The Roanoke Valley Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) will hold its annual Prospective Member Open House on March 11.
The local DAR Chapter meets at St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church in Vinton, located on Hardy Road across from W.E. Cundiff Elementary School.
The open house begins at 10 a.m.
Regent Sharon Menzies says that the DAR, founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a “non-profit, non-political, volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children.”
The local chapter is celebrating its 55th year. The members are very active with many community service projects including making and delivering lap blankets for the Virginia Veterans Care Center, donating T-shirts and socks for the Veterans Hospital, supporting the Veterans Breakfast at W.E. Cundiff Elementary School, and sending care packages to members of the military deployed overseas.
The chapter also sponsors the annual DAR Good Citizen Award at William Byrd High School and the NSDAR JROTC medal awarded to a William Byrd Cadet.
Since 1903, the Society has been helping children in remote mountain areas receive an education. The DAR supports two schools in the Appalachian region– Kate Duncan Smith DAR School in Alabama, and Tamassee DAR School in South Carolina.
The Kate Duncan Smith School was founded in 1924 and serves 1,300 students in kindergarten through grade 12 covering an area of 100 square miles.
The Tamassee DAR School is a private, non-profit children’s home and family services organization offering multi-faceted programs. Those include seven child care homes serving up to 10 children, a middle school academy program, an AfterCare Program for reunified families and students enrolled in college or living independently, and a Day Care Program serving infants, toddler, and after-school children.
The NSDAR also funds Berry College in Georgia, the Crossnore School in North Carolina, the Hillside School in Massachusetts, and the Hindman Settlement School in Kentucky. The organization supports Bacone College in Oklahoma and the Chemawa Indian School in Oregon through its American Indians Committee.
Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership in the DAR.
Bring all direct line genealogy information and papers with you to be considered. Two chapter registrars will be at the meeting to advise those interested in becoming members.
