Things have been quiet here on "Little Bytes of Life," but they have definitely not been quiet in our household.
Those of you who are members of DAR or C.A.R. know what I'm talking about. For those of you who aren't, let me explain. This time of year is a bit like DAR/C.A.R. "tax time." It's the time of year when we report on all the activities of our particular chapter or society.
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I talk about the DAR a lot here, but what many of you probably don't know about me is that I also serve as a "senior" leader (the adults are called "seniors - it has nothing to do with my advancing age, thank you) for our local society of the Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R).
What is the C.A.R.? Well, it's kind of like the
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR),
Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), or
Sons of the Revolution (S.R.), except that it's for kids, from birth to age 22. That kind of trivializes it, though.
From the
National Society's web site:
C.A.R., the nation's oldest, largest, patriotic youth organization, offers membership to anyone under the age of 21, lineally descended from someone who rendered material aid to the cause of American Independence as a soldier, sailor, civil officer, or recognized patriot in one of the several Colonies or States, or of the United States.
I enjoy it because it's something I can do with my daughter. We can even drag Daddy along occasionally for some family time. As a homeschool mom, I'm always looking for educational activities for my daughter, and C.A.R. membership offers multiple opportunities for those. Kids learn about history, government, conservation, and technology, among others, and can gain leadership experience at a variety of levels.
Plus - and I'll let you in on a little secret - when it comes time to join the DAR, SAR, or S.R., a C.A.R. member in good standing (current on his/her dues) does not have to pay the application fee. This can be a substantial savings, depending on the group to which he/she is applying.
I could go on an on, extolling the virtues of C.A.R. membership, but I won't do that now. I'll save it for another post instead.
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For the past couple of weeks, I've been stuck behind a computer, furiously preparing a variety of reports to
brag on report about for our little group. It's always an interesting process to look back and reflect on what was accomplished during the year. Kind of like what many folks do at the end of a calendar year... except with about a ream of paper and lots of printer ink.
Why do we go to so much work every year? Well, as a group so heavily involved in historical preservation, it's important to get everything "on the record" and recorded in our history books. Annual histories are compiled and preserved by the society historians at various levels so future generations can see what was done back in good 'ol 2009.
Plus, I'd be lying if I said there weren't awards involved.
So having reflected on the past year and completed all my reports, I'd like to share a few of the things our group did last year that I enjoyed most, or am most proud of:
Attending the Sons of the American Revolution's (SAR) 27th Annual "George Washington Massing of the Colors and Salute to our Armed Forces" at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles. It was truly an amazing sight to see so many color guards together in one place.
Putting flags on the graves of veterans buried at the Santa Maria Cemetery in preparation for Memorial Day. This was our second year of participation. Yes, I know my kid is dragging a flag on the ground, but you can only tell an almost-3-year-old something so many times.
My little one presenting a wreath at a Memorial Day Ceremony. Mommy was very proud.
Attending the Chumash Intertribal Pow-Wow for the first time. It was a beautiful ceremony that you really have to see and hear for yourself. More photos of this event
here.
Accepting a proclamation from the Mayor. The short person is my kid.
Participating in a Veterans Day parade.
But what I think I'm most excited about is our growth in membership. We gained 12 new members this past year, which nearly doubles our group in size. That may not sound like much, but with society (genealogical and lineage) membership declining all over, it's a lot! I'm so happy to have had a hand in growing our group, and I'm so proud of what they accomplished this past year.
We're looking forward to our C.A.R. State Conference, which is coming up later this month in Cambria. It's always inspiring to see the kids run their own meetings, complete with processionals, gavels, and parliamentary procedure. Each officer and state chairman gives a report, and the candidates for office must give their "campaign" speeches. An election is held, and even the littlest members get a vote (with help from Mom and Dad, of course). At the evening banquet, awards are given out, the newly-elected officers are introduced, and everyone dances the night away... at least, until curfew.
This year's conference includes a trip to
Hearst Castle, a place that I haven't seen in at least 30 years. I seem to recall that it had a really big swimming pool.
To learn more about the C.A.R., visit the
National Society,
California State Society, or
ask me.
Copyright © by Elizabeth O'Neal
