Today's DAR
The Storage Administration Executive Officers arrived in DC just ahead of winter storm Gianna and started official meetings bright and early on Saturday morning. Officers donned their snow boots and headed to headquarters for a weekend full of meetings including a report from our IT consultants regarding updates on our technology upgrades. Sunday morning, Chaplain General Mernie Crane led an inspirational worship service with her message focused on the topic “Love Lets Go of Power,” before executive officers headed back into informal meetings for the remainder of the day.
February 2026 Executive Board Week Recap
Monday morning, after a brief business session, executive officers headed to DAR Constitution Hall for a service awards presentation to honor work anniversaries of our staff. Many of our employees have been with DAR for decades, and hearing their professional accomplishments was awe inspiring. Those honored with service pins and certificates included: 9 staff with over 10 years, 2 staff with over 15 years, 5 staff with over 20 years, 1 staff with over 30 years and 1 staff with over 40 years. These honored staff members were invited to attend a delicious lunch in the banquet hall following the ceremony. The afternoon concluded with reports from our Executive Director and the Head of Finance.
Tuesday and Wednesday were filled with reports and meetings from our senior directors as well as office hours for meetings with additional staff by department. A much-needed break was provided on Wednesday when executive officers were transported back in time to the City Tavern in Philadelphia, PA for the February Legacy Lunch hosted by Organizing Secretary General Marguerite Fritsch. Executives were treated to a traditional meal with recipes from Chef Walter Staib’s City Tavern Cookbook. For many, it was the first time to try Snapper Turtle Soup and while it didn’t taste like chicken, it did taste like a hearty beef stew. Each Executive was asked to learn more about a Signer of the Declaration of Independence and share what was learned while we dined.
Thursday the Executive team was joined in DC by the rest of the National Board of Management. Our Insignia Volunteers also arrived for two days of training to prepare them for state conference Insignia pop-up shops. After a brief welcome by President General Ginnie Sebastian Storage, buses were loaded to head to Alexandria for a wreath laying at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial to honor our countries first President. A National Historic Landmark, construction on the memorial began in 1923, and the memorial was officially dedicated in 1932. The wreath laying was conducted in Memorial Hall which houses a 17 foot, 3 inch high beautiful statue of Washington sculpted by masonic brother Bryant Baker. A tour of the memorial followed, which featured many items from Washington’s life as well as information about the history of the Masons.
Following lunch in the NSDAR Banquet Hall and a group photo in our beautiful DAR Library, attendees headed to the Kansas Chapel for a wreath ceremony of remembrance for the 40th Anniversary of the Challenger Shuttle. Rescheduled from earlier in the week due to weather concerns and closures at Arlington National Cemetery, our chapel served as a wonderful backdrop for the ceremony. All were reminded of the individuals that gave their lives on Jan. 28, 1986, in a moving tribute from Historian General Cindy Addison. After a full afternoon of leadership training, the evening ended with dinners around the district for the State Regents, Insignia Volunteers, and the Vice Presidents General.
Friday featured morning sessions for our leadership along with an afternoon service project where our National Board of Management members made over one hundred valentines and donated gift cards for veterans at the Armed Forces Retirement Home in DC. Leaders were also given a sneak peak of the DAR Museum’s upcoming exhibit Revolution in Their Words and a special exhibit in the study gallery that will feature the signatures of all fifty-six of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence.
The evening was capped off by dinner in our historic DAR Library as snow once again began to fall. What a treat to be able to dine at our headquarters with a wonderful keynote given by Catherine Townsend, President and CEO of the Trust for the National Mall. During her remarks she announced that plans are in the works to have signage at the Tidal Basin to inform visitors of our NSDAR donation to maintain the iconic cherry trees. Additionally, we were joined by Diana Mayhew, President and CEO of the National Cherry Blossom Festival who brought greetings and expressed excitement for DAR Constitution Hall being home to the 2026 Festival Opening Ceremony.
Most of the Executives left after the end of the National Board of Management business meeting on Saturday morning. However, for one special executive her week lasted a bit longer. Reporter General Adele Lancaster delivered the NSDAR 2025 Annual Proceedings to Dr. Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian, for their archives. Typically mailed, this year the annual proceedings were hand delivered on February 9, 2026, in a special presentation.
