The Manhattan Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution recently participated in the Flag Day Parade to show their support for inclusive patriotism, preservation, and education. June 2023 marks the 246th anniversary of the adoption of the American Flag by the Second Continental Congress, and the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York have been celebrating this event annually with a parade and ceremony. The NSDAR Chapters join the SOR and various historical societies yearly in the Flag Day parade and ceremonies.
The Flag Day Parade is one of the longest-running parades in New York City, and thousands of marchers distribute small American flags to the parade spectators. The parade ends at the Grandstand in front of Fraunces Tavern, where local dignitaries, military veterans, and community leaders gather to listen to the “What the American Flag Means to Me” school essay contest winners read their award-winning essays. The SOR and VIP make remarks honoring “Old Glory” and the parade supporters from the podium.
The Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, founded in 1883 and composed of descendants of those who fought for American Independence, are the hosts and organizers of the Flag Day Parade. Each year, the SOR society commemorates historically significant events, including the anniversaries of George Washington’s Birthday, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and the Evacuation of New York by the British Army. The SOR Society also places and maintains historical markers at significant sites from the Revolutionary Era throughout New York City. A notable philanthropic effort is the preservation and ongoing support of Fraunces Tavern, one of the most important landmarks of the American Revolutionary War.
The DAR, a non-profit and non-political society led, staffed, and funded entirely by women, is dedicated to supporting the mission and interests of education, historic preservation, and inclusive patriotism. Today’s DAR is a 21st-century organization with a vibrant membership, sharing service opportunities, developing leadership skills, and an appreciation of history. There are nearly 180,000 current members of the DAR in approximately 3,000 chapters across the United States and in several other countries. Membership in the DAR today is open to all women, regardless of race or religion, who can prove lineal bloodline descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving United States independence.
The Manhattan Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, is a branch of the National DAR. The Manhattan Chapter NSDAR’s current leadership is Sarah Shea Lynch (Regent), Linda Rhodes Jones (Vice Regent), Evelyn Carmichael (Chaplain), Audrey Fields (Recording Secretary), Maggie Rhodes Nugent (Corresponding Secretary), Melanie Wells (Treasurer), Alyssa Ritch-Frel (Registrar), Eugenia Askren (Historian), Donna Horak (Librarian).
The Manhattan Chapter NSDAR members who marched in the Flag Day Parade included Sarah Shea Lynch (Manhattan Chapter Regent), Muriel Roberts, Bonnie Comley, Ellen Hasell, and Loraine Faina. Other DAR Chapters joining this year’s parade were Mary Washington Colonial Chapter members, Karen Kane and Debbie McKinley, Brooklyn Chapter Members Kathy Fountaine and Beth Fitzgerald, Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge Chapter Regent Lindsey Mullholand, and New York City Chapter Members Ruth D. Hunt and Jacqueline Long.
To learn more about The Flag Day Parade or The Society of the Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York, visit www.sonsoftherevolution.org
To learn more about The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, visit www.DAR.org.
