The Crane’s Ford chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution was pleased to have the students at St Michael School, Cranford, NJ participate in the Project Patriot activity. From June 14th to 19th the National DAR, at their 125th Continental Congress in Washington DC, staged an official attempt to set a world record by collecting the “Most letters to military personnel collected in one month” in order to set the Guinness World Record title, DAR must collect and then mail at least 10,000 letters to active duty service members in one month’s time.
The students, in all grades, at St. Michael’s school participated by writing letters of support and appreciation to soldiers and sailors. Teacher, Mary Castle, helped organize the project. Crane’s Ford DAR Regent, Mary Leonard, collected the letters and brought them to the National DAR conference in Washington, DC. At the conference, an official Guinness World Record Adjudicator opened and inspected random samples during the verification process. More than 3,000 DAR members attended this year’s conference. The Guinness World Record Adjudicator reported that 100,904 letters were verified and will be mailed. The NSDAR has now set a world record!
The DAR, founded in 1890 and headquartered in Washington DC is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children. As one of the most inclusive genealogical societies in the country, DAR boasts 180,000 members in 3,000 chapters across the United States and internationally. Any woman 18 years or older, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership.
(above l-r) Mary Castle, teacher at St. Michael’s, holding some of the letters written by the students with Mary Leonard, chapter Regent.
