History of the Society
Descendants of Cape Cod and the Islands (DCCI) came about through a discussion on 17 May 2015 between Shari Kelley Worrell, Heather Welty Speas and Kimberly Ormsby Nagy, MD, with regards to the possible reorganization of the hereditary society, Sons and Daughters of Nantucket.
Within a week of that discussion, a new lineage group had emerged with a founding board in place: Sharyn “Shari” Kelley Worrell (President General), Timothy C. Finton (1st Vice President General), Grace Bliss Smith, Ph.D. (2nd Vice President General), Sarah “Sally” Wood Hlavay (Recording Secretary General), Judith Haddock Swan (Corresponding Secretary General), Eric Jon Nielsen, M.D. (Treasurer General), Heather Welty Speas (Chaplain General), Kimberly Ormsby Nagy, M.D. (Registrar General), Karen Avery Miller (Historian General), John Bourne (Parliamentarian General), Matthew Stiles Bowdish, M.D. (Insignia Chairman) and Mary Elizabeth Johnson (Webmistress).
Once the Founding Board was in place, a very active e-mail interaction ensued. One of the first decisions to be made was whether the scope of honoring only Nantucket descendants was too limited. It was decided to expand the ancestral area to encompass all of Cape Cod along with Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Elizabeth Islands. Karen Avery Miller suggested the new inclusive name of the society.
The new society quickly established bylaws and articles of incorporation (the fee personally paid by the twelve founding officers), an application form, brochure and other necessary forms. Founding member Mary Elizabeth Johnson designed and personally funded the initial start of the society website, www.descapecodandislands.org (address no longer active).
A Facebook page (www.facebook.com/groups/498592186958691/) was established by the Founder on 29 May 2015.
The society was officially organized in the state of Illinois on 10 June 2015. Invitations to charter membership were electronically distributed to prospective members. The first charter member, David Grinnell, was approved on 17 June 2015. Registrar General Nagy approved 100 members during the chartering period, 17 June - 21 December 2015. Also during this time, President General Worrell appointed the following: David Allen Lambert (Advisor), Leslie J. Steuben (Bylaws Chairman) and Susan Young Gray (Financial Reviewer).
Marcia and Stan Weber, of Weber Products, Inc., Illinois, bestowed the gift of a beautiful engraved gavel upon the society.
The Society became an IRS Sec. 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity on 6 Jul 2015.
The Founder, Shari Kelley Worrell, in conjunction with the Executive Board and CityPride, Ltd, of Jenkintown, PA designed the society’s insignia. The first order was placed with the official jeweler on 22 July 2015.
The society’s newsletter was created by Grace Bliss Smith, Ph.D. and premiered September 2015. Its name was chosen by a vote of the Executive Board from member suggestions. David Medeiros submitted the selected title, The Lighthouse.
Embossed membership certificates were designed and Bayport Printing was chosen as the printer and Gail Van Horn as the calligrapher. The first project of the society was the decision to offer for sale note cards and poster prints of Cape Cod Lighthouses by Bev (Mueller) Schreiber (1948-2014). Mrs. Schreiber was well known for her limited edition prints depicting a collage of lighthouses, which during her career were produced on a wide variety of gift items. The society was offered the privilege of acquiring the last of her note card and poster inventory of the Cape Cod design for resale. The preservation fund for the Highland Light (oldest and tallest lighthouse on Cape Cod), located in North Truro, MA, was selected as the recipient of proceeds from the sale of these items. DCCI made its first donation of $250 on 17 November 2015.
Grace Bliss Smith, Ph.D. published the Society’s first membership directory.
In August 2016, Eric Jon Nielsen, MD, resigned his office as Treasurer General, due to his health. Susan Young Gray was appointed Treasurer General, Melissa Harrison Fischer was appointed Financial Reviewer and Eric Jon Nielsen, MD was appointed an Advisor.
The Inaugural Annual Membership Meeting, arrangements made by Timothy C. Finton, was the weekend of 28-30 October 2016 at The Dan’l Webster Inn in Sandwich, MA. The society planned to hold their annual events each October/November on Cape Cod and/or the Islands.
The second Annual Meeting was held 3-5 Nov 2017 in Brewster, MA.
The third Annual meeting was held 2-4 Nov 2018 in Chatham, MA. Grace Bliss Smith, PhD was voted as DCCI’s second President General. Due to Smith’s involvement with another lineage group celebrating it’s 400th anniversary it was voted to meet for one year with the New England groups in 2019.
The fourth Annual Meeting was held in Warwick, RI, with the New England groups the weekend of 11-13 Oct 2019.
The fifth Annual Meeting was cancelled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. A Zoom meeting was held on 8 Nov 2020 to conduct DCCI business, which included electing and installing our third President General, Sally Wood Hlavay.
In July 2021 a new website (https://desccapecodandislands.weebly.com) was created by Leslie Kirk. It went live on 29 Jul 2021 to very favorable reviews.
The membership currently stands at 180 members from 36 states and 3 countries (USA, Canada and England) and continues to grow. The states with the most members are Illinois - 16; Massachusetts – 16; California – 12.
