Iowa Society

Daughters of the American Revolution

Commemorative Events

Chapters are encouraged to get involved in at least one Commemorative Event program each year to recognize major events in American history. The new Wright Administration has selected the following milestone events for members to commemorate through significant programs and/or events:

• Independence Day: Approaching our semiquincentennial, individual members and chapters should plan ways to incorporate the America 250! flag and information as we celebrate the Fourth of July, honoring our Patriots and signing of the Declaration of Independence. As we celebrate these events, strive to make these events more visible. Let’s all join community events, fly flags, enjoy picnics, watch fireworks. Set a goal now to be in Washington, D.C., and march with your DAR sisters in our nation’s Independence Day Parade.
  
• 50^th Anniversary of the Vietnam War
  
• 50^th Anniversary of the NASA Space Shuttle Program: The Space Shuttle was the first reusable spacecraft used by the United States to take humans into space.
  
• 80^th Anniversary of D-Day: June 6, 1944
  
• 125^th Anniversary, DAR Hospital Corps formed with Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee as Chair
• 125^th Anniversary of the premiere of John Philip Sousa's march The Stars & Stripes Forever (May 22, 1897)
• 125^th Anniversary, Spanish-American War (April 21-August 13, 1898)
• 150th Anniversary, Yellowstone National Park (March 1, 1872): Yellowstone National Park became the first national park in the U.S. on March 1, 1872, when President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act into law.
• 200^th Anniversary, Lafayette Farewell Tour (1824–1825)
• 250^th Anniversary of the Boston Tea Party: On December 16, 1773, Samuel Adams, John Hancock and the Sons of Liberty held meetings rallying against British Parliament and protested the Griffin’s Wharf arrival of the Dartmouth. At night, a large group of men, many reportedly members of the Sons of Liberty boarded the docked ships and threw 342 chests of tea into the water. This was the first major act of defiance to British rule over the colonists. It demonstrated to England that the colonists would not accept taxation without representation and tyranny by the King and Parliament.
• 250^th Anniversary, Bernardo de Galvez Expedition

Please take the opportunity to read about these events in the National Information Packet (NIP), and visit the NSDAR Commemorative Events Committee Webpage for additional information and ideas for planning your own chapter commemorative programs.

A Quick and Easy Way to Promote a Commemorative Event
(Updated July 7, 2023)

Not every DAR chapter meeting can be about a commemorative event. And there are 12 different events highlighted by NSDAR. That is a lot of celebrating. Raising awareness and interest in the events can be accomplished by an alternative to a in-person presentation. I have created the first series of three table tents that a chapter can print and place on the table prior to a meeting. Just suggest to members that they read the short message and discuss, if they like. The table tents can be TRIMMED and placed in a 5”X7” plastic frame with the appropriate insignia pictures displayed to the back of the frame. Click here to see the table tents created so far:

• Native American Month Table Tents
• 50^th Anniversary of the NASA Space Shuttle Program
• 125th Anniversary, DAR Hospital Corps formed with Dr. Anita Newcomb McGee as Chair (#1) (#2) (#3)
  
• 125^th Anniversary of the premier of John Philip Sousa's march, The Stars and Stripes Forever  (#1) (#2) (#3)
  
• 150^th Anniversary, Yellowstone National Park (#1) (#2)
  

If you are interested in other events and prepare table tents, I would be happy to have them posted on this page to share.

I have done some checking with NSDAR Division and National to clarify what is the definition of a program. The annual report form uses the term ‘program’ for reporting. The definition is foggy, but the words descriptive, detailed, and researched were used. I feel if a chapter displays the table tents, encourages members to discuss and feels they have enriched the members knowledge, then this activity could be a program for the purpose of record keeping. You may also ask the recording secretary to note that the table tents were present and state the topics as well. I do know that I was instructed that posting the table tents on Facebook would not be enough to be a program. I do plan to post the table tents, monthly, on our chapter Facebook page but that will not be considered part of the program.

August Letter to Chapter Regents/Committee Chairs

Boston Tea Party Flyer for Fall Forum

2023 Outstanding Chapter Commemorative Events Report
(Updated September 2023)

If your chapter has made a special effort to celebrate a Commemorative Event in 2023, you may want to submit a report summarizing your efforts. In past years a state could only submit ONE Outstanding Chapter Commemorative Report. NOW, we may nominate one chapter for EACH commemorative event from the list of NSDAR commemorative events listed above.

The Report can be no longer than ten pages and must include the specific Commemorative Report Form available below. Additionally, the national committee has created a Judging Rubric to help chapters include all of the parts requested by the judges. It is quite a helpful document and is also available below.

Report Form

Judging Rubric

As you start to gather your Chapter Master (CMR) report information, consider selecting one of your commemorative events to nominate for the 2023 Outstanding Commemorative Event. Reports can only be sent to me electronically by February 10^th. My address is:

Susanklein50@gmail.com

Susan Klein