DAR Members from Around the World Will Tune in Online for the Virtual 129th Continental Congress

WASHINGTON, DC – Members of the Daughters of the American Revolution from around the world will be gathering this week for their annual convention – but in a historic first, they will be gathering entirely online for their Virtual 129^th DAR Continental Congress. This year’s convention will conduct its regular business and honor the extensive work of DAR members throughout the year with a new virtual experience in light of the Coronavirus pandemic. The week-long event that typically draws more than 4,000 DAR members to the DAR Headquarters building in Washington, D.C., will instead convert its business sessions, committee meetings, social functions, and evening award ceremonies into programming that can be viewed online, allowing even more of the 185,000 members across the world access to viewing time-honored tradition.

Prerecorded video programming for the Opening Night Ceremony on June 24 will feature Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie Bunch, who will be honored with the DAR History Award Medal and provide the keynote remarks. Pulitzer-prize winning author Rick Atkinson will be awarded the DAR Excellence in American History Book Award for his book, The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777. The DAR Media and Entertainment Award will be presented to the PBS history and genealogical program “Finding Your Roots,” and host Henry Louis Gates, Jr. will provide acceptance remarks.

The National Defense Night Ceremony, which will air on June 27, will celebrate the nation’s military and veterans, with LTG Robert Ashley, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency providing the keynote remarks and receiving the DAR Patriot Award. Other national awards will be presented virtually during the week to outstanding individuals celebrating excellence in historic preservation, education and patriotism.

All DAR members  are encouraged to engage in the Virtual 129th Continental Congress online at the DAR Members’ Website. To learn more and watch the online video sessions, visit: www.dar.org/CongressLive

“Though we cannot be together in person, we are embracing technology to gather virtually in order to celebrate the success of our Society. We are determined that the pandemic will not keep us from fulfilling our important mission,” said President General Denise Doring VanBuren. “Our Virtual 129th Continental Congress will not only highlight the outstanding work of our membership over the past year but also allow us to honor worthy Americans who have made significant contributions to our nation and their neighbors.”

The DAR Continental Congress is an annual gathering that has traditionally been held in Washington, D.C. since the organization’s founding in 1890. National, state and chapter leaders as well as other members from across the country and around the world gather to report on the year’s work, honor outstanding award recipients, plan future initiatives and reconnect with friends.

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The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. With more than 185,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world's largest and most active service organizations. To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visit www.DAR.org.