Bloomington Chapter, DAR

Members of the chapter attended the southern district workshops this weekend in Corydon and Vincennes, which included the chapter being recognized for excellence by the State Regent! District workshops are a fantastic way to get to know the state board and its leadership roles.

Members of the Bloomington Chapter traveled to Indianapolis for a reception honoring State Regent Elaine Sholty and her administration for the 2024-2027 term in Indiana.

Our members have stayed busy over the summer, many with genealogical projects! One of our members traveled to the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City, UT, to deliver her 3rd great-grandfather’s memoirs. The library is the largest genealogy database in the world, and they are going to digitize and safely store the memoirs in their archives, making them accessible to the world.

One of our members is serving as a page at Continental Congress this week… and you can spot her in action here! Pages serve the society during events to assist with seating, flags, VIP guests, and more… such as carrying wreaths for a wreath-laying!

Members of the Bloomington Chapter and their families attended Memorial Day ceremonies and planted flags on local cemeteries. The DAR’s Service for Veterans committee is dedicated to all who have served and their memory.

https://www.dar.org/national-society/military-support-service-veterans

Members of the Bloomington Chapter attended the Indiana DAR State Conference in Indianapolis, serving the society as delegates, tellers, and pages. They also escorted our student contest awardees and had fun at a 1940s USO themed party!

Our chapter presented three Excellence in Historic Preservation medals tonight to Whippoorwill Hill, VET Environmental Engineering, LLC., and Sanders Store. Rudy & Kay Fields accepted the awards on behalf of their Sanders Store building as well as their daughters’ businesses. We were happy to recognize how they’ve each restored and repurposed barns and buildings from different eras in Bloomington.

The DAR’s Excellence in Historic Preservation award recognizes outstanding individuals and organizations that promote historic preservation in myriad ways. The recognition honors individuals and groups that have saved and/or preserved their local history, including restoration of buildings, collections, significant objects, monuments, cemeteries, and other important artifacts. It may be presented to a group or business that rescues a historic structure to establish it as its headquarters.

Bloomington Chapter presented two DAR awards at the Indiana University Army ROTC Awards Ceremony April 25th at Woolery Mill.

Chapter Regent Nancy Patterson presented the DAR Gold ROTC Award to Jada Edson who will commission May 5th as an Intelligence Officer and will be stationed in Texas.

Jackie Harding presented the DAR Flag of the United States of America certificate to the Crimson Rifles team. The Crimson Rifles are dedicated each year to supporting the flag raising at the IU Memorial Stadium Football games and post colors at IU basketball games in Assembly Hall.

Bloomington chapter members attended the America 250 Marker Dedication at Rose Hill Cemetery and visited the gravesite of Andrew Ferguson. The ceremony honored the contributions of all those who supported the American Revolution, but paid particular attention to Patriots of color like Ferguson who did not receive the benefits or recognition they earned during their lifetime.

Afterwards, we hosted the official reception at the Monroe County History Center.

https://www.heraldtimesonline.com/story/news/2023/02/15/black-revolutionary-war-veteran-helped-settle-southern-indiana/69900083007/

Members of our chapter cleaned the headstone of patriot Andrew Ferguson ahead of this weekend's America 250 marker dedication to Patriots of Color who served in the American Revolution. Our members have learned which materials and chemicals are safest for caring for these precious markers!

Andrew Ferguson was a free Black man drafted into the war on the American side in 1780, during which he fought in several theatres. He was initially unable to collect his veterans pension in Vincennes, Indiana, due to his race, and he eventually settled in Bloomington. The Indiana Historical Society recognizes Ferguson as one of Monroe County's most prominent African American settlers in its early formation. In 1984, he finally received a headstone, dedicated by the Daughters of the American Revolution.

In 2020, the DAR launched an ongoing effort called the “E Pluribus Unum Educational Initiative” to increase awareness of often underrepresented Revolutionary War Patriots, including those who were African American, Native American and female. DAR is committed to better telling the stories of these Patriots, who have all too often been left out of the pages of history.

Learn more about Ferguson's service here: https://honoringourpatriots.dar.org/patriot-profiles/andrew-ferguson/

This month, our chapter presented DAR ROTC Gold Medal Award to Milena Trivunovic at the Indiana University Air Force ROTC Awards Ceremony. We also presented the DAR US Flag Award to the IU AFROTC High Flying Aces Color Guard team.

Two of our members attended the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony today in Washington DC honoring the World War II Rosies and their contributions to our nation.

Jackie Harding’s grandmothers both served and she is a board member for the American Rosie the Riveter Association. Her granddaughter Jaqueline joined her in DC.

Our chapter presented the Excellence in Historic Preservation award to the SAA Smithville Area Association at our April meeting for the work they have done in preserving the history of Smithville. The museum at Red Men Hall is open the 2nd Wednesday of each month from 1-3pm and contains so many precious artifacts.

Rozzie Gerstman gave a wonderful program on the museum. Some of our members’ favorites were old newspaper articles, graduation cords, and a pincushion embroidered with signatures of attendees at a party.

