As the United States readies to celebrate its 250th anniversary, a group of Lewis County women are putting their patriotic loyalty into action: Introducing the newly created Ann Cochran Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
History of Daughters of the American Revolution
A woman’s service organization, the DAR was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism across the United States. Today, each individual chapter continues in those veins in their communities. As a women’s lineage society, all members are direct descendants of an American Revolution patriot, a signer of the Declaration of Independence or someone who gave aid in America’s achieving independence.
Today’s DAR members come from all walks of life, making up approximately 3,000 chapters across the country, 36 in Washington. The creation of the new Centralia-based chapter, along with the simultaneously-created Chloe Clark Chapter just up the freeway in Dupont, brings the state count to 38. The two new groups both branched off the Olympia-based Sacajawea Chapter.
The Ann Cochran Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution
The Ann Cochran chapter’s official organizing, or kickoff, meeting was held on February 28 at the First Presbyterian Church of Tenino under the leadership of Organizing Regent Lynn Maynard. Taking part in the event were state DAR dignitaries, a George Rogers Clark Sons of the American Revolution color guard with the Washington State DAR fife and drum corps, and Washington State DAR Regent Jacqueline Riddell.
Riddell explained to the attendees that the Ann Cochran Chapter was named after the adoptive mother of Centralia’s founder, George Washington, who was “the son of a former enslaved man who built this community on a vision of opportunity, inclusion and shared purpose,” Riddell told the full church sanctuary. “He imagined a town where people could gather, grow, and support one another, and that legacy still shapes Centralia today. It remains a place rooted in history, connected by community, and strengthened by the same values that guide the DAR—preservation, education, and patriotism.”
Riddell’s Speech and Advice to New Chapter Members
- We are all at different stages of life—Whatever phase you are in your life, you belong.
- Just show up—Sometimes you just don’t feel like fulfilling a commitment. But once you just show up, you’re glad you did.
- Keep taking the DAR classes. They’re free, they’re fun, and they help you understand who we are and what we’ve done since our founding in 1890.
- When something doesn’t go your way, “smile, shrug, and move on.” Things won’t be perfect. A project will fall through, a meeting will get messy, or a plan will change at the last minute. It happens to everyone.
- Chapters ebb and flow. Sometimes chapters flow for years with no issues. And then some years, chapters ebb. You’ll get through it. Ebbing and flowing is completely normal.
- Put your insignia and your DAR pins on the night before. It takes so much time to get everything straight and it is awful to be rushing around looking for a pin in the morning.
- The 85% rule. To get 85% of results for something takes a lot of effort. But to get that additional 15% of results to make it 100% takes an enormous amount of effort. Most of the time, I go for 85% results and forgo that enormous amount of effort for 100% perfection. Steady, joyful effort sustains us better.
- Use the State Application Team as much as you can for applications. It is a well-oiled machine just waiting to help you with your new member applications.
- Remember that above all, you are a member of the National Society first. Our headquarters encompass an entire city block in Washington DC. It is the largest group of buildings owned entirely by women, by us, here in this room.
- And finally, you will meet the coolest women in DAR, truly. DAR women are smart, funny, generous, completely different from each other, and might I add, endlessly entertaining. We come from every background and bring every kind of talent.
Riddell closed with, “To our new members: keep learning, keep growing, and enjoy the journey. You are stepping into something meaningful, something lasting, and something that will shape your life in ways you can’t yet imagine.”
While the Ann Cochran Chapter is just finding its footing, the work ahead is rich with possibility. If you are a woman 18 years or older and are curious about your potential Revolutionary-era roots, this might be your moment—and help is available to navigate the research. To learn more about the national organization, visit here. To connect with the new Ann Cochran chapter locally, reach out to AnnCochranChapterNSDAR@gmail.com. They’d love to hear from you.
