JUNE 5, 2013
The Real Daughters of the American Revolution
SCOTTSDALE – The Grand Canyon Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution met on Saturday, May 4th at Chaparral Suites in Scottsdale and heard a very interesting program by Suzanne Young of Chandler, on the history of the society, with a focus on the Real Daughters of the American Revolution. Who were the Real Daughters of the American Revolution? Real Daughters are DAR members who were the daughters of patriots who served in the American Revolution. These women were truly among the first generation of Americans. There were a total of 767 Real Daughters who enjoyed DAR membership between 1893 and 1943. Their fathers served as Signers of the Declaration of Independence, soldiers, drummers, fifers, and dispatch carriers, amongst many other roles. Several of the Real Daughters knew their fathers and enjoyed hearing stories of the War for Independence. The Real Daughters saw the birth of our nation and lived the many struggles that accompanied. Many of these women lived long, healthy lives. The oldest Real Daughter, Louisa Capron Thiers, lived to be 111 years of age. Louisa was so grateful for the passing of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote that she cast her ballot at age 110 for Calvin Coolidge. Another notable Real Daughter was Lydia Moss Bradley was a wise businesswoman and generous philanthropist, who was the first female on a National Bank Board and founder of Bradley University in Peoria, IL. The last Real Daughter was Mrs. Annie Knight Gregory, who was born March 23, 1843. Her grandfather had enlisted in 1777, taking his 11 year old son, Richard Knight, along as a drummer boy. For her 100th birthday, President Roosevelt sent her greetings “in the name of the nation that your father helped to build.” While members of today’s DAR live in a much different time, the values that the organization holds are in alignment with those values of the Real Daughters, promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and supporting better education for our nation’s children. The Grand Canyon Chapter will hold their next meeting on Saturday, September 7, 2013 at 11:30 a.m. For information on meetings or the DAR, contact Regent, Katie Paulsen, at [email protected].
DAR members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. The DAR is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization and any woman 18 years or older- regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background- who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution, is eligible for membership. With more than 170,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world's largest and most active service organizations. To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visit www.DAR.org, or for more information on the Grand Canyon Chapter of Scottsdale, visit www.grandcanyon.arizonadar.org/.