Shari Kelley Worrell, Founder
30 Jul 2021
Within a week of that discussion, a new lineage group had emerged with a founding board in place: Sharyn “Shari” Kelley Worrell (President General), Timothy C. Finton (1st Vice President General), Grace Bliss Smith, Ph.D. (2nd Vice President General), Sarah “Sally” Wood Hlavay (Recording Secretary General), Judith Haddock Swan (Corresponding Secretary General), Eric Jon Nielsen, M.D. (Treasurer General), Heather Welty Speas (Chaplain General), Kimberly Ormsby Nagy, M.D. (Registrar General), Karen Avery Miller (Historian General), John Bourne (Parliamentarian General), Matthew Stiles Bowdish, M.D. (Insignia Chairman) and Mary Elizabeth Johnson (Webmistress).
Once the Founding Board was in place, a very active e-mail interaction ensued. One of the first decisions to be made was whether the scope of honoring only Nantucket descendants was too limited. It was decided to expand the ancestral area to encompass all of Cape Cod along with Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and Elizabeth Islands. Karen Avery Miller suggested the new inclusive name of the society.
The new society quickly established bylaws and articles of incorporation (the fee personally paid by the twelve founding officers), an application form, brochure and other necessary forms. Founding member Mary Elizabeth Johnson designed and personally funded the initial start of the society website, www.descapecodandislands.org (address no longer active).
A Facebook page (www.facebook.com/groups/498592186958691/) was established by the Founder on 29 May 2015.
The society was officially organized in the state of Illinois on 10 June 2015. Invitations to charter membership were electronically distributed to prospective members. The first charter member, David Grinnell, was approved on 17 June 2015. Registrar General Nagy approved 100 members during the chartering period, 17 June - 21 December 2015. Also during this time, President General Worrell appointed the following: David Allen Lambert (Advisor), Leslie J. Steuben (Bylaws Chairman) and Susan Young Gray (Financial Reviewer).
Marcia and Stan Weber, of Weber Products, Inc., Illinois, bestowed the gift of a beautiful engraved gavel upon the society.
The Society became an IRS Sec. 501(c)(3) tax-exempt entity on 6 Jul 2015.
The Founder, Shari Kelley Worrell, in conjunction with the Executive Board and CityPride, Ltd, of Jenkintown, PA designed the society’s insignia. The first order was placed with the official jeweler on 22 July 2015.
The society’s newsletter was created by Grace Bliss Smith, Ph.D. and premiered September 2015. Its name was chosen by a vote of the Executive Board from member suggestions. David Medeiros submitted the selected title, The Lighthouse.
Embossed membership certificates were designed and Bayport Printing was chosen as the printer and Gail Van Horn as the calligrapher. The first project of the society was the decision to offer for sale note cards and poster prints of Cape Cod Lighthouses by Bev (Mueller) Schreiber (1948-2014). Mrs. Schreiber was well known for her limited edition prints depicting a collage of lighthouses, which during her career were produced on a wide variety of gift items. The society was offered the privilege of acquiring the last of her note card and poster inventory of the Cape Cod design for resale. The preservation fund for the Highland Light (oldest and tallest lighthouse on Cape Cod), located in North Truro, MA, was selected as the recipient of proceeds from the sale of these items. DCCI made its first donation of $250 on 17 November 2015.
Grace Bliss Smith, Ph.D. published the Society’s first membership directory.
In August 2016, Eric Jon Nielsen, MD, resigned his office as Treasurer General, due to his health. Susan Young Gray was appointed Treasurer General, Melissa Harrison Fischer was appointed Financial Reviewer and Eric Jon Nielsen, MD was appointed an Advisor.
The Inaugural Annual Membership Meeting, arrangements made by Timothy C. Finton, was the weekend of 28-30 October 2016 at The Dan’l Webster Inn in Sandwich, MA. The society planned to hold their annual events each October/November on Cape Cod and/or the Islands.
The second Annual Meeting was held 3-5 Nov 2017 in Brewster, MA.
The third Annual meeting was held 2-4 Nov 2018 in Chatham, MA. Grace Bliss Smith, PhD was voted as DCCI’s second President General. Due to Smith’s involvement with another lineage group celebrating it’s 400th anniversary it was voted to meet for one year with the New England groups in 2019.
The fourth Annual Meeting was held in Warwick, RI, with the New England groups the weekend of 11-13 Oct 2019.
The fifth Annual Meeting was cancelled due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. A Zoom meeting was held on 8 Nov 2020 to conduct DCCI business, which included electing and installing our third President General, Sally Wood Hlavay.
In July 2021 a new website (https://desccapecodandislands.weebly.com) was created by Leslie Kirk. It went live on 29 Jul 2021 to very favorable reviews.
The membership currently stands at 180 members from 36 states and 3 countries (USA, Canada and England) and continues to grow. The states with the most members are Illinois - 16; Massachusetts – 16; California – 12.
