#13 October 4, 2022
Greetings Compatriots,
Thank you for checking in to see how things are going with our Anniversary Program Planning Group. Please share this information with everyone you know by forwarding the update to members on your mailing list and encourage others to sign up for our Program Updates.
SAR States and Chapters have been actively working to establish 250th Anniversary events within their communities. We have enjoyed receiving your photos and event outlines and I encourage you to continue your efforts to engage other organizations, such as the DAR, CAR, Scouts, Veterans organizations, etc. in everything you do. Keep up the good work!
191 Gold Medal Applications have been received and approved as of September 28, 2022, including 56 applications since July 10th. The top three states in number of Gold Medal Recipients are as follows:
Texas 24, North Carolina 21, Missouri 20.
We have also approved 250th Anniversary Gold Medal Applications for the following states: Tennessee 17, Virginia 17, Washington 17, Ohio 15, Kansas 12, California 9, Indiana 7, Kentucky 5, Georgia 4, Michigan 4, Wisconsin 4, West Virginia 3, Arizona 2, Montana 2, Oregon 2, Delaware 1, Florida 1, Iowa 1, Oklahoma 1, Pennsylvania 1, South Carolina 1.
Check page 15 in the Toolkit to set up your own medal program.
Congratulations to our SAR Chapters and the State Societies who have begun work to document their 250th Anniversary events and are earning the Bronze, Silver, and Gold medals.
Be aware that the 250th Anniversary medals are also available for presentation to DAR and CAR members, along with Scouts and their leaders for significant service to the SAR, based on the same point schedule as used by members. We encourage that you assist Scouts in participating through the use of patches, pins, etc. to provide appropriate recognition.
SAR National currently has an excellent 250th Anniversary Pin available for use as a commemorative item or award. These pins are available on the america250sar.org website.
Scouting and America 250 SAR
Oregon SAR is conducting a Merit Badge Workshop this November for the River’s Edge District held at Pioneer Village, St. Paul, Oregon. The Oregon SAR has taken a tried-and-true merit badge program from the Missouri SAR that is in the Toolkit and used it as the basics for our own. This is our first year doing this program but hope to make it annual. This is why we add these programs, so others can use them.
The Eagle Scout Committee has been focused on developing 250th Anniversary Programs for Scouting organizations across the country. As it becomes more and more difficult for SAR members to access students within school, Scouting becomes a very important link to youth through programs developed for our Compatriots to share with the Scouting community.
SAR Genealogy Training is available under the America 250 SAR Program tab on the website.
This program is a two-part genealogy PowerPoint program. The first part focuses on the basics of how to start your genealogy search for your family without a computer. Just the basics. The second part is how to publish your stories that will last beyond your lifetime. Why publish? As one member asked “I spent the last 20 years doing my family research and we don’t have any kids. What is going to happen to all my years of work? Someone will see it and throw it all away not being interested. What can I do?” The third section is a handout that we use for students as we teach them in their school classrooms about how to find their ancestors. Look over these programs and use them as you want to educate your members and the next generations.
Our Partners section discusses some ways we can combine our resources with the DAR and the CAR to make the 250th celebration a big hit. The Oregon SAR has spent a lot of time working with these sister organizations on combined programs. So far this year they have set up three events in Nov/Dec. There is the Veterans Day parade where we all march together as a group, the SAR Color Guard taking the lead; the Wreaths Across America Program again this year with the SAR Color Guard doing a musket volley and laying wreaths at specific graves with the help of the local DAR and CAR chapters; and a wreath laying ceremony at the grave of the only Revolutionary War soldier buried in Oregon and Washington which will include the State DAR Regent, State CAR officers and the State SAR officers, State Color Guard and members from all chapters. Next year we have even more plans to work together on programs for the public.
Please send stories and photos of your programs so that we might share them with our Compatriots across America and find more and better ways to celebrate our 250th Anniversary.
Be sure to add all your SAR Chapter and State Compatriots to our mailing list so that they can receive our Program Updates.
This is a reproduction of the update email sent and originally signed by
J. Howard Fisk JHFisk@america250sar.org