Bill of Rights Chapter - NSDAR - Society and Culture

Bill of Rights Chapter was organized on January 30, 1965 in Woodbridge, Prince William County, Virginia. Our organizing regent, Mrs. J. P. Roysdon, is still an active member of our chapter. Our chapter name was chosen in honor of George Mason, father of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. His home, Gunston Hall, is located just north of Woodbridge in southern Fairfax County on the Potomac River. The Virginia Declaration of Rights is the precursor of the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution.

Since its organization, Bill of Rights Chapter has been a "marking chapter."
This means that our chapter has resolved to dedicate a portion of the funds we raise to placing historical/commemorative markers at deserving and eligible sites. We have marked twelve historical landmarks including Gunston Hall, the home of George Mason. Additional funds raised are used for charitable causes.

What is DAR?

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is an organization of women directly descended from persons who aided in establishing American independence. Women 18 years of age or over who can prove such descent are eligible for membership. A chief goal of the DAR is to teach and promote good citizenship among youths, adults, and immigrants. Its programs promote appreciation of the past, patriotic service in the present, and educational training for the future. The DAR helps preserve shrines that keep alive the memory of persons who won American independence. It encourages the study of American history, and maintains relics and records of early America.

The organization supports two schools in remote mountain areas of Alabama and South Carolina that are cut off from regular school systems. It also aids six other schools and colleges. It publishes the DAR Manual for Citizenship to help foreign-born residents of the United States in becoming citizens. The DAR sponsors Junior American Citizens Clubs for schoolchildren, provides scholarships for American Indians, and runs an annual DAR Good Citizens contest in U.S. high schools. The organization's official publication is called "American Spirit".

The DAR was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1890. It was chartered by Congress in 1896 and must report to Congress each year. It has chapters in the United States and other countries.

Headquarters of the DAR consists of three adjoining buildings at 1776 D Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20006-5392. Memorial Continental Hall houses one of the largest genealogical libraries in the United States. The building also contains 28 State Rooms that are furnished in historic American styles. The Administration Building houses the society's business offices and a museum. Constitution Hall is an auditorium where the society holds its annual Continental Congress, and where many of Washington's cultural events are held.

National Society
Daughters of the American Revolution
1776 D Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006-5392
TEL: (202)628-1776
FAX: (202)879-3252