I would like to project a vision of the future for the SAR - a picture that is solidly based on the foundations of the past and in the reality of the present.   It's a future we approach with a century of experience and with the confidence of our forefathers that we shall succeed.

First, let's review our past to understand who we are, and why we are this way, so that we have better chances of making a success of programs that we hope will shape our future.

The Sons of the American Revolution, the DAR and SR all derive from that period of time just before 1900 when America entered the stage as a world power.   It was near the time of our nation's one-hundredth birthday - our Centennial.   Americans celebrated their confidence and patriotism.  We glorified our past and imagined a limitless future.  Here is an example of the status of the SAR in 1894; Compatriots at the Annual Congress in Washington, DC marched from the hotel to the White House where each one was personally received by President Cleveland.  This was the time of the Spanish-American War, the Great White Fleet and Theodore Roosevelt.

During the first 40 years, our Society was elitist and celebratory.  The Presidents General were men of wealth and influence.  They advanced the purposes of our Society using their own resources.  They were important men and the accomplished many things including:

• Helping to establish formal recognition by Congress of Constitution Day and its observance on September 17 of each year.
  
  

• Being instrumental in the designation by Congress of June 14 as Flag Day each year.
  
  

• Furthering the storage and compliation of Revolutionary War military and naval records in Washington, DC, which resulted in construction of the National Archives Building.   This concept eventually broadened to presere all the archives and records belonging to the United States.
  
  

• Promoting to a successful conclusion the providing of a suitable crypt for the body of Revolutionary War Patriot John Paul Jones at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.  Upon his death he had been interred in Paris, France.

They were very proud of their membership and wore it openly, just like you and me, but they were effective because of their positions outside the Society.   During this period the Society began many of the important programs that we carry on today such as recognizing good citizenship, marking graves, erecting monuments and protecting the flag from desecration.  In the later years of this period, the Society became engaged in a "culture war" with socialists and communists over the subversive content in schoolbooks.  However, governments and other institutions identified with our programs and were ready partners.   During this time our membership grew from zero to 20,000.

During 1936-1940, Messmore Kendall served 4 consecutive years as President General.   He was a Manhattan lawyer, real estate tycoon and theatrical producer.   Time Magazine referred to him as "the President General of the stuffy Sons of the American Revolution."  He planned and financed the erection of a building as a center for the patriotic ceremonies and observances to be held in the summers of '39 & '40 at the New York World's Fair.  This was the Sons of the American Revolution Building, Christened "Washington Hall."  The house was on the shore of a little lake skirting the Fair Grounds, which made a lovely setting for many of the evening displays of fireworks, and became a favorite resting place for our members and their friends.  Mr. Kendall's Executive Committee is of special interest:  Senators Connally and Vandenberg of Texas and Michigan, the Governor of Connecticut, the former Governor of Pennsylvania and the former President of the United States, Herbert Hoover.

Momentous changes occurred in our Society during the '30s, '40s, '50s and '60s that mirrored similar changes in American Culture.  It is too complex to discuss in detail.  Suffice to say we emerged as a decidedly more middle-class Society.  There were no more visits to the White House and there were no more Messmore Kendalls.  Middle-class professional sought the honor of being general officers, and the use of personal wealth and political position in accomplishing programs diminished.  As a result of the turmoil of the period 1930 to 1970, our membership remained constant during these 40 years, while the nations population grew by 65%.  By the way since 1970, we have experienced a very slow growth to our current level of about 26,000, nearly matching the national growth rate.

Now let's remind ourselves of characteristics of our modern SAR in order to establish another benchmark to compare with the past.  The National Society is a much more democratic institution than ever before.  An example is the presence of members of the Council of State Presidents on the Nominating Committee.   Another is the codification of procedures in the handbook and by-laws.   The greatest example is the establishment of special purpose endowment funds to support national committee programs and special projects.

These committees manage or coordinate public outreach programs that span the entire range of activities from marking of Revolutionary War gravesites, to youth contests, to color guard, to museum and library, and to history education via the internet.   The Eagle Scout program was established in 1981.  The Museum was established in 1982.  These are just a few of the dozens of education programs our members have developed to satisfy the stated objects of our organization.   A distinguishing feature of all these committee programs is that they depend heavily on state and chapter volunteers to do the work.  In fact, volunteerism is a distinguishing characteristic of all our programs.

The most critical distinction between 1930 and 2005 is the loss of a sense of our history - of who we are and why we are so very special as Americans.   This huge change threatens to sweep the SAR and other lineage societies into oblivion.

