DAR addresses Retired Teachers

The Bandera County Retired Teachers Association met March 16 in the American Legion Hall in Bandera to hear from Catherine Gauldin from the Major James Kerr Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

DAR is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to historic preservation, education, and patriotism. It is headquartered in Washington DC and encompasses an entire city block.

T h e group was founded in 1890 and more than one million women have joined the DAR since its founding. Currently, the organization has over 190,000 members in every state, Washington DC and in 12 international chapters.

DAR is open to women 18 years old and older who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution.

Gauldin said Texas has numerous families with a Revolutionary War background and has many gravesites of Revolutionary War veterans.

One of the main objectives of the DAR is historic preservation. They locate, restore and mark Revolutionary War patriot gravesites and headstones. They place monuments and preserve genealogical records, historical documents and artifacts.

DAR also supports five schools through chapter and member donations and offers scholarships to Native American children. The organization promotes good citizenship through youth programs like Children of the American Revolution, DAR Good Citizens and Junior American Citizens.

Members of the DAR provide more than 200,000 hours of volunteer time annually in Veterans’ hospitals and non-vet hospitals. They also offer support through CARE packages to America’s service personnel deployed abroad.

They promote Constitution Week in September as well as presenting numerous awards to individuals who exemplify good citizenship, volunteer excellence and community service.

In regular business, February’s minutes were approved, the treasurer’s report was given and membership was reported at 90 members.

Legislative Chair Denise Van Dyke updated the group on policy recommendations from the state organization and on the primary runoffs slated for late April and May.

President Connie Young gave an update on District 20 business, state convention baskets and asked for scholarship committee volunteers.

The group voted to directly donate one dollar for every member, $90, to the state convention in lieu of providing an auction basket.

In new business, the officer training in May will be conducted by Zoom meeting. Kerrville will be the site of the Spring Conference on June 2.

The club’s next meeting is Wednesday, April 20, at 10:30 at the American Legion Hall in Bandera.