The Eleanor White Dare Chapter, Colonial Dames 17th Century held its winter meeting on Dec. 1 at Historic Whitakers Chapel, 13 Bridges Road, Enfield.

The chapel located in the Whitakertown  community is still centrally located among the 5 remaining plantation homes that have been restored.  

The chapel offered spiritual, educational and moral stability to the neighborhood. The chapel was first an Anglican place of worship and was taken over by the Methodist Society in 1776.  

Bishop Francis Asbury visited the chapel 3 times. The Methodist reform movement was strong in Halifax County in the 1820s.  In 1828, 26 Methodist preachers, laymen and local preachers met in Whitakers Chapel and organized the N.C. Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church.  

The N.C. Conference met in Whitakers Chapel a total of six times.

The chapter meeting opened with a prelude of organ music by Chapel Organist, Mr. Charles Harris, owner and restorer of Delphi Plantation.  

Chapter President Mrs. Edward M. Strange, Great-granddaughter of Theodore Lucian Whitaker, and Ann Boyd Whitaker Bulloch, daughter of Lawrence and Martha Boyd Whitaker, welcomed everyone to the chapel on behalf of the Whitaker descendants.   

Mrs. Strange introduced the State Colonial Dames President Mrs. Annie Laurie Holland of Greensboro.

New members  were  welcomed: Mrs. Elizabeth Borum, Farmville;  Mrs. Sue McGlothlin of Louisburg;   associate member Mrs. Perrin Taylor,  Bracey, Virginia and visitor Kathy Jones of Rocky Mount.  

Chaplain Marguerite Whitley opened with the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States and the group sang the National Anthem accompanied by the organ.  

The American’s Creed was led by Margaret Barnes, Salute to the Colonial Dames Flag by Angela  Urquhart  and  the Object of Our Society was read  by Meg Cooke.  
Chapter minutes and Treasurer Report which had been approved at the earlier board meeting will be distributed at the next meeting.

Mrs. Barbara Tyson introduced the speaker Mr. Ron Jones from Greenville. A member of various historical societies including Halifax Resolves,  Sons of the American Revolution, General George Washington Chapter, SAR, Greenville, The Halifax Resolves Colonial Color Guard and the Halifax Resolves Speakers Bureau.

Mr. Jones  retired from United Health Systems. He was a systems engineer.  

A member of the Oakmont Baptist Church in Greenville he is involved in speaking on historic topics. His PowerPoint program  entitled “Christian Heritage of America’s Founding Fathers” led the members through the signers of the Declaration of Independence and their faiths.  

Jones’ remarks  regarding their faith in God or a Supreme Deity were supported by historic letters and journals and information from David Barton‘s  Wallbuilder.

Jones closed  with two points. First, America’s Founders were  Christians  and second, our founding fathers intended for the Bible and prayer to be part of the school curriculum.

Following the program, members were invited to Strawberry Hill Plantation, home of Mr. Robert Whitaker for a luncheon.