National Conference of State Societies

Maine State Society Needs Your Help Again Feb. 2

Thanks to the help of hundreds of volunteers from several state societies and many organizations, the Wreaths Across America project at Arlington National Cemetery was a huge success on Dec. 15 and Section 33 looked wonderful for the Christmas holidays.  But now all those 10,000 wreaths have to be picked up and disposed of.  The Maine State Society needs volunteers again.

Wreaths will be picked up on Sat., Feb. 2, 2008, beginning at 9:30 a.m. Volunteers should gather at the McClellan Arch on McClellan Drive near its intersection with Eisenhower Drive. Signs will direct volunteers to Section 33 where parking will be available. Inform cemetery personnel at the entrance that you are a volunteer to pick up wreaths and you will permitted to enter the cemetery.  Dress for the weather. You may want to bring a rake or long pole to help carry a number of wreaths to dumpsters provided by the cemetery. If you have questions or need additional information, contact the Society's Wreath Project Coordinator, Wayne Hanson at driftabit@aol.com.  Thanks for your help in December, now let's finish the job!  CLICK HERE to see map.

Georgia State Society Hockey: Save the Date Feb. 2

To purchase tickets, visit http://capstickets.com/georgia.html.  If you have questions, send an email to georgiastatesociety@gamail.com.

Where are they now? 1961 Queen Betsy Howard

  Pictured at left is Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson dancing with Cherry Blossom Queen Betsy Howard at the 1961 Cherry Blossom Ball. Betsy was the Kentucky Cherry Blossom Princess when the Wheel of Fortune landed on her state.  Vice President Johnson and his wife Lady Bird Johnson were big supporters of the Cherry Blossom Festival when he served as Vice President from 1961 to 1963 and later as President of the United States from 1963 to 1969. His daughter, Linda Bird Johnson, was the Texas Cherry Blossom Princess in 1962.  When he was Senate Majority Leader in 1955, LBJ also served as president of the Texas State Society.  Mrs. Johnson planted a new flowering cherry tree on the Tidal Basin in 1965 just a few yards from the first tree planted by First Lady Mrs. William Howard Taft in 1912.

At that time in NCSS history, an elaborate silk cape was worn by the Queen at the ball that partially covers Betsy's face in this photo.  The Mikimoto Crown then was used in an outdoor ceremony after the ball on National Park Service land so the general public could see the crown and meet the Queen.  Betsy was crowned at that outdoor ceremony by Secretary of the Interior Stewart L. Udall.

A 2008 picture of Betsy is at left.  She raised two sons and now lives near Parkersburg, West Virginia. After she was queen, Betsy Howard was very active for many years with the Kentucky Society. Today Betsy lives in Vienna, West Virginia.  Betsy wrote to NCSS today that she plans to come back to Washington, DC to join other former princesses for the 60th Anniversary Princess Program Cherry Blossom Ball on Friday, April 11 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.  Keep checking this site during February for more details on tickets to the ball, the Congressional Reception, and news about other NCSS and Cherry Blossom Festival events such as the Lantern Lighting Ceremony and Concert on the Tidal Basin on Sunday, April 6th and the Parade of the National Cherry Blossom Festival on Saturday, April 12 followed by the Sakura Matsuri street festival.

Where are they now? 2001 Queen Affie Burnside

Affie Burnside, the 2001 U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen, gave birth to her first child, a girl, two weeks ago.  Affie and her husband live in Wyoming.  When she was in Washington, DC, Affie worked for the late U.S. Senator Craig Thomas and was the Wyoming Cherry Blossom Princess when the wheel of fortune landed on her state. Affie, a Navajo, was the first native American to become the U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen.  She travelled to Japan in May 2001 and presented former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi with letters from President George W. Bush, former Wyoming Gov. Jim Geringer, and Kelsey A. Begayehe, former President of the Navajo Nation.

