PRESIDENT GENERAL'S MESSAGE
Ginnie Sebastian Storage
Let us commemorate this pivotal moment in history with reverence and joy, ensuring that the ideals of freedom and unity endure for generations to come.
The 56 Signers' exhibit, Preserving Patriotism: The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy at DAR Photo by NSDAR
Reflections on Our Nation’s 250th Anniversary
Today marks a monumental milestone—the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence! Across this vast nation, from sea to shining sea, Daughters, along with their friends and families, unite in a vibrant celebration of our country’s birth. Your remarkable creativity, passion, and dedication shine brightly on this historic occasion. Over the three years of the Storage Administration, we commit ourselves to illuminating our rich legacy and celebrating this grand occasion of America 250! This event embodies the core tenets upon which our Society was founded: to honor and perpetuate the memory and spirit of the courageous men and women who forged our independence; to cultivate an enlightened public discourse; and to inspire a deep-seated sense of patriotic citizenship that will echo through the ages. Let us commemorate this pivotal moment in history with reverence and joy, ensuring that the ideals of freedom and unity endure for generations to come.
Our legacy lives in the markers we place to remember our Patriot ancestors and in our work to inspire love of country in our nation’s children. Our legacy lives in the smiles and support we share at veterans’ clinics and in classrooms. And our legacy grows every time we help another woman find a Patriot in her family tree, enabling her to join us as a Daughter.
At this moment in time, it is impossible not to think back 50 years to the Bicentennial and ponder what the Daughters of the past were thinking. In the Bicentennial issue of The Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine, several Honorary Presidents General offered greetings. “This Bicentennial issue provides unusual opportunity to refresh and update ourselves on the tremendous scope of the National Society’s activities and achievements in the fields of preservation, education, and patriotism,” wrote Marion Moncure Duncan, President General, 1962–1965. “ … DAR service as executed through local chapters and individual members forms an integral part of American life at [the] community level.”
Organizing Secretary General Marguerite Fritsch, First Vice President General Kathryn West, President General Ginnie Storage, Chaplain General Mernie Crane, and Curator General Renee Pace. Photo by NSDAR
President General Ginnie Sebastian Storage and Curator General Renee Pace explore the 56 Signers' exhibit with Dr. Lee Glazer, NSDAR Senior Director, Historic Preservation and Collections. Photo by NSDAR
Adele Erb Sullivan, President General, 1965–1968, wrote: “Even though the authors of our great ‘Documents of Freedom’ were MEN, without the aid of the WOMEN during its 200-year existence as an Independent Republic—this Nation would never have prospered and survived as the great Nation it is today.”
And, our President General during the Bicentennial, Jane Farwell Smith, who served from 1975–1977, wrote: “Steeped as we are in the early beginnings of this great ‘Democracy in a Republic,’ we look to the past to give us inspiration for fulfillment of the hopes and aspirations set by our Patriots for the future of these United States.”
The words of Mrs. Duncan, Mrs. Sullivan, and Mrs. Smith ring as true today upon the Semiquincentennial as they did 50 years ago. While the capabilities of the National Society and the needs and interests of its members continue to expand and evolve, our legacy and purpose remain steadfast. Our mission remains constant as we find new ways to reach and engage women in DAR membership and service.
This message appears in the first issue of The Daughters’ Portico, a digital publication that is being distributed to all members at no additional cost. Just as our DAR Headquarters, with its breathtaking physical portico, is a “House Beautiful” for all Daughters, this publication is another special place for you. Each detail of The Daughters’ Portico has been designed with intention, including the publication’s nameplate. The script used for “Daughters” is a custom handwriting treatment in honor of the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence. The typeface for “Portico” was selected for its architectural styling, calling to mind the Georgian Revival design of Memorial Continental Hall. The circular emblem, or mark, pays tribute to our physical portico and offers another styling option, particularly in the increasingly important mobile environment. Together, the nameplate and mark embody the femininity and strength that have defined the Daughters of the American Revolution since our founding in 1890.
We will gather here on this digital “portico” to share friendship and to tell the stories of our continued service to the United States of America—both so they may be remembered upon our nation’s Tricentennial and beyond, and also so they may inspire the Daughters of today to continue our good work.
I wish my fellow Daughters the happiest of Independence Days. We have so much to celebrate. P
JULY/AUGUST 2026
