Continental Congress Reminder: If you are attending Congress, please try to attend the Membership Forum on Wednesday. You’re free to come and go. There will be reports from the Volunteer Genealogists, Lineage Research, Membership, as well as the Registrar General. It’s a great way to find out what’s new!
Member-for-Member Update: Membership is every member’s job! Each of us has an opportunity to share our commitment to DAR by promoting membership. The NSDAR Member-for-Member program was established to acknowledge those who do so. To be eligible for credit, a member must do one of two things: 1) identify and invite a prospective member to learn more about your chapter or 2) research and document the lineage and service for the prospective member’s application papers.
As the member who identifies and invites a prospective member to your chapter, you must sign the application, as an endorser, to receive credit for member-for-member. Be sure your chapter registrar knows that you are the referring Daughter for this prospective. The new DAR application, downloadable from the DAR website, now has two spaces available for member-for-member names. Formerly the 2nd name had to be hand-printed on the application. This will no longer be accepted.
A member assisting the applicant with research may receive member-for-member credit, regardless of the chapter the applicant joins or whether she joins as a member-at-large. No more than two members can take credit for any new member. Simply typing or computer-generating an application does not constitute providing research and would not qualify for member-for-member credit. The chapter registrar can sign for member-for-member credit only if she has done significant research in completing the application paper or invites the prospective member.
Note from the National Membership Chairman: “The names of both members who want to receive credit for the member-for-member program must be typed on the appropriate section of the application before the applicant has signed the application paper. The signature of the applicant provides her approval of those to receive member-for-member credit. Nothing should ever be added to an application after signatures are obtained.”
A very useful benefit for DAR members who have achieved fifty or more member-for- member credits makes it even more important that chapters adhere to the guidelines for assigning member-for-member credit. Under this benefit, those who have achieved the fifty or more credits, gain online access to source images for use in proving applications. To maintain that access you must have five member-for-member credits every eighteen months. This benefit sometimes creates a situation within a chapter of members competing to assist a prospective with her application. As membership teams evolve in our chapters, it is the responsibility of the chairman or chapter registrar that assignments and credits are given fairly.
Q’s and A’s :
Question: If our registrar is not available to sign an application, who is the acceptable signator?
Answer: Either the chapter regent or chapter registrar may attest the signature of the applicant. If one or both of these officers is unavailable, the following officers may sign the application and/or attest the signature of the applicant: the first vice regent, recording secretary or treasurer. When any officer signs in place of the regent or registrar, she should sign her name followed by her title. Remember they must be current chapter officers and signatures must agree with those on file with the Office of the Organizing Secretary General. (Keep e-Membership up to date!)