An Historic Meeting Highlights a Busy Week

Daughters gathered from across the country – and even traveled across the ocean! – to attend the first Special Meeting held in the 131-year history of our National Society last week at our National Headquarters. More than 850 members participated in the session to formally approve moving the location and the administrator of the Pathway of the Patriots Project and also to update procedures that will allow for the online processing of registration for Continental Congress.

It was also, of course, a time to explore the newly restored Constitution Hall and to renew dear friendships after more than two years apart from one another. I don’t believe that I have ever seen so much happiness concentrated in one space! What a joy to gather with women who are devoted to our vibrant and relevant mission of service – and who so clearly treasure one another. Enjoy photos of the special meeting and reception here.

We heard reports from several Department Heads and the Administrator. Among many highlights, we learned that:

-  We welcomed 10,787 new members in 2021; that’s down from the prior two years (2020: 11,186, and 2019: 13,484). In fact, it’s 10 percent below the decade-long average of new members…..So, let’s get back to work on assisting many more women to join our mission in the new year!

- In all, 5,920 Supplemental Applications were approved in 2021; that’s up from 4,690, 5315 and 3,976 in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Approvals are now running about 15 months – we hope to reduce this number further still during 2022.

- 98 percent of work is now complete on the restoration of Constitution Hall (hooray! – now we just have to raise the remaining funds to pay for it!). It is not too late to make a year-end gift to the Next Act for Constitution Hall — see how easy it is to help us make history here. 

- A thorough operational assessment of all mechanical systems, e.g. boilers, air handlers, HVAC systems, irrigation systems, etc. is scheduled for the beginning of the year.

- We have welcomed a new Insignia Department manager, and we are working very hard to reduce wait times for your orders. I respectfully ask that you continue to be patient.

-  We have welcomed 26 new employees since April 2020, when the first part of the shut down took effect. That means about a quarter of our full-time staff is relatively new. Again, I ask for your patience as we welcome these men and women for what we hope will be long and rewarding careers with us.

- As part of the E Pluribus Unum Educational Initiative, we have also retained the services of an independent researcher to identify additional Patriots of color and expand our research regarding these and others who contributed to the American Revolution but have often gone unacknowledged.

- Our magazine circulation has climbed above 55,000! We are hoping to set a new record of more than 58,000 by the end of this administration in June in order to break the all-time record (which was set after the Bicentennial when our membership totaled more than 207,000). Is your subscription current to our award-winning publication? If not – please renew today.

-  Authorization of grant funding to digitize soldiers’ military records at Fort Ticonderoga – support made possible by your generous donations to our General Fund.

- Approval of five $5,000 one-time scholarships and a $10,000 contribution for new access doors, electrical updates and an accessibility ramp for Bacone College; funds to made possible through your contributions to the American Indian Fund.

- Sponsorship of the John Adams Institute, which celebrates American culture in the Netherlands, to fund an intern to study the relationship between John Adams, our first foreign ambassador to the Netherlands, and Amsterdam banker Jan Willink, who arranged the Dutch loans that helped finance the American Revolution.