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On May 17, 2008 women of all ages gathered to pay respect to the pioneers and to install new Daughters of Utah Pioneers (DUP) camp captains. The captain oversees the workings of the individual camps that meet once a month. "Nearly every camp got new captains. Camps used to be designated by where you live but now you can join any camp you would like to," says Diane Butler, 1st Vice President on the Utah South Center Company Board.
There is a misconception that you need to be older to join DUP. That is not true. In fact anyone can join. "It doesn't matter what your religion, age, race, or ethnic background is, we would love for people to join. There are no boundaries on it," says Butler. DUP is for any woman who enjoys history and research into history.
There are two types of people in DUP, a member and an associate. A member is a person who has ancestors that lived in Utah before the 1869 railroad. A member has the opportunity to hold office within DUP. An associate is a person who doesn't have ancestors that lived in Utah before the 1869 railroad.¬ They benefit from all the same resources as a member, they just may not hold an ffice position.
The Daughters of the Utah Pioneers accomplish much each year. Recently, they raised $32,000 that will go towards the renovation of the Pioneer Cemetery. To help raise the other $8,000 needed they are compiling all their recipes into a cookbook that will be sold to the public during Fiesta Days. The group also sells quilts and will have host a bazaar during Fiesta Days.
Once a month the DUP camps will meet to have a 20 minute lesson and a 15 minute story about a member's pioneer heritage. One member once shared a story of a couple, married for only a year, traveling across the plains. The wife was pregnant and went into labor at the Sweet Water River. The infant didn't draw one breath when she was born¬ The wife refused to bury her baby girl in the ground and used a hired man's fringe jacket to tie the baby in. The husband then put their baby in a tree nearby. The next day the wagons began their journey once again. Before they left the wife wanted her husband to check that their baby was still in the tree and no harm had come to it. When the husband went to the tree he heard a baby's cry. Miraculously, the baby was alive. The husband took the baby back to his wife and they continued on their journey.
If you would like to join DUP you may contact Afton Howard at (801)798-0356 or Diane Butler at (801)798-9016. |
