Our Organization

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded on October 11, 1890. Other organizations of the time formed to recognize our Revolutionary past excluded women. Our founders felt the desire to express their own patriotic feelings and the result was the birth of the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution. Love of country was the purpose and sharing ancestors who fought for freedom was the common bond. The DAR unites women in an organization that honors that heritage by working to preserve the memory and physical reminders of that past while working to ensure a bright future for our children, carrying the torch of patriotism forward to new generations.

Over 125 years of active service the DAR has maintained the objectives laid down in the formative meetings:

Historic Preservation - to perpetuate the memory and spirit of the men and women who achieved American independence;

Education - to carry out the injunction of Washington in his farewell address to the American people, "to promote, as an object of primary importance, institutions for the general diffusion of knowledge, thus developing an enlightened public opinion…";

Patriotism - to cherish, maintain, and extend the institutions of American freedom, to foster true patriotism and love of country, and to aid in securing for mankind all the blessings of liberty.

The DAR is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women's service organization. DAR members volunteer millions of service hours annually in their local communities including supporting active duty military personnel and assisting veteran patients, awarding thousands of dollars in scholarships and financial aid each year to students, and supporting schools for underserved children with annual donations exceeding one million dollars.

As one of the most inclusive genealogical societies in the country, DAR has more than 185,000 active members in 3,000 chapters across the United States and internationally. Any woman 18 years or older-regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background-who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership.

DAR National Headquarters in Washington, D.C. houses one of the nation's premier genealogical libraries, one of the foremost collections of pre-industrial American decorative arts, Washington's largest concert hall, and an extensive collection of early American manuscripts and imprints. Since its founding in 1890, DAR has admitted more than 950,000 members. The organization is exempt from Federal income taxes under the provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and receives no government funding.

Our Chapter

Our chapter was founded in 2010 to serve the Snoqualmie Valley. Our monthly meetings are held in historic Snoqualmie on Saturday mornings, enabling women of all ages and walks of life to attend. After the business portion of each meeting we have an engaging program that fits with the mission of the DAR: Patriotism, Education, and Historic Preservation. Recent and upcoming topics include:

• How DAR preserves history
• Role of the museum curator
• Patriot Honor Guard Riders
• Preserving your family's history
• Military working dogs and service dogs
• DNA genealogy
• Colonial era clothing and linen spinning
• The true stories of the Salem Witches
• How to use land records in genealogy research

Our meetings also often include a service project such as:

• Making gifts for veterans living in a local senior facility
• Collecting and assembling care packages for military
• Packaging cards for active duty military
• Collecting books for local schools
• Collecting supplies for inner city schools
• Making blankets for students at Chemawa Indian School
• Collecting stuffed animals for the police department
• Collecting toiletries for Fisher House

We support the people in our community by:

• Donating to the food bank
• Working with the American Legion to host Memorial Day programs
• Creating educational pieces on the Constitution for the King County Libraries
• Prepare and serve meals at Fisher House and Snoqualmie Valley Shelter
• Award a Good Citizen award to a Mt. Si High School student
• Award the Helen Pouch Classroom Grant to a local teacher
• Organize community Angel Tree for Christmas gifts for resident/patients at North Bend Post Acute
• Co-Host a fish out for Project Healing Waters
• Clean headstones at Mt. Si Cemetery and Fall City Cemetery
• Support the Backpack for Kids program
• Honor veterans at the Senior Center and a retirement home on Veteran’s Day

Our members volunteer at places like the Historical Society, Eastside Baby Corner, Tahoma National Cemetery, Girl Scouts, Little League, and Kiwanis. We are highly involved in genealogy groups, hold offices in state DAR clubs, Chair State Committees, and serve as State Officers.

Contact us with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you. You are welcome to attend any meeting.

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a non-political organization open to women over the age of 18 who can prove a linear descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving American independence. Founded in 1890, there are over 180,000 members in approximately 3,000 DAR chapters in the United States and abroad.

Our Namesake

Annie Pulliam Joyner Willard Carpenter was born April 16, 1867 in Brownsville, Missouri. She arrived in Washington territory in December 1888, establishing her as a Washington Pioneer. She settled near the town of North Bend. Annie appeared in the 1900 census as a widow, and was listed as head of household with an occupation as a farmer, both were fairly uncommon for women of the time. She worked in and owned hotels, established one of the earliest orchards in the area, and in later life became a property owner and landlord. She wrote for the local newspaper, the Valley Record, and was a founding member of the North Bend community Church. She served as secretary of the Church and the Aid Society, which was responsible for the installation of the first sidewalks in North Bend.

We chose Annie as our namesake because like us, she was a busy woman raising children, and working inside and outside of her home not only to provide an income for her family, but to serve her community.