Even after a few weeks I am still thinking about how fun Continental Congress was! I had a great time and if you attended; I hope you felt the same way. Whether you were able to attend or not, we wanted you to feel connected to some of the events and educational opportunities by following along online, reading blogs and viewing the live stream.
Reflecting on a Wonderful Continental Congress
Earlier this week a survey was emailed to all members who attended Congress. Please take a moment to complete the survey with feedback about your experience so we know what you enjoyed and where we can try to make improvements. Even as we are still wrapping up post-Congress responsibilities, we have already begun planning for the 127th Continental Congress which will take place June 20-24, 2018. I look forward to hearing your feedback and reflecting with our Congress Committee Chairs and the DAR staff as we start preparing for next year’s gathering.
In the meantime, here are some links to various items pertaining to Congress for you to share with your chapter members and for those who were unable to join us for Congress.
- View the slideshow of Congress photos to see some of the highlights of the week.
- We have put videos of the evening ceremonies and daytime business sessions online for you to view. We know there were some technical difficulties with the Congress Online Live Stream throughout the week of Congress and we appreciate your patience and understanding.
- During the Opening Night Ceremony, we were so pleased to introduce Honorary President General Lynn Forney Young as the newest Commissioner of the United State Semiquincentennial Commission with this fun video.
- We also announced that the DAR was sponsoring the first major, patriotic gift to the nation for America’s upcoming 250th anniversary in 2026 with a donation to the National Park Service to underwrite the purchase, planting and longtime care for 76 trees in Independence National Historical Park in honor of the Spirit of ‘76 that inspired our ancestors to declare their independence.
- As we commemorated the Centennial of World War I on National Defense Night, we premiered a video highlighting DAR members’ service work during WWI based on the current Americana exhibit, “Women of Resilience.”
- We also announced during the National Defense Night Ceremony a DAR donation to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society in support of the crew and families of the USS Fitzgerald after their tragic collision in June. That donation was made possible through your devoted support and contributions to the DAR Project Patriot Fund.
- The Saturday Afternoon Session featured a special membership presentation, called “The Road to 250,” intended to help chapters prepare for the influx of prospective members we anticipate the Semiquincentennial will bring. The presentations, brought to you by the Membership Committee and America 250! Membership Task Force, are now available online (both as a video and as downloadable PowerPoint presentations) and will make great chapter programming. You can also view the video of members discussing their chapters’ membership success stories with tips for how your chapters can also have success in membership recruitment and retention.
- Remember you can order your Congress photos online through Convention Photography.
- If you want to highlight your trip to Continental Congress or the exciting announcements during the week in your local media, there are template press releases available for you to fill out with your personal or chapter information and then provide to your local news outlets.
- For other stories and images of this year’s Congress, be sure to check out the issues of the Congress Herald and the Congress Online Photos.
I hope these items help you reflect on the 126th Continental Congress and I hope you will plan to join us next year!