Below is an outline for conducting a DAR genealogy workshop.

Genealogy Worksheet

Before the workshop begins, encourage female attendees interested in joining the DAR to complete as much as they know about their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents on BOTH sides of their family on the one-page Genealogy Worksheet.  Even if they only have a small amount of information, tell them to fill it in.  Explain that you will collect the worksheets at the end of the workshop, and your DAR chapter will look for a Revolutionary War patriot for them. 

NOTE:  This step is the most important part of the workshop because it gives you the information you need to turn an eligible workshop attendee into a DAR member.  After the workshop, make an extra copy of each of the Genealogy Worksheets that you collected.  The Chapter Registrar should keep one set of the copies.  Distribute the extra copies to the person assisting you with looking for a Revolutionary War patriot whether it is your chapter lineage research committee or your state Area Volunteer Genealogist.

What is the DAR?

At the beginning of the workshop, introduce yourself and provide some information about your chapter.  Next, provide a short explanation about the DAR.  For example, the DAR was founded in 1890, and it is headquartered in Washington, DC.  It is a non-profit, non-political, women's service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing better education for our nation's children.  Mention the eligibility requirements. For instance, any woman age 18 years or older who can prove lineal, blood line descent from someone who aided the Americans during Revolutionary War is eligible for membership.  This part of the workshop should be no more than 2 or 3 minutes.

Finding a Revolutionary War Patriot

Next, provide a very brief definition of a Revolutionary War patriot in terms of the 3 types of acceptable service which are military, patriotic, and civil.  For example, state "In addition to military service, the DAR accepts patriotic service which includes taking the oath of allegiance, paying a supply tax, furnishing supplies, and loaning money to the cause.  Civil service, such as serving as a town clerk, constable, surveyor of highways, juror, or fence viewer is the third type of acceptable service."

Discuss the time frame in which the service must have taken place which is between 19 Apr 1775 (Battles of Lexington and Concord) and 26 Nov 1783 (withdrawal of British troops from New York).

Next, explain the processes and resources for finding a Revolutionary War patriot in their family trees.  Tell them that you will be showing them two different strategies for finding a Revolutionary War patriot "hidden" in their family tree. 

The best place to start is the Public Member Trees Database on Ancestry.com.  Although Ancestry.com is a subscription site, free access may be available at your local Family History Center or public library affiliate.  Explain that they are viewing a free tutorial called "Researching Your Revolutionary War Patriot Ancestor."  Provide attendees with the website address to the tutorial in a handout. The address is http://www.learnwebskills.com/patriot

Use the script in the tutorial to explain the first strategy for finding a Revolutionary patriot which is working back in your direct lineage to someone born between 1710 and 1765 who was living in 1775-1776.  Once they find someone who fits that description in their tree, they should check the DAR Ancestor Database (I call it the DAR Patriot Database in the tutorial) to see if that person is already an accepted Revolutionary War patriot.

Next, discuss the second strategy for finding a Revolutionary War patriot which uses the DAR Descendants Database.  Rather than starting with a potential Revolutionary War patriot ancestor as is required when using the DAR Ancestor/Patriot Database, the DAR Descendants Database allows you to check the DAR database starting with your great-grandparents.  This can be the easiest and most effective method for identifying the proven Revolutionary War patriots in your lineage.  The free video for DAR members only called "How to Find a Provable Patriot in 90 Minutes or Less" will be helpful in understanding this second strategy.  Again, feel free to use the script in the tutorial for discussing the Descendants Database.

Documenting the Lineage

Discuss the documents that DAR usually requires for the first three to four generations in the lineage.  Explain that we need COPIES of these documents.  They need to keep the originals.

Generation 1 (applicant):
* her birth certificate (must list her parents)

Generation 2 (parents):
* if one or both parents are LIVING, birth certificates for one or both
* if one or both parents are DECEASED, death certificates for one or both
* if parents' marriage certificate can be obtained, please provide.  If not, don't worry about it.

Generation 3 (grandparents):
* if one or both are LIVING, birth certificates for one or both
* if one or both are DECEASED, death certificates for one or both
* if grandparents' marriage certificate can be obtained, please provide.  If not, don't worry about it.

Generation 4 (great-grandparents):
* death certificates for both (if obtainable)

It is important that they know how to order the necessary vital records for the recent generations.  Thus, be sure to discuss the CDC website for ordering vital records as well as Deathindexes.com, and Find-A-Grave. 

*  CDC Vital Records
*  Deathindexes.com
*  Find-A-Grave

For the purposes of a public genealogy workshop, this will probably be sufficient to get the attendees started.  However, if you wish to discuss additional sites for documenting the lineage, review the "Documenting the Lineage" module for detailed instructions on searching:

*  the Family History Library Catalog
*  records on the FamilySearch website
*  county and town histories
*  the DAR GRC Index

Free Online Tutorial

For more information, refer attendees to the free online tutorial "Researching Your Revolutionary War Patriot Ancestor."
The address for the tutorial is:
http://www.learnwebskills.com/patriot