Today's DAR
The DAR Genealogy Preservation Committee volunteers have done such an amazing job on the Supporting Documentation Project that we have come to a surprise finish to this project! When it started nearly two years ago, there was more than a century of documents to categorize...now the work is complete. The backlog of images has been indexed – an incredible 8.2 million documents! Mission accomplished! Thank you, Daughters!
The DAR Genealogy Preservation Committee was established in 2003 during the Watkins Administration with the goal to index DAR genealogical, organizational and membership information into computerized searchable databases. The projects of this committee assisted in preserving these valuable records for posterity. The indexed records are vital resources to DAR genealogists and registrars in the Application approval and membership record retrieval processes. There have been two primary projects:
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION
Volunteers for this project identified and indexed the lineage records submitted with Applications and Supplementals. Each document was indexed twice and then reviewed by certifiers before it was uploaded to the GRS. These records were first identified by their type, for example: birth record, military record, will, bible record, census, etc. Once the records are categorized, locating a specific document becomes quicker and easier for those who use these records throughout the Application process.
The categorizing and indexing of more than 8.2 million documents for Supporting Documentation was accomplished by thousands of enthusiastic DAR volunteers. We have enjoyed working with all these amazing ladies. A small group will continue to index and certify any remaining miscellaneous documents.
The number of volunteers soared to a new high this year due to the Members Course and credit toward Service to America. Our members love projects to which they can contribute online. Even though this project will not need to recruit new volunteers, we hope to be able to offer future projects, and so the committee will remain in existence.
DESCENDANTS
A small group of volunteers for this project continues to transcribe paper DAR Applications. So, as the number of eApps goes up, the work of this project will decrease. Each Application -- after approval by a DAR Genealogist -- is transcribed twice and then reviewed by a certifier before it is uploaded to the GRS and used in Build-An-App.
THANK YOU!
The enthusiasm and accomplishment of all our volunteers are the reasons these projects are a success. We can’t thank you enough for all that you have done. You are shining examples of DAR volunteers!
Unfortunately, this accomplishment means that we have to say goodbye to our beloved army of dedicated volunteers. Volunteers for this committee were as diverse as DAR itself. New members and those with many years of membership -- from across the United States of America and around the world -- participated in categorizing the documents. They worked seven days a week, 24 hours a day, during lunch hours and even while on vacation. We hope that many of them will move on to be involved in other similar projects such as the Patriot Records Project.
