2020 Contained Plenty of DAR Sunshine

Like many of you, I am thrilled to turn the page to a new year and the excitement of its possibilities. But before we dive into this new year, please pause with me to appreciate the astonishing accomplishments we achieved in 2020. While most of us will look back on 2020 as a year that demanded much of us as individuals and tested us as a nation, there were rays of sunshine within DAR that deserve to be not only recognized but even celebrated -- particularly because they were achieved against such a difficult backdrop.

Here are several positive highlights of the year that was: 

- When Application submissions declined by nearly 25 percent during the summer due to the pandemic’s restrictions on gatherings, our hard-working Chapter Registrars stepped forward to meet the “We Can Do It Challenge” issued by our Membership Committee, which urged each chapter to admit at least two members by either Application or Reinstatement by year’s end. And it worked! We closed out the year with a total of 12,291 new members – more than had been admitted in 2016, 2017 or 2018. Brava, ladies!

- While the pandemic kept us from gathering in Washington, D.C. to stage the 129^th Continental Congress, it did not keep us from completing our important business. We produced the first virtual Congress in the history of the National Society – and gathered the largest audience EVER, with more than 25,000 accessing the Opening Night ceremonies alone. We proved that our mission could go forward even when we could not gather in person, something that was, in turn, replicated in states and chapters around the world in the months that followed. To take a look back at the first ever Virtual Congress click on these links: view session videos, read the Congress week’s blog posts, read issues of the Congress Herald and view a photo slideshow.

- I am immensely proud that chapters around the world carried forward our service work, especially during the sixth annual National DAR Day of Service. Thus far in this administration, we have amassed more than 7 million hours of community service. WOW! We have a goal to complete 10 million hours in total before June 2022 – so, please be sure to add your contributions to our online, easy-to-use tally. This is how we Rise and Shine – and this is how we demonstrate that we are vibrant and mission-driven to both prospective members and the public. View a photo slideshow of members’ efforts during the 2020 DAR Day of Service.

- We launched several important initiatives designed to raise awareness of the men and women who achieved American Independence. Among them were the award-winning Honoring Our Patriots Website and our beautiful new America 250 Patriots Markers, which we hope will be erected in all 50 states before 2026. We are also moving forward with efforts to raise awareness of the contributions of Patriots of color to the American Revolution through an initiative spearheaded by the Office of the Librarian General called the E Pluribus Unum Educational Initiative.

- We launched the new DAR Insignia Store. Though the pandemic impacted our manufacturers and our inventory, the effort has already produced more than $1 million sales and is projected to cover its start-up expense prior to expectations. I am grateful to the volunteer Task Force members and staff who worked together to produce this successful outcome – I’m also grateful to all of the members who embraced this new effort (and patiently awaited their deliveries!). In addition, the Office of the Corresponding Secretary General expanded into beautiful new quarters and improved its website in order to better serve all of your DAR Store needs.

- One of the brightest highlights of 2020 was the introduction of the NSDAR Legacy Program, which celebrates the family connections that bond us together as a Society. A member who connects to another relative via a shared Patriot within the first three generations is eligible to receive this designation and purchase the lovely bar to be worn with pride on the official ribbon. This program is also designed to encourage new members to take the most expeditious path to membership, thereby reducing review time for Applications. Learn more here.