting being in late 1917 when the chapter hosted a county fair themed party at a local mansion. All monies raised were for World War I relief efforts. There was a mock beauty contest with a king and a prince dressed in regal attire. The king was to choose a bride for his son, the prince. The 12 beauties were starlets on loan from Universal.
In addition to the county fair, Hollywood Chapter, NSDAR, adopted 2 French orphans and contributed to the rebuilding of the French village of Tiloloy. World War II saw huge participation from Hollywood Chapter, NSDAR, members. Notably one member, Ms. Dale Heller, was in active service in Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES). Between December 7, 1941, and February 1945, chapter members purchased bonds. All types of war relief efforts were being done by chapter members including sewing, preparing Victory Kits for soldiers in the South Pacific, and afghans knitted by Junior members which were given to the wounded at a hospital. The number of hours spent in Red Cross work was over 12,000.
Members were exceptionally active at the Hollywood United Service Organization (USO) and the Hollywood Canteen. Chapter members volunteered over 2,000 hours at the USO by hostessing dances, reading palms, and baking goodies.
Education has long been a focus of the Hollywood Chapter, NSDAR. From its inception, the chapter has donated money to schools, adopted students, awarded scholarships, helped organize classes for immigrants, and supported schools in any way possible. Since the 1980s, the Hollywood Chapter, NSDAR, has awarded donations to schools and scholarships.
Hollywood Chapter, NSDAR, initiated a program called the “Constitution Awards Program.” There was such far-reaching acceptance that it became a California State Society (CSSDAR) project in 1973-74 and later adopted by NSDAR. The program began as a Constitution Essay Contest among junior high school students as a way to award their excellence in their studies of U.S. Constitution.
The Hollywood Chapter, NSDAR, went green decades before it became hip. The 1920s saw Hollywood plant a redwood tree at Fairfax High School and fund the patio garden at the Hollywood branch library. As well during the 1920s, 7,300 trees were planted during the National Tree Planting Campaign which was the largest number planted by any one chapter.
An idea was conceived by a Hollywood Chapter, NSDAR, member in 1928 for an avenue of memorial trees for 31 presidents on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) campus. The Hollywood Chapter, NSDAR, gave the first tree. The planting ceremony was on March 3, 1928, which was before the actual dedication of the University in 1930. In the early 1960s, the Hollywood Chapter, NSDAR, again planted a row of trees at UCLA.
In June 1974, the Hollywood Chapter, NSDAR, presented Lawrence Welk with the DAR Medal of Honor in grateful recognition of his devoted leadership in the field of American music, his dependable trustworthiness, life-long service, and dedicated patriotism to the country. A presentation was made at American Broadcasting Company (ABC) studios.
In 2006, the Hollywood Chapter, NSDAR, finally marked the grave of its most famous member with a DAR insignia. That member was Ginger Rogers. There was a wonderful ceremony and reception following. The chapter purchased a Liberty cart and donated it to the Veterans Administration to help veterans get around. In 2009, the Hollywood Chapter, NSDAR, purchased 1,800 dictionaries and distributed them to all third graders in 21 Hollywood area schools. In 2014, our chapter focused on the support of the local West Los Angeles VA Hospital by providing items to new mothers. Since then, our chapter spends December focused on our veterans with hospital visits, card making, and stuffing stockings. For over 10 years, our chapter has been providing thousands of dollars in scholarships to students via our own Lillian C. Wright Scholarship and American History Essay contests.
In 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, our chapter was able to continue our work in the community. For our annual DAR Day of Service, members donated items to be assembled into over 200 hygiene kits, craft kits, back to school kits, and fun packs for the West Los Angeles VA, Sisters on the Street, Aviva Family and Children Services, Union Rescue Mission, My Friend’s Place, and PATH. Our chapter continues its commitment to our DAR schools, American Indian schools, and local students through our chapter scholarships and essay contests. We have continued our support of the West Los Angeles VA in the form of used magazines, apples, letters of encouragement and birthday cards, and various pantry items.