It was a dark and stormy night when the unthinkable happened! Well, maybe not quite so dark and stormy...it is May in Florida, after all.

The 5 Daughters had been working on the May 2011 program since January wanting to give retiring Regent, Cheryl Field, a spectacular send-off. We were all acquainted with each other, but didn't know each other very well. Over the months, we were starting to form friendships. All that remained to do was to rehearse in the Meeting Room at the Fleming Island Library. A piece of cake, right?!!!!

Not.

Upon arrival at the meeting room, we discovered the library had doubled booked the room. Thankfully, prospective member, Chris Bass, the Library's genealogist, volunteered to take her group into the Genealogy Room. We were on our way!!!!!

Not.

After the arrival of all 5 Daughters, Cindy, Betty, Allison, Mary, Sue Ann, we had technical difficulties with our boom box. The CD of music wouldn't play. Allison and her HODAR to the rescue...they met half-way to get her boom box. Ya'ay!

Not.

More technical difficulties, this boom box wouldn't play the CD either. Horrors!!!!! The last meeting of our very popular outgoing Regent, who'd led the Chapter through thick and thin for 4 long years, was going to be a disaster.

(Wringing of hands, gnashing of teeth, oh, no, oh, no, OH, NO !!!!!!! )

We then reached deep inside ourselves to find a solution that would have made our Patriot ancestors proud. By this time, it really was getting dark, but still not stormy.

Yes, our May Rehearsal Hall really drove to the rescue by Sue Ann. After we loaded the CD into the CD Player, and it worked, and we began to cheer and sing...after a little while, it hit us as to how ridiculous it all was. We started to giggle, and giggle, and giggle some more. Mary produced a camera right about the time Cindy wished we had a camera, and then we giggled some more. Mary took a few pictures.

We sang on...we got to the National Anthem, and people walking by started singing along with us, and applauding! We giggled some more. Chris Bass's meeting was over, she was leaving the library, came over to us, incredulous, and we "volunteered" her to take our picture after explaining our technical difficulties -- especially after she'd given up the room for us.

We decided 20 years from now, we would look back on this evening, the 5 of us, and laugh, laugh, laugh. It's not been 20 years, just 2 months, and we are all laughing already.

And THIS is what DAR is all about...in the spirit of the indomitable fortitude of our Ancestors, we took a near disaster and turned it into a treasured memory; and, in so doing, formed the bonds of friendship among 5 wonderful Daughters of the American Revolution.

And now, you know the rest of the story.