Community Resources

The General Marion Chapter, NSDAR, is active in our community. Each year we give an award and monetary donation to a deserving ROTC student. Our chapter has a yearly program on a women’s issue. We have learned about prescription drug addiction and getting the right doctor. The chapter also supports programs on American Indians with past programs about the Sand Creek Massacre and a Sioux Tribe member in full costume talking about Indian culture and customs. Conservation programs have included the importance of honey bees, aquatic nuisance species, the fish hatchery, and the Pueblo State Park. The chapter supports the McCandless Veteran’s Home with monetary donations, and we gave the residents haircuts and Christmas bags. We are always looking for new projects to help our community and to support the goals of historic preservation, education, and patriotism.

Awards and Honors

Community Service Awards are presented on local, state, and national levels to individuals and groups who have contributed to their communities in an outstanding voluntary, heroic, civil, or benevolent manner, or who have participated in or organized community activities.

DAR Distinguished Citizen Medals are awarded to emergency first responders, active duty military and veterans of the Armed Forces, and citizens who have contributed to the defense and security of the nation, state, or local community in an exceptional manner.

DAR Outstanding Cadet Medals are awarded to student cadets who distinguish themselves through outstanding leadership, honor, courage, service, and patriotism in non-ROTC, military-affiliated cadet programs funded by schools or privately, including but not limited to Naval Sea Cadet Corps and Civil Air Patrol Cadet Corps.

DAR Youth Citizenship Medals foster a greater appreciation of the qualities of citizenship that Americans must possess if our country is to remain sovereign and independent. These medals are presented to children in grades 5-11 who are dedicated to honor, service, courage, leadership, and patriotism.

Patriotism Awards are presented to American citizens for outstanding contributions to the nation including the prestigious DAR Medal of Honor which is awarded to native-born American citizens and the Americanism Medal which is awarded to naturalized citizens.

ROTC Medals are awarded to student cadets of outstanding ability and achievement in high school, junior college, college, or university ROTC programs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.

Veteran Service Awards are presented each year to honor those working with veterans including the Outstanding Veteran Volunteer, Outstanding Youth Volunteer, and Outstanding DAR Service for Veterans Award.

For more information about these and other DAR awards and honors, please contact the chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

Contests

The DAR Good Citizens program is a wonderful way to recognize and reward outstanding high-school seniors in our community. The program and scholarship contest is intended to encourage and reward the qualities of good citizenship (dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism in their homes, schools, and communities). Winning students are selected by their teachers and peers because they demonstrate these qualities to an outstanding degree. The program is open to all high school seniors enrolled in accredited public or private secondary schools that are in good standing with their state boards of education. Only one student per year may be honored as a school’s DAR Good Citizen. United States citizenship is not required.

Essay Contests are provided including the American History Essay Contest which is open to all grade 5-8 students in public, private, or parochial schools, and in registered home-study programs. The theme varies each year, but relates to a character — such as Paul Revere — or an event in American history. The Christopher Columbus Essay Contest is open to all grade 9-12 students. since 1996, the NSDAR has joined with the National Italian American Foundation to sponsor an annual national essay contest on Christopher Columbus. The essay topic changes annually and the contest runs during a school year.

Junior American Citizens contests for grades K-12 in art, creative expression, and community service are offered to encourage a deeper sense of social responsibility and interest in civics and the history of the United States. Entries are judged by grade on three levels (gifted, general and special needs) so that every child may enter the contest regardless of ability. Children from youth groups, as well as schools, may participate in the contests. Any school, organization or person can participate in the JAC Contest under sponsorship of a local DAR chapter.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution created the Junior American Citizens Committee in 1901 to promote good citizenship and appreciation of American heritage and history and promote practical ideas for service to home, community, school and country among every school-age child in the United States.

Outstanding American History Teacher Award
The state and national DAR recognizes a notable, full-time teacher of American History (and related fields, such as social studies, government, and citizenship education) in public, private and parochial schools, grades 5–12. The candidate must have an incisive knowledge of American history that he/she readily shares with students, foster a spirit of patriotism and loyal support of our country and constitutional government, demonstrate the ability to relate history to modern life and events, have high academic standards, requiring excellence at all times from students, and be committed to his/her students and enjoy good rapport with them.

For more information about these and other DAR contests, please contact the chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

Classroom

The following DAR resources may be most useful to students and teachers when they are studying subjects such as the Revolutionary War, family history/genealogy, the colonial period and early America. Teachers and students are encouraged to explore the available resources and get involved in the different programs DAR offers.

