The General Evan Shelby Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSCDAR) commemorated 125 years with an anniversary celebration Saturday. The event was a First Presbyterian Church and featured various skits, speeches, and presentations.
Four founders, including Mary Desha from Lexington, founded the NSDAR in 1890 in Washington, D.C. The local chapter was formed on October 23, 1897, making it the 366th chapter ever formed.
NSDAR has three primary missions: education, historic preservation, and patriotism. They abide by the motto, “God, home, and country.”
“Our chapter was instrumental in bringing the historic Jones cabin to Yellow Creek Park’s Pioneer Village,” said NSDAR regent Mary Coomes. “Our members are also involved in ensuring historic cemeteries are preserved as well as cleaning headstones.”
The chapter also recognizes local youth annually by naming students from each area high school as a Good Citizen. The recipients receive a monetary prize, a certificate, and a pin at an award ceremony before their family and friends.
“We also recognize ROTC students from Daviess County, Owensboro, and Apollo each year with a certificate and a medal,” she said. “Patriotism is a huge part of our mission. We march in the Veteran’s Day parade each year, and we support homeless veterans by dropping off donations at the veteran’s clinic once each quarter.”
The group is also a Vietnam War Commemorative Partner and distributes flags, Constitution posters, and bookmarks during Constitution Week. They also have city and county officials sign various proclamations and recently purchased a bronze monument honoring WWI veterans for the American Legion.
The General Evan Shelby Chapter is always looking to grow its footprint by recruiting new, young members.
“We currently have 72 active members with several new member applications pending. Three of those members are junior members between the ages of 13 and 35,” Coomes said. “To join the DAR, a woman has to be able to trace her ancestry back to a man or woman who supported the Revolutionary War effort or fought in the war.”
Coomes said amateur genealogists and the chapter registrar, Carlene McGregor, would assist prospective members in filling out an application to submit to the NSDAR for verification.
