What do Susan B. Anthony, Clara Barton, Lillian Gish, Grandma Moses, Ginger Rogers, Laura Welch Bush, Suzanne Bishopric, Janet Reno and Bo Derek have in common?

They are all members of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

The DAR, established in 1890 by prominent members of society and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a nonprofit and non-political volunteer women’s organization committed to supporting patriotism, protecting American history and securing the country’s future through better education for children.

There are strict guidelines for becoming a member of DAR. Women who have proof of their bloodline descending from an ancestor who helped in the United States’ fight for independence are welcomed.

Such lineage includes signers of the United States Declaration of Independence; military veterans of the American Revolutionary War, including state navies and militias, local militias, privateers and French and Spanish soldiers and sailors who fought in the American theatre of war; civil servants of provisional or state governments; members of the Continental Congress and state conventions and assemblies; signers of oars of allegiance, or oat of fidelity and support; participants in the Boston Tea Party; prisoners of war, refugees, and defenders of fortresses and frontiers; doctors and nurses who aided revolutionary casualties and ministers and petitioners; and others who gave material or patriotic support to the revolutionary cause.
Women at least 18 years old can join. Women under 35 years old are labeled as juniors who can serve as pages at both the state and national conferences.

Collectively, there are 3,000 chapters across the country and internationally harboring approximately 165,000 members.

DAR’s mission is God, home, country.

In the Greater Buffalo area chapters include the Abigail Fillmore Chapter, the Katharine Pratt Horton Buffalo Chapter, the Niagara Falls Chapter and the Williams Mills Chapter.

The Niagara Falls Chapter meets the first Saturday of each month except January, July and August at various restaurants throughout Niagara County to accommodate the more than 80 members in the chapter.

This year, the chapter celebrated its 88th birthday. Founded in 1922 by Mrs. Frank A. Dudley, the Niagara Falls Chapter carries on the memory and spirit of the men and women who achieved American independence, promotes the development of an open-minded public opinion and fosters patriotic citizenship through all of its endeavors.

Recently, the chapter has started to bring women’s issues to light during meetings, mostly regarding health, but topics are broad as long as it affects women.

The DAR’s Niagara Falls Chapter is extremely charitable, which complements DAR’s national charitable activities and the scholarships it gives away.

The chapter’s greatest initiative is collecting items for homeless veterans.

“Last year, we had the largest collection to date,” said Melody Burow, a member of the chapter and head of this project. Burow’s ancestor, Benjamin Learned, was one of the signers of the New Hampshire Right for Independence. It took Burow many years to find the right links to prove her family’s involvement in American history. Finally, in 1985, Burow joined DAR.

By spearheading this project, Burow was voted as the chapter’s first outstanding VA volunteer, and was crowned the Northeastern Divisional Winner of the Outstanding DAR Service for Veterans Award in 2006. Burow has immersed herself in the military aspects of charitable endeavors as her husband is in the Air National Guard. Burow even started her own charitable endeavor, I.T.S. From the Heart, a nonprofit organization that sends cards to soldiers overseas.

In addition to those projects, the Niagara Falls Chapter conducts several other benevolent activities.

“We mark graves for veterans, and we collect books to donate to the DAR Library in Washington, D.C.,” said Burow. “Our chapter is also collecting phone cards for soldiers.”

The Niagara Falls chapter is currently a few children shy of launching their Children of the American Revolution (CAR)chapter. Children under 18 years old can become involved with CAR to develop a love for United States of America.

For more information about the Niagara Falls Chapter of DAR, visit http://niagaradar.awardspace.com/id1.htm.

For more information on CAR, contact Jan Johnpier at naj70@hughes.net.

e-mail: ngawel@metrowny.com.

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