Jane Chambers Honored for Ten Years of Dedicated Service by President General Pamela Rouse Wright, NSDAR

At the December 14, 2024, Martha Dandridge Washington (MDW) Chapter, National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) meeting, chapter member Jane Chambers was honored with a certificate from President General Pamela Rouse Wright, NSDAR, for ten years of dedicated service. Additionally, the Fisher House was recognized for its service to veterans and their families.

Jane Chambers became a member of NSDAR on December 5, 2014, and readily became an organizing member of a NSDAR chapter to serve Jefferson County and the surrounding areas of East Tennessee to fill the void left by the dissolution of the Mossy Creek Chapter, NSDAR, in the 1980’s. On February 6, 2016, Chambers became First Vice Regent and charter member of the newly organized Martha Dandridge Washington Chapter, NSDAR and Chapter Regent in 2018, a position she held for over four years.

Leading by example, Chambers worked with all committees to build a sustainable chapter, which has received high praise and awards from state and national levels every year. She earned the Triple-Crown for completion of the three DAR Leadership Training courses. For Chambers New Horizon’s Course Capstone project, she raised $10,000 for the replacement of the stair runner at Glenmore Mansion in Jefferson City. Moreover, she completed six of seven genealogy education programs.

In May 2019, sensing a need for a place to share ideas, experiences, and agree upon projects that support the mission of the state and national societies, Chambers, representing the MDW chapter, and Spencer Clack Chapter Past Regent Ruth Davis worked with the regents of the Samuel Doak, Spencer Clack, and William Cocke chapters, NSDAR to initiate correspondence with TSDAR. As a result, the Greater Smoky Mountain Council of Regents was formed. This council supports U.S. Citizenship naturalization ceremonies, Smoky Mountain Service Dogs, Honor Air Knoxville, and natural disaster relief.

Elected Chapter Honorary Regent by chapter members, Chambers continues service to God, Home, and County through the NSDAR objectives of historic preservation, patriotism, and education. She currently serves as the Tennessee State Daughters of the American Revolution (TSDAR) State Recording Secretary where she records the proceedings of the TSDAR State Conference and Executive Board. Further, she compiles complete records of the administration. As a member of the TSDAR Speaker Staff for the Appalachian District, she gave an in-depth presentation titled ‘Determination’ Founding of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution at the chapter’s May meeting. She is also the TSDAR chairman of the Community Service Awards Committee, an NSDAR committee that provides a unique opportunity for chapters and states to bestow a non-competitive recognition to worthy individuals and organizations for outstanding voluntary service.

Another chapter meeting highlight was a $500 donation to one of TSDAR State Regent Emily Robinson’s Projects. This gift was included with funds from other state chapters donated to the Memphis Fisher House. Carolyn Mitchell and Jan Loveday-Dickens informed the MDW Chapter members that the Fisher House Foundation was established in 1990 by Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher to provide a “Home away from Home” for military families while their loved ones are hospitalized.  Further, they related that the first Fisher House was opened in 1991 at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Other houses are located near military and Veterans Administration (VA) medical centers around the world. The houses are presented as a gift to those centers.

Tennessee gained its second Fisher House on September 17, 2024, when the Memphis Fisher House was dedicated.  It is located near the Lieutenant Colonel Luke Weathers Jr. VA Medical Center that serves over 196,000 Veterans, providing lodging for families of Veterans and active-duty personnel at no cost while their family members are receiving medical treatment. As of October of 2023, there were 98 Fisher Houses in operation across the United States, Germany, and Great Britain with three more in the planning stages.

For information about the DAR, contact MDW Registrar Karen McFarland at (865) 258-8670 or Regent Janet Guyett at (865) 712-8782.

Regent Guyett presents Jane Chambers with a ten-year certificate for dedicated NSDAR service.