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The Future of
the Sons of the American Revolution
and
The Center For
Advancing America’s Heritage
(Revised January 2007) View/Print/Save this page (Adobe .pdf document)
by: Past President-General Roland G. Downing
You have probably heard Compatriots ask, “Exactly what is
this Center for Advancing America’s Heritage.”
“What’s in it for me and my Chapter?” These questions are addressed in
this document.
The Challenge
Over the last four decades we have all witnessed the
failures in public education to teach American history and to instill an
appreciation of the value of unity in one American identity. We have seen facts give way to feelings and
essential knowledge pushed aside to make room for stories of
victimization. Consequently, our
objective as set forth in the SAR constitution has never been more challenging
- “…to inspire the community-at-large with a more profound reverence for the
principles of the government founded by our forefathers…” Our mission is clear – to reach out and teach
why America is special and not just another country.
Twentieth Century Programs
Fall Short
The SAR has responded by adding numerous programs and
recognitions to promote Americanism and knowledge of the inspiring events of
the founding of our country.
Unfortunately, our outreach programs are dwarfed by the magnitude of this
growing national problem. An examination of the facts teaches us that our
programs touch only few members of the community-at-large. For example, our youth contests and our good
citizenship recognitions reach only a few of the best and brightest. The vast sea of Americans does not even know
who we are, much less about our educational outreach. Our contests and other public activities,
particularly color guard, are excellent.
They are very successful in giving purpose and pride to our members, but
they are making little impact on the national scene. Consequently, we are compelled to continue
working to enlarge our outreach to students and teachers. (If we don’t do it, who will?)
Enlarging Our Out-Reach
The concept is to add educational programs that emanate from
the National Society. They will differ
from our traditional ones in that they will depend on a centralized staff
rather than volunteers in states and chapters.
Modern mass media techniques will be employed that are not practical for
states and chapters. NSSAR has added a
Director of Education to our professional staff to create and implement such
programs. Already established is out new
history website, www.rsar.org, which was
created by Ralph Nelson and his Web Education Committee. Library and Museum programs will follow. Mass media and distant learning techniques
will be used to reach out to students, teachers and citizens nationwide. The library and museum will develop
Americanism exhibits for school groups.
The Center For Advancing
America’s Heritage
The
Center is housed in our headquarters complex that will comprise a new library
building and our present building.
Developmental, educational and administrative staff will be housed in
the expanded space. The library and
museum will have space to display collections and exhibits. There will be audio/visual space for
educational use.
The
Center is the National Society with improved management and policy continuity
so that it can successfully attract educational grants and manage an expanded
staff of professionals.
The
Center is our current and enlarged educational outreach programs.
The
SAR Foundation supports the Center.
The CENTER is all of these things. Indeed, it is the future National Society of
the Sons of the American Revolution. It
is what the National Society is to become if we are to remain a viable
organization in the rapidly changing environment in our country.
A timeline at the end of this paper details significant
events over the last 20 years that beg expansion of facilities, improved
management capabilities, and educational outreach programs in the Center. The point is that the need for the Center is
long standing and has been recognized by our leaders for decades.
What Will The Center Do?
1. The Center will provide historical and
genealogical research capabilities to the general public from its library and
museum. It will offer
opportunities for students of history, political science, public policy, and
genealogy to examine significant works, collections and records pertaining to
the Revolutionary War period.
2. The Center will promote the understanding of
the Revolutionary War period, including its people, places, events and
memorials through educational outreach programs and curriculum via internet, printed
material and presentations using both live and recorded media.
3. The Center will increase the appreciation of
and belief in the principles of democracy and the concept of freedom and how
they were achieved during the fight for independence. The Center will promote good citizenship.
4. The Center will
address patriotism by providing quality educational programs to underserved
students, to students from non-Anglo populations and to new Americans. Through
these programs, the general public will better appreciate the value of unity
within our nation. It is unity and
acceptance of a paramount American identity that maintain our national
strength.
Implementation Plan 2005 -
2007
1. Via an intense information program gain wider acceptance
among members for expansion of the role of NSSAR in accomplishing the mission
of the SAR.
2. Increase fund raising efforts with the goal of
accumulating sufficient funds to construct and endow the Center for Advancing
America’s Heritage. Fund raising will
become a permanent mission on the SAR Foundation and the National Society.
