Submitted by ADeFrancesco on

Organizing Secretary General

Organizing Secretary General, Nancy Hemmrich

I had just returned to Nashville from Japan, where my husband was serving as an Air Force Officer, when my sister joined DAR.  She asked me if I would like to join the DAR and I said, “Sure!!”  (Now all you Genies are going to say "Oh, the Horrors" when I tell you that I joined DAR on a short form.  All that I had to provide was my birth certificate, my marriage license and my sister’s National number, and I was in!) My chapter was so welcoming that at the first meeting I attended as a member, they asked me to be Junior Membership Chairman.  I ordered Junior Membership items and sold them at the meetings.  I remember thinking that all those pins the ladies were wearing were kind of like the Girl Scout badges they had earned…and I needed to find out how to get some of those pins!

As a young wife and mother, DAR offered me another way to be of service in my community besides my church involvement. I mention all of this as an example of what all chapters need to do when a member joins.  First of all, be welcoming!  That means asking that new member to sit with you during the meeting and learn about her.  Next, get her involved on the chapter level and ask her to attend workshops and represent your chapter at State Conferences. Making new friends and feeling a part of this wonderful organization will ensure lifelong membership.

Now after all these years, I’m your Organizing Secretary General, and I just love it.  Membership is what we do in this office.  We have an outstanding staff to assist you with organizing new chapters, merging and unfortunately disbanding chapters, purchasing pins, chapter charters, years of membership certificates, magazine subscriptions, membership transfers, officers’ lists, and of course processing dues. Do not hesitate to call on us as you are “Moving Forward in Service to America.”