Mt. Diablo Chapter, NSDAR
Our namesake, Mt. Diablo, is important to the Bay Area. When California was first surveyed in 1851, Colonel Leander Ransom put the master base mark at the top of Mount Diablo. Land parcels in most of California and all of Nevada are names relating to the Mt. Diablo meridian and baseline. On a clear day, a view of Mt. Shasta can be seen from the top of Mt. Diablo. Mt. Shasta is about a three to four-hour drive from the Bay Area.
According to local legends, Mt. Diablo means "Devil's Thicket," referring to a grove of willows on the north side of the mountain thought to be inhabited by mischievous spirits. In 1806, Spanish soldiers were pursuing local Native Americans as part of the missionization. The natives hid in a thicket, and the Spaniards camped nearby intending to capture them in the morning. To the amazement of the watchful Spaniards, the Native Americans escaped during the night. The Spaniards attributed the clever escape to the help of the devil, thus naming the area "Monte del Diablo", meaning "thicket of the devil". English speakers later misinterpreted monte as mount or mountain.
The Mt. Diablo Chapter, NSDAR, was organized on January 18, 1961. We have over 145 members from all walks of life ranging from the ages of 18 to 90. Our meetings, though originally held in Danville, are now held in the Walnut Creek area. Meetings include a business meeting and a program. Attire is business casual. Please contact our chapter if you are interested in attending a chapter meeting.
Whether you are interested in attending meetings to visit with your friends, to hear our excellent speakers, or to take advantage of our numerous volunteer opportunities, you are more than welcome!
Many of our chapter members volunteer their time by participating in parades, doing data entry for the national organization, placing historic markers, documenting cemetery burial sites, supporting the DAR schools, and any number of other avenues that contribute to the objectives of the DAR.
Annually, the Mt. Diablo Chapter, NSDAR, awards DAR Good Citizens certificates and a scholarship to a qualifying local high school senior with citizenship qualities such as dependability, community service, and leadership. These students are recognized for their outstanding performances by their teachers and peers.
In addition to these local awards and scholarships, the chapter contributes money and coupons nationally to DAR schools for the underprivileged and several Native American schools.
The Mt. Diablo Chapter, NSDAR, is proud to be affiliated with the Captain Molly Corbin Society, Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R.). The C.A.R. founded on April 5, 1895, is an organization "for the training of young people in true patriotism and love of country.” C.A.R., the nation’s oldest, largest, patriotic youth organization, offers membership to both girls and boys under the age of 21. If you are interested in learning more about C.A.R. please contact the organization.