3. Launch the new educational outreach website, and obtain
supporting grants and professional staff.
Identify other such programs.
4. Improve National Society organizational structure to achieve
continuity of policy and the ability to manage educational outreach programs.
Benefit to States and
Chapters
The National Society will establish itself as a nationally
known institution that provides the community-at-large with “good citizenship” education. This recognition will allow local units to
attract men who otherwise would not join a lineage organization.
Successful National Society outreach programs will greatly
increase participation of students in local traditional programs.
Members will be able to point to the Center with increased
pride and personally benefit from improved capabilities of the library and
museum.
Our administrative headquarters will be a part of the Center
for Advancing America’s Heritage.
National Society will improve its ability to support all traditional
State and Chapter functions and programs including application processing and
membership retention.
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A Timeline of Progress
toward the Center
Prior to 1993 –
National committee members felt the need for improved outreach over and above
that provided by state societies and chapters.
Individual committees raised funds to support their work. United fund raising began with the
establishment of the George Washington Fellows program. The total endowment for
all committees now totals about $1.8 million, and these committee programs
comprise the total of National Society’s current educational outreach. They all depend heavily on volunteer talent
and labor.
1993 – A new
campus-style headquarters complex was proposed to provide space for projected
growth in all program areas (museum, library, education, administration, etc.)
and to enhance public awareness of the Sons of the American Revolution. A supporting foundation was formed and
fund-raising begun. This thrust was not
sustained, perhaps because the goals were too grandiose and because the implementation
plan was quite vague. Nevertheless, the
need for expansion of facilities still persists.
1994 – Attention
was focused on American history education.
Our efforts to value the contributions of the mainstream culture in
history education and to reject the excesses of revisionism provided a valuable
lesson to us. Our outreach
effectiveness to the community-at-large was extremely limited by a lack of
skilled volunteers. Even though our
efforts and that of many other organizations such as the American Enterprise
Institute caused defeat of “Goals 2000” in Congress, the education community
received 20,000 copies at taxpayer expense, and it has become the
standard. Battle won; war lost! Thus, the need still remains for reaching
directly to students and teachers.
1995 – The need
for expanded facilities was beginning to become focused and quantified. Stress analysis limited adding weight in the
library. Adjacent property was
purchased with money from the permanent fund.
1998 -2001 – The
National Society received a $1.4 million bequest from the Friend Estate
(Illinois Compatriot Robert S. Friend).
One million was added to the permanent fund and $300,000 was allocated
for expansion. Work proceeded in earnest
to acquire additional land and develop a building concept. A Jeffersonian style library building was
chosen. Construction of the new library was approved. Kentucky Governor encouraged us to request
funding once we have firm schedules.
2001 - 2003 – A
long-range plan was developed that required improving continuity of policy and
management through modification of organizational structure. A professional development firm was retained
to help organize fund raising effort.
Iowa Compatriot Robert E. Millett set up a $270,000 charitable remainder
trust with the SAR as beneficiary. A new
SAR Foundation was set up to receive and properly manage donated funds. A development director was hired at
headquarters to manage fund raising effort.
The name, “Center for Advancing America’s Heritage” was adopted.. Architectural drawings and building plans
were completed. The building site was
completely cleared and the Patriot House obtained. The Brown Foundation donated $300,000 and the
City of Louisville donated $100,000. A
fund raising goal of six million dollars was set for construction and endowment
of the new library building. In July
2003, about one million dollars in cash was in the building fund with
outstanding pledges of about $500,000.
2003-2004 -
Louisville and Jefferson County had merged to form a metropolitan type of
government, and new zoning requirements were adopted that caused us to slightly
modify our plans. Fund raising
activities were temporarily delayed.
2005-6 – Fund
raising momentum was regained. As of
January 2007, cash and pledges in the building fund had increased to about 2.5
million dollars. New educational
outreach website launched. A Director of
Education was added to the professional staff.
An intense campaign to educate all members on the value of the SAR
membership and on the need for an expanded role for National Society in achieving
the mission of the SAR was executed. The
SAR Foundation retained Clearword Communications Group, Inc. to help develop
fundraising literature and execute direct mailing campaigns – particularly for
use outside the SAR.
2007 – Campaign
launched to convince every member to donate.
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