Over the last four decades we have all witnessed the failures in public education to teach American history and to instill an appreciation of the value of unity in one American identity.  We have seen facts give way to feelings and traditional stories about improving the public good by overcoming obstacles pushed aside to make room for stories about victimization.  Consequently, our objective as set forth in the SAR constitution has never been more challenging - "...to inspire the community-at-large with a more profound reverence for the principles of the government founded by our forefathers…"

The SAR has responded by adding numerous programs and recognitions to promote Americanism and knowledge of the inspiring events of the founding of our country.   Unfortunately, our outreach programs are dwarfed by the magnitude of this growing national problem.  An examination of the facts teaches us that our programs touch only few members of the community-at-large.  For example, our youth contests and our good citizenship recognitions reach only a few of the best and brightest.  The average American does not even know who we are, much less about our educational outreach.  Our contests and other public activities, particularly color guard, are excellent.  They are very successful in giving purpose and pride to our members, but they are making too little impact on the national scene.  Consequently, we are compelled to continue working to enlarge our outreach to students and teachers.

Our officers can no longer walk into the halls of government and get things done as we did 100 years ago.  Now, we are different, and the governments are different.  If we are to wield influence other than that accomplished by our local states and chapters we must do it through the strength of new mass media techniques organized on a national basis and emanating from our national headquarters.  And this is precisely what we are starting to do.

Success at this new role for the National Society will require some minor organizational changes.  It requires our members to think of National in a different way.  You can think of it as a culture change of sorts.  The National Society will be producing educational outreach programs, staffed by professional educators and communicators and supported in part by grants.

Let me to summarize the key points I have made.  Times have changed, and we must adapt to this modern reality.  Our Country needs us more than ever before, but to be successful in our mission we must adopt new methods.   These new methods must rely on modern mass media techniques, which require management of a centralized staff of professionals.  The idea is converting the National Society into an educational institution of sorts.  The tool is educational outreach programs to students and teachers and the community-at-large via a dedicated interactive website.  The name of this institution is The Center for Advancing America's Heritage.

Here is a description of the Center For Advancing America's Heritage.

The Center is housed in our headquarters complex that will comprise a new library building and our present building.  Developmental and educational staff will be housed in vacated space.  The museum will find space to display its collections and there will be audio/visual space for educational use.


The Center is the National Society with improved management and policy continuity so that it can successfully attract educational grants and manage an expanded staff of professionals.

The Center is our current and enlarged educational outreach programs.

The SAR Foundation supports the Center.

The CENTER is all of these things.  Indeed, it is the future National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.  It is what the National Society is to become if we are to remain a viable organization in the rapidly changing environment in our country.

1.  The Center will provide historical and genealogical research capabilities to the general public from its library and museum.  It will offer opportunities for students of history, political science, public policy, and genealogy to examine significant works, collections and records pertaining to the Revolutionary War period.

2.  The Center will promote the understanding of the Revolutionary War period, including its people, places, events and memorials through educational outreach programs and curriculum via internet, printed material and presentations using both live and recorded media.

3.  The Center will increase the appreciation of and belief in the principles of democracy and the concept of freedom and how they were achieved during the fight for independence.  The Center will promote good citizenship.

4.  The Center will address patriotism by providing quality educational programs to underserved students, to students from non-Anglo populations and to new Americans.  Through these programs, the general public will better appreciate the value of unity within our nation.  It is unity and acceptance of a paramount American identity that maintain our national strength.

The future requires a culture change in the SAR.  I am asking you to help in this change.  Please study these issues.  Discuss them.   Debate them.  Communicate them to every member.  Engage everyone.   It will take years for the Center to develop into its full range of outreach programs, and these will reach new audiences, so it is important for chapter and states to keep doing the great things they are doing now.  But don't let current practice limit your thinking.  Think of the new SAR as a modern educational institution that celebrates and teaches about the significant accomplishments in our glorious past.

There is something you can do this month to help us move toward this goal.   You can organize all your members to open up this last issue of the SAR Magazine to the center spread, remove that little envelop and vote by making a contribution to the Center for Advancing America's Heritage.  Please do this even if it's just a token contribution because we need your vote of approval.   This will be an annual appeal, and it's part of the culture change that I referred to.

In 1776 our ancestors recognized that only united action could save them from becoming an increasingly disenfranchised and disregarded class.  Our situation in 2005 is not so extreme, but let us remember the principle and the benefit of united action.  It is not enough to be individually committed to speaking in our local community about the foundations of our liberty.  We can only make good use of effective communications that bring SAR resources into our homes and reach and teach the entire nation if we combine our financial resources for the new Center.

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Bibliography

The History of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution by John St. Paul Jr., Historian General.  Published 1962 by Pelican Publishing Company, Gretna, LA, 1962.  Reprinted in 1982 by the National Society Sons of the American Revolution, Louisville, KY.

The Sons of the American Revolution, 1962 - 1982, An Historical Anthology.   Editor: Harry L. Walen, A. M., Historian General.  Published by the NSSAR, Louisville.