Shari Kelley Worrell, Founder
30 Jul 2021
Previous Meetings
Inaugural October 28-30, 2016 - Sandwich, MA
2nd Annual Meeting November 3-5, 2017 - Brewster, MA
3rd Annual Meeting November 2-4, 2018 - Chatham, MA
4th Annual Meeting October 11-13, 2019 - Warwick, RI
5th Annual Meeting 2020 cancelled due to Covid
2nd Annual Meeting November 3-5, 2017 - Brewster, MA
3rd Annual Meeting November 2-4, 2018 - Chatham, MA
4th Annual Meeting October 11-13, 2019 - Warwick, RI
5th Annual Meeting 2020 cancelled due to Covid
Beverly (Bev) Schreiber*, world-renowned artist was born in Rolling Meadows, IL, a suburb of Chicago on June 11, 1948. Throughout her early years in school, she took any and all art classes available. Summer school at the Chicago Art Institute further intensified her fascination with drawing and painting. While attending the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater for two years, Bev took a variety of art courses. Love and marriage may have ended her scholastic pursuit, but not her desire to become a working artist. While living in Wisconsin, her first son, Tim, was born. Bev also taught and produced original creative stitchery pictures for several years, but soon returned to the drawing and painting she always loved. Detailed drawings of local Victorian houses, old barns and train stations soon were the subjects of choice. When Bev and her family moved back to Illinois in 1976, she refined her technique into the detailed pen and ink with watercolor washes that became a more architectural study of the buildings. Being a very detail-oriented artist, Bev personally traveled to photograph 90% of the subjects she painted. She considered all this travel one of the 'perks' of her career. She once said, "Any time spent on any shore and by any lighthouse is my idea of a great time!"
The family moved to Washington State in 1978, where a second son, Michael, was born. Bev's newfound interest in lighthouses became her passion. In 1997, with her sons now grown and recently widowed, Bev moved her studio cross-country to Connecticut in pursuit of new markets and the ability to visit a multitude of lighthouses geographically much closer together. But in 2006, her longing for family, friends, and the Pacific Northwest drew her back to Washington, where she settled in Everett.
During her 40+ year career, Bev exhibited her artwork at arts and craft shows in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and East Coast - winning many awards along the way. During her lifetime, she visited hundreds of lighthouses all around the world. She had many one-woman shows and her artwork hung in public, private and business collections. In her ‘spare time’, Bev wrote a monthly art show review column for a national artists magazine, taught special art classes in elementary schools in three states, and gave slide show presentations on the lighthouses of Washington state. She served on the Snohomish Arts Council and was featured on the PBS series "Legendary Lighthouses”. Bev expanded her selection of laminated lighthouse bookmarks to more than 40 designs, which featured lighthouses from all USA coastal areas. She served on the Mukilteo Historical Society Board and was an active volunteer at the Mukilteo Light Station.
Bev lost her courageous battle with cancer on March 9, 2014 in Everett, WA. She was an inspiration to the thousands of annual visitors to the Light Station as well as the other volunteers because of her knowledge and passion for lighthouses.
(Information from the Mukilteo Historical Society website)
*Bev and the DCCI Founder, Shari Kelley Worrell, attended high school together. Upon Bev’s death her son, Michael, donated prints and note cards to our Society with the understanding all proceeds would benefit the preservation of lighthouses. Our Society chose Highland Light as it is the oldest lighthouse on Cape Cod. As a talented artist and good person, we are honored to help keep Bev’s legacy alive.
The family moved to Washington State in 1978, where a second son, Michael, was born. Bev's newfound interest in lighthouses became her passion. In 1997, with her sons now grown and recently widowed, Bev moved her studio cross-country to Connecticut in pursuit of new markets and the ability to visit a multitude of lighthouses geographically much closer together. But in 2006, her longing for family, friends, and the Pacific Northwest drew her back to Washington, where she settled in Everett.
During her 40+ year career, Bev exhibited her artwork at arts and craft shows in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest, and East Coast - winning many awards along the way. During her lifetime, she visited hundreds of lighthouses all around the world. She had many one-woman shows and her artwork hung in public, private and business collections. In her ‘spare time’, Bev wrote a monthly art show review column for a national artists magazine, taught special art classes in elementary schools in three states, and gave slide show presentations on the lighthouses of Washington state. She served on the Snohomish Arts Council and was featured on the PBS series "Legendary Lighthouses”. Bev expanded her selection of laminated lighthouse bookmarks to more than 40 designs, which featured lighthouses from all USA coastal areas. She served on the Mukilteo Historical Society Board and was an active volunteer at the Mukilteo Light Station.
Bev lost her courageous battle with cancer on March 9, 2014 in Everett, WA. She was an inspiration to the thousands of annual visitors to the Light Station as well as the other volunteers because of her knowledge and passion for lighthouses.
(Information from the Mukilteo Historical Society website)
*Bev and the DCCI Founder, Shari Kelley Worrell, attended high school together. Upon Bev’s death her son, Michael, donated prints and note cards to our Society with the understanding all proceeds would benefit the preservation of lighthouses. Our Society chose Highland Light as it is the oldest lighthouse on Cape Cod. As a talented artist and good person, we are honored to help keep Bev’s legacy alive.
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