Today's DAR
124th Continental Congress Update
It may feel like this winter will never end, but I promise warmer weather is just around the corner and with it the 124th Continental Congress! This Congress is particularly special as we begin our celebrations of the 125th anniversary of the DAR and the wonderful work our organization has accomplished throughout our long history. While most of Congress will stay largely the same this year, I want to give you a general update and highlight some important improvements.
Credentialing and registration information for Congress was mailed to your Chapter Regent last week, and they should be receiving it shortly. You can also view the credentialing and registration forms here. If you plan to attend Congress and would like to pre-register, please contact your Chapter Regent. The pre-registration fee is $40 for a member and $15 for a guest. The on-site registration fee is $50 for a member and $20 for a guest.
The Congress schedule is now available to view online and can also be found in the March/April newsletter. The schedule features the exciting additions from last year including Committee Forums and Celebrate America Night, as well as some new museum programs and a few extra events to honor the 125th anniversary, so be sure to take a look at it! It will continue to be updated online leading up to Congress, so please check back on the Members’ Website for new information.
The social events at Congress just keep getting bigger! The Historic Preservation luncheon is back for a second year, and will take place on Thursday with greater capacity so more of you can attend. The Patriotism Luncheon (celebrating the efforts of the DAR Service for Veterans, National Defense and DAR Project Patriot committees) will take place on Wednesday afternoon, and will also have more seating available. Additionally, the DAR School committee will now have a luncheon on Friday and feature remarks from all of the school representatives. The DAR School luncheon will be held in an even larger space than last year to allow for more members to attend.
I am so impressed by your continued dedication to our nation through your inspiring volunteer work in your communities. One of my favorite parts of Congress is getting the opportunity to honor that work at Celebrate America Night. I am looking forward to another wonderful evening filled with some new surprises. I am very excited to announce that genealogist Joshua Taylor will be a featured speaker at Celebrate America Night. Josh can be seen on Genealogy Roadshow (PBS), Who Do you Think You Are? (NBC and TLC) and is the Lead Genealogist for findmypast.com, a worldwide leader in online family history. I loved Celebrate America Night last year and I look forward to celebrating with you all again!
As we get closer to Congress, I hope you all will remember to regularly check the Members’ Website for Congress information. Recently, many Congress updates have been added.
- Beginning Sunday, March 15, 2015, the Grand Hyatt Washington, our official Congress hotel, will have more rooms available. Please view the announcement for additional information. If you cannot book a room in March, additional rooms will be released beginning in mid-April. You can check back here for more information.
- Invitations to serve as a Page during the 124th Congress were sent via email in early February. Please see the paging section of the Congress website for more information.
- Those members who are interested in joining the DAR Chorus can find more information here.
- Sign up your loved ones for this year’s Event for Men and Families!
I hope these updates will help you make your plans for Congress this year. I can’t wait for the wonderful events of the 124th Continental Congress and to welcome you all to Washington, D.C.!