STONEHENGE CHAPTER DBE – ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2025

On February 9, 2025, four members from Ascot Chapter, Round Rock, met in New Braunfels with State Organizer Mandy Bunger and State Treasurer Rilla Chaka, to organize a new chapter in the San Antonio – New Braunfels – San Marcos area. We agreed on our chapter name—Stonehenge—and motto—Togetherness through Caring; we elected our officers, and we decided our meeting day and time would be 11:30am on the 3rd Saturday of the month.

We were approved by the National Board and received our Charter before the end of February, at which time we selected our delegates to attend the State Annual Council Meeting in San Angelo in March. Unable to attend in person, our delegates signed proxies which were given to Ascot Chapter to present in our stead.

We met a total of 7 times during the year, alternating the site between members’ homes in San Antonio and New Braunfels. As a new chapter, we’re not expected to do any major fund-raising, but we did discuss several ideas for building our treasury. We began with the ‘starter’ gift from the State Board, which was supplemented with monthly chapter raffles, and by joining Ascot Chapter’s Painting with a Purpose fund-raiser. In the future, we plan to give 100% the funds we raise to 501c3 organizations that serve the elderly, these being the DBE Western District Home, the DBE Mid-western District Home, and a local home (we have several under discussion).

Regent Valerie Ryan attended the National Council Meeting in Philadelphia in May as a delegate for the State of Texas. She then joined State President Shirley Coe and other DBE members in attending the UK citizenship ceremony conducted by British Consul General Sujeevan Satheesan and his wife Krupa at his residence in Houston on May 8. At this ceremony, President Coe pinned Krupa as Honorary President for DBE in the State of Texas, and donated Mountbatten House memorabilia to the Consulate.

In June, chapter members Jean Glauser (and her daughter Katrina) and Valerie Ryan participated in Ascot Chapter’s Painting with a Purpose, raising almost $60 for Stonehenge in our only major fundraiser for the year.

In November, Regent Valerie Ryan helped in Commonwealth Lilies Chapter’s Tea Room at the annual Houston area Bazaar.

Our chapter felt we were too new and too small for a Christmas gift exchange, but we finished 2025 with 7 members, and high hopes for increasing our membership in 2026 and having a fun-filled year of charity work.

Tania de Kieweit, her daughter Emma (guest, potential member?), Sandra Grant, Annette Hoffman, Jean Glauser, Valerie Ryan (1-17-26)

Jean Glauser and Annette Hoffman receiving Years of Service pins on January 17, 2026

our signed and framed Chapter charter

donating the MBH money: Sherwood Forest regent Janet Ludwig, me for Stonehenge, Margaret Paynter for Ascot

donating the MBH money to AGE of Central Texas - showing their logo and our DBE badge

Valerie Ryan pinning Tania de Keiweit as a new member

meeting last fall: Valerie Menezes, Valerie Ryan, Sandra Grant, Annette Hoffman, Jean Glauser

photo of the chinaware we raffled for our first fundraiser ($390)

collection of pix of Valerie Ryan pinning new members Valerie Menezes and Maureen Ringer, and Sandra Grant getting her years of service pin. This was in March 2026.

a copy of the news clipping from our local paper, the New Braunfels Herald Zeitung April 5, 2026 page 3B

from our meeting on May 16, from left to right our Valerie Menezes, Jean Glauser, Winnie Benson, Annette Hoffman, Maureen Ringer. Taken in Winnie’s garden.