Minnesota SAR

The National SAR has a leadership meeting twice a year in Louisville, KY: spring and fall. The SAR trustees have a regular meeting during these times, and I attend those meetings as the state trustee for Minnesota. Here is my report for the spring meeting, which took place earlier in March.

I will skip over the traditional rituals and greetings that open a trustees meeting. Here is a summary of points I recorded:

The National Genealogical Society (NGS.org) is collecting donations to preserve War of 1812 pension records. They are in the National Archives but deteriorating.

SAR Congress

The SAR annual Congress takes place in Connecticut this summer. I encourage Minnesota compatriots to attend. We can bring several delegates, each with a vote on issues that arise at the congress. In 2023 the critical issue was raising dues from $35 to $50 a year, which barely passed.

The Congress takes place at the Mohegan Sun resort (https://mohegansun.com/) on the Mohegan reservation. Compatriots should make reservations through the “Events” tab on the SAR.org web site; this should provide a significant rate discount. The reserved rooms are filling fast, so reserve them ASAP.

Once you have your reservation, you need to register for Congress. This will also be on the SAR web site under the Events tab, but registration won’t open until mid-May.

For air travel, the recommendation seems to be to land at Bradley International in Hartford, CT, or T.F. Green International in Warwick, RI. These are about an hour away by car, or about $100 by Uber/Lyft. The Groton-New London Airport is closer, but is a smaller airport. Amtrak also serves New London.

Color Guard members are always encouraged to bring their gear and participate in Congress activities. There are, however, restrictions on weapons by the resort and the Mohegan tribal police. Muskets are allowed, but no black powder is allowed. No personal weapons, including swords, bayonets, long knives, or guns, are permitted with a tiny number of exceptions. There will be inspections to ensure that these restrictions are followed.

General Officer Reports

The Executive Committee approved the proposed Strategic Plan for 2035.

The SAR President General attended 46 events over the last year.

The Chancellor General reminds compatriots not to reproduce copyrighted materials for SAR purposes unless they clearly have the right do do so. For example, there are sites that offer materials with rights for a fee.

The SAR genealogy staff and the Genealogist General have collected and distributed statistics on the relative “efficiency” and “readiness” of applications submitted on a state-by-state basis. These are very rough assessments. To quote Rob Sexton, chair of the Genealogy Committee, “If your state is in the upper third or half, give your genealogist a hug!”

The Registrar General reports that the SAR has over 34,000 members. While we lost members again this year, our retention is improving. In 2024 the SAR had the most reinstatements in a decade.

The Historian General requests that we all hang 2 lights in our window in April 18 in honor of the Boston Alarm when riders Revere and Dawes warned the countryside of British soldiers on the march. The HG also reports that the SAR has established a cooperative agreement with the national America250 celebration, so the SAR is included in their publicity.

The Surgeon General announced the production of a series of memorial coins to celebrate physicians of the American Revolution.

Committee Chair reports

The Color Guard has proposed two new medals. The first is for female participants in SAR color guard activities. The award is similar to the Bronze CG Medal but is available to women who actively participate. The second medal would be for state color guard commanders to recognize their service. Both of these medals must pass additional approvals. The requirements for earning the medals will not be final until all approvals are completed.

The SAR Committee for the Children of the American Revolution is developing a medal proposal to recognize those who sign up current CAR members as SAR members. This proposal is in the early stages.

The SAR Library and Archive now has one of the six known examples of stamps affixed to paper to reflect a Stamp Act fee.

The National Dues Billing Committee has lost its funding. Further deployment of ClubExpress for state and chapter level online services, including dues collection, now falls on the states themselves until additional funding arises.