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Iowa Society

Daughters of the American Revolution

Edith "Edee" Brunia, State Regent, 2022-2024

Wright Administration Symbol

Service to America

Jeanette Budding, Chair

"We want a society founded on service,” Eugenia Washington, DAR Founder

It’s great to be a member of the Iowa Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution!

President General Pamela Edwards Rouse Wright and State Regent Edee Brunia are so passionate about a society of service. The Wright Administration has set a high and realistic goal for the national society of logging 15 million Service to America hours.

This year, Daughters are asked to support Historic Preservation by cleaning headstones and undertaking restoration and beautification projects in local cemeteries. Log the number of headstones and hours in the online tally.

State Regent Brunia has set the butterfly as our symbol to glide our society into the future. The Service to America is set to follow her goal. People all over Iowa are working to restore the monarch biome and we as daughters can volunteer in this project.

  • Record all your volunteer hours. The goal for Iowa Daughters is to record at least an average of one hour per week. Recording should be an on-going process (weekly, monthly or quarterly) and not a frantic endeavor at the end of the year. We want you to capture your voluminous volunteer service. Please share photos and projects with the state committee chair and on the Service to America Facebook group.

    National Online Tally: https://services.dar.org/members/validate/LOGON/?MyURL=http://services.dar.org/members/committees/ServicetoAmerica/default.cfm?

  • Please reach out to those individuals who do not regularly attend meetings. Encourage them to record their hours. We know that they are volunteering. Their online posting is an active way for them to participate in their chapter, state and national organizations.

  • We understand that people are busy so consider Service in Seconds projects. Chapters are encouraged to plan a meaningful service project throughout year. Service in Seconds demonstrates how Daughters can make big impacts in their communities with just seconds of work. Consider planning a Service in Seconds project as a chapter program or as an activity at a state meeting or conference.

  • The Iowa Society DAR Service to America Committee annually celebrates the Iowa Chapter that has the highest average volunteer hours per member as recorded via the national online tally. (Access link provided above.) Please refer to ISDAR Eugenia Washington Traveling Tray section for rules and chapter winners.

  • Chapters should have a National Day of Service project around October 11 to commemorate the founding of our Society. This annual commemoration may be the same project every year or varied according to local needs and interests. We'd love to see your photos.

    Chapters are encouraged to submit their project for the Service to America Award for Outstanding National DAR Day of Service Project. Plan now to submit your 2023 projects at the end of the year. See NSDAR Service to America Committee website for details.
The Wright Administration is continuing our nationwide “Salute to Service” initiative is a collaborative effort of four national committees – DAR Project Patriot, DAR Service for Veterans, National Defense and Service to America. We intend to spotlight the service of active-duty military, veterans, and first responders. The initiative includes two unique avenues of participation: “Snap-A-Salute” and a Chapter Challenge. See NSDAR Service to America Committee website for details: founded on service.

Remember Service to America activities when reviewing the National Chapter Achievement Awards Planning Guide and the Chapter Master Report. Refer to the appropriate section on the NSDAR website. Updates are posted.

RESOURCES:
See NSDAR Service to America Committee webpages for current, up-to-date details. Descriptive information is comprehensive and available for education and programs. Take advantage of your National Chairs’ efforts. You do not need to “recreate the wheel.” https://www.dar.org/members/committees/special-committees/service-america/purpose-committee

On the NSDAR Committee home page the following have hyperlinks to these special areas.
  • Committee Home (Overview) Mission
  • Service to America Goal (Officer and member focus)
  • What Counts as “Service to America” (See for FAQ)
  • NSDAR Annual Service to America Project
  • National DAR Day of Service (What, when, how and more)
  • Service in Seconds
  • Salute to Service (Consider for a chapter program – 4 committees in one)
  • Service to America Committee Contests
  • Reporting and Sharing
  • Log Your Service to America Hours (Record! Record! Record!)
  • Service to America Online Tally
  • Instructions for Using the Online Tally
ISDAR Fall Forum 24 Oct 2020 Power Point Presentation (available for chapter presentation)
ISDAR Fall Forum 15 Oct 2021 Handout (available as a chapter resource)

ISDAR Fall Forum 2023, Service From Home Handout
RECORD! RECORD! RECORD!
Jeanette Budding