DAR Good Citizens
Michelle Johnson, Chairman
The DAR Good Citizens
Essay and Scholarship is entering its 92nd
year after its inception in 1934. The
program has expanded from being open to
young women only to now include both young
women and men who are high school seniors.
Throughout the years monetary gifts were
added at the State, Divisional, and National
levels.
Iowa DAR Chapters ask
local schools to participate and ask for them
to choose those students who must emulate the
four qualities that exemplify a “Good
Citizen.”
- Dependability (truthfulness, honesty,
punctuality, etc.)
- Service (cooperation, helpfulness,
responsibility, etc.)
- Leadership (personality, self-control,
initiative, etc.)
- Patriotism (unselfish loyalty to
American ideals)
Last year’s District
winners were a joy to know, and reading their
essays and their involvement in community was
such an encouragement to me, as I know it is
for you!
The Storage
Administration have provided guidelines for
how the Scholarship and Essay is to be managed
by DAR Good Citizens Chapter Chairmen,
District Vice-Chairmen, and the State
Chairman. These procedures will need to be
read and followed carefully. If they are not,
your DAR Good Citizens chosen winner may not
be able to continue to the next level of
judging.
All the instructions and
forms can be accessed on the National DAR Good
Citizens Committee page and can be found here:
DAR
Good Citizens Program Overview | Daughters
of the American Revolution
On the ISDAR Calendar,
found here: ISDAR
- State Calendar are the cutoff dates
for Chapters, District Vice-Chairs, and the
State Chair. This is the “Chain of Command”
for Scholarship Essay judging. It is
recommended that as a Chapter you have a
deadline for Good Citizen forms and essays by
no later than November 10th. This should give
you time to get the packets of information and
the essays to 2-3 judges to look over and
judge.
Your winning student’s
information and essay should be received by
your District Vice-Chair by December 1, 2025,
and then I should receive the District winners
by January 1, 2026. Please plan accordingly as
the originals will need to be mailed or handed
to them by this date. The National DAR Good
Citizens Chair’s guidelines do not accept
emailing completed Student Packets and Essays.
Please make copies of your winning student’s
information and essay to keep for yourself and
mail the originals to the next in line to be
judged.
District
Vice-Chairmen are:
NW -- Landra McClellan -
Anna Maria Lane Chapter
Algona, Algona; Fort Dodge, Fort
Dodge; Ames, Sun Dial; Onawa, Onawa; Ankeny,
Camp Dodge; Sioux City, Martha Washington;
Boone, DeShon; Spirit Lake, Ladies of the
Lake; Cherokee, Pilot Rock; Swea City, Anna
Maria Lane; Clarion, Lucy
Standish-Newcastle;
NE -- Lucy
Zeimet - Lawrence Van Hook Chapter
Belle Plaine, Artesia; Marion,
Marion-Linn; Cedar Falls, Cedar Falls;
Marshalltown, Spinning Wheel; Cedar Rapids,
Ashley; Mason City, Mason City; Cedar
Rapids, Mayflower; Northwood, Helen Hinman
Dwelle; Eldora, Open Fire; Osage, Lucretia
Deering; Hampton, Candle-Stick; Waverly,
Revolutionary Dames; Maquoketa, Lawrence Van
Hook; West Union, Hannah Lee;
SW -- Jane Briley - Nancy
McKay Harsh Chapter
Carroll, Priscilla Alden; Des
Moines, Jean Marie Cardinell; Council
Bluffs, Council Bluffs; Glenwood, Glenwood;
Creston, Nancy McKay Harsh; Shenandoah,
Shenandoah; Des Moines, Abigail Adams;
SE -- Heather Wells
- Washington Chapter
Burlington, Stars & Stripes;
Knoxville, Henry Knox; Davenport, Hannah
Caldwell; Mount Pleasant, James Harlan; Fort
Madison, Jean Espy; Ottumwa, Elizabeth Ross;
Grinnell, Grinnell; Tipton, Open Prairie;
Iowa City, Nathaniel Fellows; Washington,
Washington; Iowa City, Pilgrim;
The procedure is exact
and can be done by reading the directions
provided, but please know that I am available
to answer questions that you may have about
this process as I am also a Chapter DAR Good
Citizens Chair. Also, remember to order your
Chapter’s Good Citizens pins and certificates
from the NSDAR website as soon as possible to
prevent last-minute shortages. Find them here:
DAR Shopping
Celebrating Dependability,
Service, Leadership, and Patriotism
in the next generation of Citizens,
Michelle Johnson
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