Chapter Charters: Did You Know?

Though I have been a member for more than three decades, I still learn new things about our National Society and its history every day! For one recent eye opener, I thank the Regent of the Pittsburgh Chapter, Susan Matlack. During my recent visit for the Pennsylvania State Conference, Ms. Matlack was gracious enough to provide the conference guests with a tour of the Fort Pitt Blockhouse, which her chapter owns and operates. I was surprised to see a fundraising brick outside the building that read “Pittsburgh Chapter, NSDAR Charter #1.”

Hmmmmm…..I knew the Chicago Chapter was our first local chapter organized after our October 11, 1890 founding. So, this was, to me, something of a mystery. Perhaps you already knew the answer, but I did not appreciate that a Chapter Charter is entirely optional – and that it is numbered when the charter is ordered. For this reason, it contains the signatures of the President General, Recording Secretary General and Organizing Secretary General in service at the time of ordering (i.e., not at the formation of the chapter).

1. March 20: Chicago, Chicago, IL; Charter #35
2. April 15: Atlanta, Atlanta, GA; Charter #5
3. April 15: Nova Caesarea, Newark, NJ; Charter #16
4. April 19: New York City, New York City, NY; Charter #2
5. May 1: Wyoming Valley, Wilkes-Barre, PA; Charter #13
6. June 10: Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA; Charter #1
7. July 15: Xavier, Rome, GA; Charter #42
8. October 14: St. Paul, St. Paul, MN; Charter # 11 (Disbanded)
9. October 28: Lexington, Lexington, KY; Charter #36
10. December 10: Sequoia, San Francisco, CA; Charter #6 (Now merged)
11. December 17: Bristol, Bristol, RI; Charter #3
12. December 19: Western Reserve, Cleveland, OH; Charter #12 (Now merged)

And here are the first 10 Chapter Charters:

1. Pittsburgh, PA
2. New York City, NY
3. Bristol, RI
4. John Marshall, KY
5. Atlanta, GA
6. Sequoia, CA (Now merged)
7. Old Dominion, VA
8. Gaspee, RI (Now merged)
9. Wadsworth, CT
10. Augusta, GA

After researching this subject, I am struck by two takeaways:

1. Most of these early chapters are extant! Imagine the thousands of lives that have been touched by their members through 130 years of service to students, servicemembers and new citizens. That longevity suggests to me that our National Society’s mission is not only relevant but also enduring and purpose-driven; and
2. Can you imagine how proud the women who founded these chapters (and your own!) would be of our vibrant work today (especially during the pandemic)? Could they have realized that membership in DAR would make such a meaningful impact on their communities for more than a century? How proud I would be to meet them today to show them that Today’s DAR is very much alive and well – thanks, in no small part, to the strong foundation that they laid.