Who We Are & What We Do
Organizing Regent Stella Higgins Phelps and 15 original members founded the Ponte Vedra Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) on June 8, 1951. Named for its location in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, the chapter received its charter on October 28, 1951.
Today, the chapter is 136 members strong and continues to grow. Our members are diverse in age, backgrounds, and interest, but we share a deep pride in the contributions made by our ancestors as patriots in the American Revolutionary War. In addition, we share a deep commitment to community service.
The Ponte Vedra Chapter, NSDAR is not a social club, or a fundraising organization, or a philanthropic organization—although we display traits that are present in of all of these. We are a patriotic organization. We promote historic preservation, education, and patriotic citizenship.
In addition to following the protocols of chapter meetings, we educate ourselves—all the time!
We enjoy history lessons, celebrate joyous events, and commemorate solemn ones. We attend naturalization courts and welcome new citizens. We support the projects of our Presidents General and our State Regents. We donate United States Flags to local schools and award Good Citizenship medals, savings bonds and medals to Junior ROTC outstanding cadets and American History Essay Contest winners. We’re in the process of establishing a Ponte Vedra Chapter scholarship for an outstanding graduate from one of our local high schools.
We sponsor ROTC drill tournaments, participate in wreath-laying ceremonies, and support DAR schools. We remember our local disabled and needy veterans with food drives, send blankets to Veterans Hospitals, and serve as honor attendants at our National Cemetery. We have provided helmet liners and goodie bags to our overseas troops, and we were the original northeast Florida chapter to start the coupon-clipping craze for overseas bases.
We index patriot records to provide genealogists, students, teachers, and scholars with a tool to assist in their study of the Revolutionary War period. We help others research their ancestry and acquire the documents they need to become a DAR member.
We honor the sacrifices our patriot ancestors made for our nation more than 200 years ago, and strive to keep those sacrifices meaningful in 21st century America.
We welcome all visitors to all meetings. Ponte Vedra Chapter, NSDAR meetings take place at 11:00 a.m. on the first Tuesday of each month, September through May. Come meet our members and learn more about our chapter. If you are interested in attending a meeting, please contact us for details.