The National Board of Management just approved some changes for the National Defense Committee. These could make a lot of difference to our chapters’ activities, especially with COVID-19.

The main change, which Mrs. VanBuren referred to in her April 13th blog, is that use of the DAR Distinguished Citizen Medal may now be expanded to include groups, rather than just one person. The NBOM amended the original ruling for the medal as follows (changes in bold):

“To establish the DAR Distinguished Citizen Medal for recognition of citizens, 18 years and older, and groups who have contributed to the defense and/or security, and thereby the freedom, of the community, state or nation. This award is presented to emergency first responders, emergency health responders, active duty military, veterans of the United States armed forces, and individuals who fulfill the qualities of honor, service, courage, leadership, and patriotism. Medals will be given to each person in the group receiving the award. The award process is administered by the state chair of the National Defense Committee.”

The medal has “DAR Distinguished Citizen” on the front; each person would individually and collectively be a “Distinguished Citizen.” This change will mean that if a chapter wants to make an award to a group, it will cost them more for additional certificates and medals, and they should plan accordingly. It is worth it. First responders, medical people, truck drivers, and grocery/drugstore personnel are getting a lot “thank-yous” on television, radio and social media, and that’s important, but it’s also fleeting. A medal and certificate are something they can hold in their hands, show their grandchildren, and remember when they’re older.

The directions and guidelines for the award will be updated as quickly as possible. In the meantime, if anyone has any questions about this, you can refer them to this email or to me directly.

Another change concerns the JROTC Bronze Medal awards. The background is that in some places, the military can’t supply enough people to staff a JROTC program at every high school/secondary school in the county/district, so they have a consolidated JROTC program at one high school and JROTC students from the other high schools take their military courses there. The current guidelines say that one medal may be awarded per year per unit, which means that the outstanding cadets who might have received the award at their home high school lose out, through no fault of their own or the military’s. It’s just how things are.

However, Pamela Wright, our committee’s National Liaison officer, says that the original ruling for the JROTC medal states that it may be awarded to a “secondary student” in a school, and it does not specify “unit.” She believes that the guidelines were inadvertently updated incorrectly. (It was probably done when there were enough military staff available so that all interested schools could have their own unit, so “unit” and “school” were interchangeable at the time, sort of.)

So where chapters have JROTC units in which the cadets are from more than the one high school, they may award a JROTC Bronze Medal to the outstanding cadet at each of the high schools that have students taking part in the consolidated JROTC program. It would be best to make the award either at the student’s school or a chapter meeting, rather than at the consolidated unit.

Both these changes give our chapters good opportunities for greater involvement in and support for our communities, and expressing appreciation for what people have done is always a good thing. Then, too, we get some good PR out of it as well. People really do remember DAR awards. Every year at Continental Congress, when I have been outside on the street, someone always comes up and asks if they and their family can go through the building “because the DAR gave me an award once.”

If there are any questions, please let me know. Meanwhile, everyone keep well and safe, and thank you for all you’re doing!

Laurie Nesbitt
National Chair, National Defense Committee
NSDAR

The DAR Store is fulfilling orders for cadet medals and certificates, but only via online orders, not by phone. These online orders are processed twice a week. Expect three (3) weeks for medals to arrive due to fulfillment and mailing time. With many chapters across the country ordering medals for this time of year, you may want to consider placing your online order for your medals and certificates as soon as possible.