Lowcountry

Lowcountry Dames,

As the Chair of the NSCDA-SC Lowcountry Town Committee, those who are reading this I welcome you. We have a large and very active group of women dedicated to projects and activities that further our appreciation of our national heritage through historic preservation, patriotic service and educational projects. We have fun too with events planned throughout the year that allow our members to connect in a casual setting. The annual Christmas luncheon is enjoyed by Dames statewide and our most anticipated, the new Members Tea held each May at the home of a LC Dame. Young LC dames also hold events for members.

Our committee hosts events each October, January, March and May of each Dames year. Interesting speakers and programs are offered. The Lowcountry Ledger is published twice a year to inform our members of current LC events. Every other year we have a new member orientation for our new Dames members.

We are very proud of our Lowcountry project CCTI, Charleston Colonial Teachers Institute, which is offered each summer. Last year we were the recipient of a $20,000grant from SC 250 Commission and generous contributions from Lowcountry, Columbia, Greenville and Spartanburg town committees and Dames, the CCTI Committee was able to provide a successful and informative 3-hour graduate course through the College of Charleston. This course focuses on South Carolina's pivotal role in the American Revolution and is considered a stellar course for teacher education by the College of Charleston. 16 dedicated and enthusiastic South Carolina teachers from grades K-12 and various academic areas were able to participate in the CCTI course during June of 2025. The CCTI team through Rennie All's leadership worked tirelessly to provide onsite visits to Revolutionary War sites with presentations given by historical experts, Zoom meetings with historical experts and opportunities to glean valuable knowledge from primary and secondary sources. Teachers were able to create lesson plans and journals from this wealth of information. Outstanding lesson plans from these teachers are available on The Powder Magazine website.

With leftover SC 250 Commission grant money, CCTI was able to have Lowcountry Dame Elizabeth Brown and her company, Thesis Content, create a promotional video that beautifully captures the mission and impact of CCTI. The video can be viewed on The Powder Magazine website. The video was premiered for Lowcountry Dames at their January 2026 meeting. CCTI received a $15,000 grant from the SC 250 Commission for 20 tuition scholarships and limited housing for South Carolina public and charter schoolteachers in 2026. These teachers were able to take advantage of this wonderful 3-hour graduate course June 14-26, 2026. (Much of this information comes from LC Dame Ann DuPree.)

Lowcountry Dames, who are part of our Patriotic Service committee, conduct interviews for the Veterans History Project which are then submitted to the Library of Congress to archive, attend Naturalization ceremonies and promote the Congressional Essay Contest for local high school students. By far the biggest event of the year, and in 2026 in particular is Carolina Day. Dames carried several of our state’s beautiful and historic flags while other Dames marched with our group in celebration of the historic battle on Sullivan’s Island.

There are many other committees and activities, and we would love to have you become more involved. Reach out and let us plug you into the perfect LC Dames position, you won’t be sorry, we have a wonderful time supporting the NSCDA-SC mission. There is nothing like a Dame!

PHOTO Frances Henderson Ford
COMING Lowcountry Town Committee Chair 2025-2027
SOON