Local teen addresses De Anza Daughters

With courage reflecting her ancestry and confidence befitting a Scout, 16-year-old Brittany Pain, student at La Costa Canyon High School, educated her elders in a power point presentation on the topic of “Earliest People Along the San Dieguito Coast — Who Were They and Where Are Their Descendants Today?” The monthly luncheon meeting of the De Anza Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution March was held March 2 at Lomas Santa Fe Country Club.

Brittany’s mother, Betsy Pain, a De Anza Chapter member, and grandmother, Marti Meiners, De Anza 1st Vice Regent, were in the audience — three generations of daughters descended from John King, a soldier from Georgia who fought in the American Revolution. Brittany is a member of the Red, White, and Blue Society, Children of the American Revolution, and her brothers, David and Clark Pain, are Sons of the American Revolution.

Brittany is also a member of the Senior Girl Scout Troop 1288. She is currently working on her Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest achievement in Girl Scouting. The award challenges girls to tackle a community problem sustainable for the future.

“Evidence of the original inhabitants on the San Dieguito coast has been found in local archaeological excavations,” Brittany said. “The Harris site, along the San Dieguito River in Rancho Santa Fe, shows evidence of early people in the area around 9,000 years ago.” Two skeletons found in the bluffs above La Jolla show evidence of early inhabitants as far back as 10,000 years ago. Those remains are among the oldest found in North America.

Brittany’s interest in the early history of native inhabitants of San Diego County was inspired by her mother, archeologist and professor Betsy Pain, who took Brittany on her field research in the area.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890. Its members are descended from patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. With more than 165,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world’s largest and most active service organizations. Any woman 18 years or older who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership. De Anza Chapter members live in the North County coastal communities from Carmel Valley to Carlsbad. For more information, call Laurel Lemarié, 858-756-2835, or visit www.deanzadar.org.