Our Purpose
“Not ourselves but the cause”
2009 marks the 100TH anniversary of the Daughters of the British Empire in
the USA; one of the oldest service organizations of British women in the United States, and now a 501 (c)(3) Anglo-American
non-profit organization.
Founded in 1909 in New York, the organization quickly spread
throughout the US, and today has 240 chapters in 30 states. The organization’s founder, Josephine Langstaff, realized
that a group of dedicated, motivated British women living in a foreign country, united in a common cause, could be an enormous
power for good, both for themselves and for the communities in which they lived.
From the War Relief Fund days of WW1, through the provision
of ambulances and a mobile soup kitchen in WW11, the organization expanded its charitable mission into the establishment,
construction, maintenance, and endowment of four homes for the elderly in New York, Illinois, California and Texas. Today
these are recognized by their respective state certifying authorities as best practice examples of such institutions.
The Purpose of the DBE as it Enters it’s Second Century
The primary purpose of the DBE continues to be the support of four district homes for retired men and women
of all nationalities, ethnicities and religions who are residents and/or citizens of the United States.
The DBE in South Carolina supports the 24-room Southern District Home, Mountbatten
House, in Texas. Mountbatten House is a non-profit charity, providing affordable subsidized assisted living, in a caring
a secure environment, for needy seniors who can no longer live in their own homes and need assistance with daily living. Further
details available from www.mountbatten-house.com
A secondary purpose of the society is local philanthropy, and the promotion of
closer Anglo-American relations. Hence, the DBE in South Carolina is committed to making a difference through its participation
in, and support of, the local community.
At the same time another important goal remains
the provision of fellowship and friendship to new British immigrants into their communities.