Smithville High School Alumni Association, IN

Proud of our local students! Did you know the DAR presents awards every year to local youth for history essays, good citizenship, and more?

Edgewood High School Senior Andrew G. was presented with two awards from the Bloomington Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Andrew’s guidance counselor, Dennis Faust, nominated Andrew for the DAR Good Citizen Award. This award is given to a member of the senior class who most demonstrates the qualities of Dependability, Service, Leadership, and Patriotism.

Andrew also received the DAR Youth Leadership Medal. This award is given for exhibiting the qualities of Honor, Service, Courage, Leadership, and Patriotism.

Pictured are DAR member Charisse Hughes, Andrew G., teacher Brian Rosenburgh, and DAR member Jeannie Francalancia.

The Bloomington Chapter’s March meeting was extra special as we welcomed local students, families, and teachers for our annual education awards ceremony. We presented awards for essay contests, Youth Citizenship, and Good Citizens, and a number of our winners are moving on to the state and division contests!

It was so inspiring to hear of the accomplishments and activities of this generation. The future is so bright with them!

On February 15th, our chapter had the privilege of presenting the National Defense Committee’s Outstanding Cadet Award to Cadet Lydia Parker of the Monroe County Composite Squadron Civil Air Patrol. Our National Defense chair Jackie also presented a certificate from the Flag of the United States Committee, to honor the CAP Color Guard for their contribution to Wreathes Across America, at Rose Hill Cemetery.

The DAR is everywhere! Our member Marcey was presented the 2024 IU Staff Merit Award, and chapter members were there to support her ❤️

At our February meeting, we met Dr. Mary Walker, first female surgeon and only woman thus far to win the Congressional Medal of Honor… reenacted by Carol Kirkland and her colleague. We also got to pass around actual Civil War era medical tools.

Fittingly, we also honored one of our own members who has served as a nurse ❤️‍🩹

At our January meeting, we learned about Monroe County Public Library (Indiana)’s Hoosier Character map project, including the whereabouts of some of our chapters founding members. Many of the names were familiar to those who drive around town… Buskirk, Rhorer, Wiley, and more. We also heard from one of our members about a patriot ancestor from whom she gets her surname!

We also presented awards and inducted new members at our December meeting! Our members are completing coursework in leadership and genealogy, and there are even courses for new members too. Ask us about how you can get signed up.

Our December meeting was a commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party! Members sported hats and sipped a special blend of tea for the event.

Chapter Members supported our community on Veterans Day with a wreath presentation at the American Legion. Additional members participated in the Veterans Day 5K at Switchyard Park as both participants and volunteers.

Our November meeting program was about American Indians. The DAR's American Indians Committee is entrusted to the continuing education of the history and culture of this community as well as the support of the educational and cultural pursuits of its citizens, including scholarships.

We also presented certificates to nurses in our chapter, in conjunction with 125th Anniversary of the DAR Hospital Corps. The DAR Hospital Corps was established during the Spanish-American War to select and certify nurses for service in the U.S. Army. The corps certified 1,081 nurses and later funded pensions for many of them who did not qualify for government pensions.

One of our associate members supported the DAR's mission of service to veterans while in Cape Coral, Florida. Are you a DAR member of a chapter in another city or state who is in Bloomington temporarily or permanently? Joining us as an Associate Member can connect you to Daughters active in our local area while allowing you to maintain membership with your "home" chapter.

Lawrence Kearny Chapter of DAR presents Flag Folding Ceremony for veterans at Windsor of Cape Coral The Lawrence Kearny Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution presented a Flag Folding Ceremony to veterans at the Windsor senior care facility in Cape Coral on Veterans’ Day. The Lawrence Kearny Chapter also had DAR Certificate for Military Service for each of the 16 ve...

This year, we are continuing our support for Wreaths Across America in our local community. Please consider joining us!
www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/IN0141P

The DAR scholarship portal is open NOW!

Each year the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) awards multiple scholarships to students showing dedication to the pursuit of higher education in diverse areas of study including history, economics, law, political science, medicine, nursing, occupational and physical therapy, elementary and secondary education, chemistry, math, science and English.

Share this amazing opportunity with your family members or students in your community until January 31st! https://www.dar.org/national-society/scholarships

Fall Forum in Indianapolis was wonderful! Chapter Regent Nancy Patterson led the room in the American’s Creed, and Aubrey Williams served as the State Regent’s Personal Page. The State Society presented a check to sponsor a service dog for a woman veteran, honored nurses last and present, and focused on the importance of honoring our Vietnam veterans and Gold Star families.

We also had an opportunity to shop tables hosted by chapters and groups.

Chapter members (and their DAR friends across the state!) visited the Caroline Scott Harrison Chapter House to attend Fall Forum Workshop today in Indianapolis to learn more about how we can support our membership and communities. They also enjoyed a tour of both the interior and exterior of the neighboring Indiana Governor’s Residence.