AncestryK12 Partnership
DAR has partnered with AncestryK12 to bring our educational resources to a wider audience. Ancestry offers a no-cost program for K12 schools to give them access to a variety of resources from Ancestry and other partner organizations. Partner organizations like DAR feature curriculum, lesson plans, programs and other educational materials to students and teachers.

Commemorative Events
The General Marion Chapter is happy to join other chapters, the state, and National Society to plan local and regional commemorative events, and to join in celebrations that support the goals of our Society. Several recent or upcoming celebrations or memorializations include the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage, the 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War, the 75th Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl, 150th Anniversary of Memorial Day, the 100th Anniversary WWI ended; Treaty of Versailles, the 100th Anniversary of American’s Creed, 75th Anniversary of D-Day, and Independence Day (annual). We are especially excited about July 2026, as the United States will mark its 250th anniversary – and we are preparing to celebrate in a big way!

Community Classroom Committee
This community is among the newest for the NSDAR. Beginning in July 2016, chapters have been encouraged to adopting a classroom or school to provide time and/or financial support. If you are an administrator or teacher in a Colorado Springs’ region school and would like to explore how we can help you, please contact the chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

Constitution Week
Constitution Week is the commemoration of America’s most important document. It is celebrated annually during the week of September 17-23. The aims of the Constitution Week celebration are to:

Emphasize citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution.
Inform people that the Constitution is the basis for America’s great heritage and the foundation for our way of life.
Encourage the study of the historical events which led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787.
More information can be found on this Constitution Week page of the National DAR website or please contact the chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

DAR Lesson Plans
Through our Educational Resources Committee, DAR provides original lesson plans for the K-12 community that are rich in content that focus on America, its history, government, heritage, genealogy, as well as related language and/or math topics. These lesson plans are provided for teachers and other groups to use for educational purposes only and can be found on this Lesson Plan page of the National DAR website or please contact the chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

DAR Manual for Citizenship

From as early as 1910, the DAR has helped immigrants become naturalized citizens. For close to 85 years, the DAR has compiled and published the DAR Manual For Citizenship. More than 12 million copies of this book were given free to immigrants seeking American citizenship. The manual continues to be useful for those studying to become citizens as well as for students learning about U.S. citizenship and immigration. This manual can be used as a tool in the classroom to demonstrate the many facts new citizens are required to know before they can complete their naturalization process. Today, DAR members across the country continue to help immigrants become naturalized citizens as well as celebrate their achievements by participating in naturalization ceremonies in their local communities.

Grants

State Society

One way the Colorado DAR promotes patriotism, preserves American history, and champions education is to provide grant funding within these service areas of our communities. For more information about these funding opportunities and the application process, please contact the chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

National Society

Our National DAR Special Projects Grants Program provides local community grant funding to public charity 501c3 entities to support projects exemplifying the organization’s mission areas of Historic Preservation, Education, and Patriotism. A Special Projects Grant application must be accompanied by a letter of sponsorship from a DAR chapter or state society. For sponsorship through the General Marion Chapter, please contact the chapter regent using our Contact Us form. More information can be found on the DAR Historic Preservation Grants page of the NSDAR website.

Our National Junior Membership Committee also provides grants with support from the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund. These opportunities are primarily provided to enhance classrooms and support educational professionals and facilities.

For more information about these funding opportunities and the application process, please contact the chapter regent using our Contact Us form.

Scholarships

State Society

One way the Colorado DAR promotes education is to help students achieve a college degree with the following scholarships:

Adult Advanced Education Scholarship
This scholarship is provided to further the education, in any field, to an adult whose education was interrupted for at least one year.

Virginia Leyda Roberts Nursing Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to a student who has been accepted or is currently enrolled in a nursing school for an associate or bachelor’s nursing degree.

Honorary State Regents’ American History Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to a college or university junior or senior with a concentrated study in history, government, or political science (or proof of intent to teach history or government).

Elementary/Secondary Teacher Education Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate or postgraduate student who is majoring in an elementary or secondary school teacher education.

For more information about these and other scholarship opportunities, visit the Scholarships page of the Colorado State DAR website or contact the chapter regentt using our Contact Us form.

National Society

Our National DAR awards multiple scholarships to students showing dedication to the pursuit of degrees in diverse disciplines including history, law, nursing, and education. More information about these scholarships can be found on the Scholarships page of the NSDAR website.

Speakers and Programs

The General Marion Chapter, state, and national DAR has experienced speakers who offer excellent programs to other civic and service organizations. Some topics include American history, genealogy and lineage research, education, historic preservation, patriotism, and various programs on the Daughters of the American Revolution.

For more information about these, visit the Speakers and Programs page of the Colorado State DAR website or contact the chapter regent using our Contact Us form.