natchez — Laurie Crowson of Hattiesburg, the president of the Mississippi State Society of the Colonial Dames; Ruby Dickerson of Natchez, president of the Gov. George Harlan Chapter Colonial Dames XVII Century and Ann Thornhill of Natchez, third vice president general of the National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century were in attendance at the July 17 chapter meeting in the Queen’s Room at the Carriage House in Natchez.

Thornhill gave a greeting from the national society and updated the local chapter on improvements at the national head quarters.

Those improvements include new copper plumbing and upgrades to the library.

Crowson outlined her theme and state projects. Her theme for her administration is “to zealously maintian high principles of virtue, courage and patriotism.”

Her state projects include promoting membership, marking and preserving historic sites, publishing “Mississippi Dames and their Ancestors” and organizing state and chapter histores to prepare for the 50th state anniversary in 2015.

The first historic marking by the Mississippi state society was done in the Natchez area at Kingston United Methodist Church in memory of the Rev. Samuel Swayze.