2019: Nearly 19,000 Applications & Supplementals Verified – Huzzah!

While I fully recognize that pride is one of the seven deadly sins (!), I simply cannot help but nearly burst with it as we welcomed 1,271 new members into membership in Today’s DAR on December 5. Not only do these women represent the future of our Society, they are a testament to the dedication of our Genealogy Department and our hard-working, devoted chapter registrars, AND part of an increasing growth trend in membership.

We should ALL be very proud that during the first 11 months of 2019 we verified the Applications of 14,507 new members.  In fact, it is a privilege for me to share with you that the total number of Applications and Supplementals both reviewed and verified this year has increased, continuing a five-year trend of growth, productivity and acceptance.  For the first 11 months of this year (culminating in the December board vote on December 5), the combined total of both Applications and Supplementals reviewed is an impressive 23,472, part of an increasing trend.

There are many reasons for this – and much credit goes to the leadership of Genealogy Director Sara Sukol, the dedication of the professionals of our Genealogy Department and the foresight of the executive leadership of recent administrations who provided increased salaries and staffing in order to attract and retain exceptional employees.

Yet I am perhaps most proud of our hard-working chapter registrars, who are so obviously committed to submitting DAR Applications that meet our standards and are of the highest quality. The percentage of Applications being approved on the first pass is now at a seven-year high, averaging 85.5 percent. Further, November 2019 was the highest month in the past seven years, with 90.4 percent of all Applications being approved on the first review. That is outstanding progress.