How to Join DAR
Insight from a decade plus chapter officer
I joined DAR 15 years ago. My grandmother was a member and I loved hearing stories about her “lunches with the ladies”. Also, genealogy has been an interest of mine for as long as I can remember, so when I met the local chapter’s Regent at an art class I felt like the universe was telling me it was time. I did have fun at the lunches, and planning which local non-profits to fundraise for, and discussing genealogy databases and brickwalls.
I had only been a member for about a year when the Treasurer died unexpectedly. With my experience in certain business aspects, I was asked to step up and help. It meant an officer position on the Executive Board of the chapter. Which isn’t all that exciting for a small chapter like the one I joined. And it’s usually only for a term or two (3-6 years), so I thought why not.
It’s been more than 13 years. And this year is finally my last because the transitional period the chapter has been going through seems to be coming to an end and someone is able to step in and fill the void I’ll be leaving (that’s what the other daughters are calling it, I think it’s just time). But I have signed a lot of potential member applications over the years. And signed a lot of new member application checks to the National Society. So I want to offer you a little more insight into how to join DAR than the 1-minute videos I’ve been doing over at YouTube.
What is DAR?
DAR stands for Daughters of the American Revolution. It’s technically National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR). It was founded in 1890 by women whose fathers fought in the Revolutionary War against England (real daughters)1 or whose grandfathers fought. It was an answer to the men’s organizations that excluded them. The National Society is owner of Constitution Hall - said to be the only structure erected in tribute to the United States Constitution. They also own Memorial Continental Hall where the annual convention (Continental Congress) now takes place. That women owned property of their own was a step forward in the 1920s and one celebrated by the organization.
NSDAR is both a genealogical society and service organization. As a service organization, DAR is dedicated to education, historic preservation, and patriotism, including veterans. My local chapter focuses on the Good Citizens program, which awards scholarships to graduating high school seniors, small veterans service projects, literacy by managing a local Little Free Library, and local volunteerism, though we do try to have a conservation program each year and regularly collect for the food pantry.
As a genealogical society, membership in DAR requires an applicant meet certain criteria. They must be a woman with a direct lineage to a Patriot from the Revolutionary War according to the vital records.
What is a Patriot?
A Patriot is someone who fought for or supported the Continental Army against the British in the American Revolution. Once their service has been proven, they are called a DAR Ancestor and given a designation starting with #A followed by a number.
The exact definition of “service” in this context has changed over the years. It of course includes anyone who was actually in the army. The Society now allows anyone who provided money or goods for the cause to be considered as an ancestor. But if the last act on record was helping the British, they are no longer considered acceptable for the lineage requirement. These are constantly being re-assessed based on new records, databases, and information. The DAR Library in Washington, DC has a massive collection and is always adding digitized family Bibles and other records to their collections.
So the first step is to find your Patriot. Then you check whether they’re already a DAR Ancestor. If they are, you can use them. If they aren’t, you’ll have to work with the National Society to “prove their service”.
What is the Structure of the Organization?
When you join DAR, you are becoming a member of the National Society. But it’s huge with chapters worldwide. So a lot of the member work is at the state and local level. When you join as a regular member of a chapter, you’re not just joining that chapter, you’re also joining the state organization they are part of (and everyone is part of the National Society). For those who don’t want to be part of a local or state organization, there is the member-at-large option. I’m not as familiar with that, and what I’ve seen is you join through a chapter first then the State organization signs off on you becoming a member-at-large. You can contact NSDAR to ask about it if that interests you.
How Do I Apply to DAR?
You’ll want to find your local chapter. They’ll put your lineage into the application template and double-check that you have all of the supporting documentation. The easiest thing is to have someone in your line who was already a member. Then you just have to prove your link to them. And over the years NSDAR has changed how stringent their genealogical reporting needs to be. Right now, I know they want proof of birth, marriage, and death for every person in the first 3 generations. So you’ll want your birth certificate, your parent’s birth certificates, their marriage certificate (if there is one), and the certificates for the grandparents that are in the line to your ancestor. At the very least.
There is also an application fee. It is currently $75. You also have to pay first year’s dues at the time of applying, which are refunded if the application is rejected at a 2-year limit of correcting errors. NSDAR just raised their dues to $52. But State organization and Chapter dues also have to be paid to be a regular member. And those vary (you pay the chapter, the chapter divvies out the dues to the appropriate parties). That’s why it’s important to find your local chapter and work with them on the application. 1) You can ask what it’s going to cost you - because dues are paid every year to retain membership. 2) You can determine whether their service goals align with yours or if you should possibly apply through a different chapter.
So the Chapter Registrar compiles and prints your application, she signs it, you and the Chapter Regent sign it, two chapter members acknowledge in writing that it’s been signed by you (or it’s notarized), and it’s sent off to the Registrar in DC for review and approval by the staff genealogists. If there are errors, the chapter is notified and you can supply the missing documents.
Once that is done and it gets the stamp of approval, the Board of Management “votes” on your acceptance into the Society and issues a National Number. (The Board meets monthly nearly every month and the vote is mostly ceremonial.) The National Number is your member number forever. If you ever get dropped for not paying dues or resign your membership2 you can rejoin later without redoing the application.
Alternatives to Applying
If you want to get involved with DAR but don’t want to go through the application process, or can’t find a Patriot Ancestor, there are still programs and projects you can be a part of. Local chapters are always in need of volunteers to help with fundraising, service projects, presentations at schools, and other community projects. You can reach out to your local chapter and ask about their program schedule or where they need help. If they don’t have anything that interests you, try another chapter. Each one is made up of different people and has different goals.
If you have any questions, the comments are open.
I know you’re doing the math in your head. The Revolutionary War was approximately 1775 to 1783. If a teenager fought and had kids as an older man, he could have had children until 1840ish. The Real Daughters were then likely in their 50s. Their biographical details are out there if you’re interested. Start with the link I embedded.
I’m resigning my membership at the end of this year. I think I’ve done a lot of good during my time in the chapter, but my focus is shifting to other things.