This year NCSS is celebrating the 60th Anniversary of the Cherry Blossom Princess Program that began in 1948.  State Societies are supposed to submit their nominees for state cherry blossom princess by January 31 to NCSS President Lourdes Barrett.  Click on princess application at right or CLICK HERE for instructions and application papers.  The National Cherry Blossom Festival week for the princess program runs from the Lantern Ceremony and Concert on Sunday, April 6 to the parade and Sakura Matsuri Festival on Saturday, April 12.

West Virginia State Society Reception Jan. 28

The West Virginia State Society of Washington, DC will host a reception for Members of Congress from West Virginia and society members and friends this coming Monday, Jan. 28, prior to the State of the Union Address, in Room B-338 of The Rayburn House Office Building from 6 pm to 8 pm.  If you are from West Virginia but now live in the national capital region, please come to meet your Congressional delegation and other friends and neighbors from West Virginia.  Please RSVP as soon as possible to wvsociety@gmail.com.

Arizona Society Coffee Chat is Feb. 7

Happy New Year to Arizonans now living in the national capital region of DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Please take note of the dates for two society events below. The State Society of Arizona will sponsor a coffee chat for members with Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, pictured at left, on Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am in The U.S. Capitol Room HC-7.  Please send a response to rsvp@azstatesociety.org if you plan to attend.  We will announce nominations for the Board of  Directors at the Coffee Chat.  Please save the date of Tuesday, Feb. 12 for the Annual Meeting and Election of Officers will be held from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Chef Geoff's Downtown Restaurant at 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW.  PLEASE CLICK HERE to see map and directions.

Food and drinks will be provided for members paid up to date with 2008 dues. If you want to pay your dues online, please visit http://www.azstatesociety.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=36.  Planning has begun for the Route 66 Inaugural Ball, so if you are interested in sponsoring please contact katie@azstatesociety.org.  If you have other questions, please email them to info@azstatesociety.org or visit our web site by clicking on the Arizona state flag in the left-hand column of this page.

Margaret Webber Visitation is Jan. 23

  Margaret Webber, former president of the Massachusetts State Society of Washington, DC and wife of former NCSS President, Capt. Kent Webber, USN, Ret., passed away on Thursday, January 17.  One year ago Margaret was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.  She was 68. Although the funeral will not be until Feb. 25 due to burial schedules at Arlington National Cemetery, there will be visitation hours on Wednesday, Jan. 23, from 2 until 4 pm and from 6 until 8 pm at the Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home and Chapel, 1500 West Braddock Road, Alexandria, VA 22302. The phone is 703-998-9200.  PLEASE CLICK HERE to see map.  Or, CLICK HERE to see funeral home web site directions.

Margaret and Kent Webber met and married in Rhode Island in 1968 and their first home was in Cohasset, Massachusetts where they lived for 15 years. They had lived in Vienna, Virginia for the last 25 years.  Margaret was past Commander of the Northern Virginia Chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars.  She received several awards for patriotic service from MMOWW and from the Sons of the American Revolution.  She also served as Area II Director for the Reserve Officers Ladies Association. In addition to her husband and former NCSS President Kent Webber, Margaret is survived by two daughters, Kristin Webber-Moore of Cartharpin, Va. and Kendra Parames Mokaves of Annandale, Va.; son Stephen S. Webber of Rixeyville, Va.; brother Max Austin of Tifton, Ga.; and two grandchildren--Dustin and Jesse Webber-Moore.  Funeral services will be Monday, Feb. 25 at the Old Post Chapel at Fort Myer, Va at 3 pm with internment at Arlington National Cemetery.

Because of the support of the ALS Association, Margaret's family recommends that anyone wishing to make a donation in memory of Margaret may do so by contacting the ALS Association DC/MD/VA Chapter at 7507 Standish Place in Rockville, Md.  CLICK HERE to see web site.  Condolences for Margaret's family may be mailed to Capt. Kent Webber, USN, Ret. at 9405 Delancey Drive, Vienna, Va. 22182 (phone: 703-938-8141) or by email to kwebber2@csc.com.