Women’s Societies:
- Daughters of the American Revolution (https://www.dar.org/):
- From “Who We Are” – The DAR, founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children.
- Open to women 18 and over.
- Members must be directly descended from someone who publicly demonstrated support for the American cause. They could do this through joining the military, taking on an elected office, donating to the Army, or numerous other activities.
- Daughters of the Cincinnati (https://daughters1894.org/)
- From the society’s main page: “Today, the Daughters of the Cincinnati honor these long-ago officers by continuing to discover and celebrate the history and wisdom of our ancestors in relevant lectures and trips, but most especially by operating and funding a scholarship program that contributes to the college tuition of daughters of career officers in the armed services.”
- Members must be directly descended from officers or the siblings of officers listed in Bruce Metcalf’s Original Members and Other Officers Eligible to the Society of the Cincinnati.
- Daughters of the Cincinnati is based in New York City.
- Membership requires an invitation. If you’d like to join and don’t know a member, do not insist on your right to join. It is okay to send an email, explain that you are interested and do not know a member and ask how to proceed.
Men’s Societies
- Sons of the American Revolution (https://www.sar.org/ ):
- From “SAR Mission & Goals” – The Objects of this Society are declared to be patriotic, historical, and educational; to unite and promote fellowship among the descendants of those who sacrificed to achieve the independence of the American people, to inspire them and the community-at-large with a more profound reverence for the principles of the government founded by our forefathers; to foster true patriotism; to maintain and extend the institutions of American freedom.
- SAR is open to men of all ages, although those under 18 are considered “junior” members.
- Members must be directly descended from someone who publicly demonstrated support for the American cause. They could do this through joining the military, taking on an elected office, donating to the Army, or numerous other activities.
- SAR works on a hierarchical system, with local chapters under state societies and the national society.
- The Society of the Cincinnati (https://www.societyofthecincinnati.org/):
- From “About” – The founders of the Society assigned their descendants the task of preserving the memory of the patriotic sacrifices that made American liberty a reality.
- Society of the Cincinnati operates on the state level. Members joined through the state in which their ancestor served.
- Members must be directly descended from officers or the siblings of that officer and generally cannot be descended from militia members.
- Only one member can represent an ancestor. Applicants must be adults.
- Membership is passed through primogeniture.
- This society requires an approval process to consider applicants for membership. Most societies have a posted email to contact their registrar.
- Sons of the Revolution (https://sr1776.org/)
- According to the society’s website, “The founder’s mission was to form a new society of gentlemen, the first of its kind in the Late 19th century, which would promote knowledge and appreciation of the achievement of American independence, and to foster fellowship amongst its members.”
- Ancestors must meet the qualifications described at https://sr1776.org/membership-requirements/.
- Applicants must be adults.
- Membership requires an invitation. If you’d like to join and don’t know a member, do not insist on your right to join. It is okay to send an email, explain that you are interested and do not know a member and ask how to proceed.
- SR uses state level organizations. Societies do not exist in every state.
Children’s Societies
- Children of the American Revolution (https://www.nscar.org):
- The society is described as a “patriotic youth organization.”
- Open up to age 21. Many are dual members with adult societies between 18-21.
- Members must be directly descended from someone who publicly demonstrated support for the American cause. They could do this through joining the military, taking on an elected office, donating to the Army, or numerous other activities.
- CAR works on a hierarchical system, with local chapters under state societies and the national society.
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