Chattanooga’s Young Revolutionaries

Clara Barton. Susan B. Anthony. Laura Bush.

All three claim membership in the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and all three may seem, well, a little stuffy when it comes to inspiring patriotism in young women today. But young DAR members not only exist-they’re thriving, and they want you to know that their organization is as relevant as ever.

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“Do you remember Stephanie Rimer Young the clip in The Help when the older lady hosts her DAR meeting in her house and all the ladies are really snobby? People view it as this old society with these old beliefs,” says 27-year-old member Stephanie Rimer Young. “That kind of gave me reservations at the beginning as well, but it’s obviously not like that anymore. It’s about embracing society and diversity now. It reflects our country.”

Young, a proposal and marketing director at Arcadis, says she wasn’t overly enthusiastic about joining the Chief John Ross Chapter of the DAR about two years ago, but knew that it meant a lot to her mom. “But getting involved and seeing what the organization actually did for the community…it’s great,” she says.

Jessica Raz Mines Dumitru, another young member of the Chief John Ross Chapter, says she shared some of Young’s initial skepticism. The GPS alum wasn’t thrilled about joining DAR, a society she always associated with her mother and grandmother.

Three years later, the 32-year-old attorney and new mother is active on the chapter and state levels and encourages others in her generation to get involved. So what changed their minds?

“Well, I got in it and realized that not everyone is over the age of 60,” Dumitru says, laughing. “And giving back to the community is a big part of what the DAR is about, which personally is why I do it. Giving back- not just with money, but in any way possible.”

The same stigma that initially held Dumitru and Young back-the idea that DAR members are all elderly, retired and spend their days knitting blankets in rocking chairs-may still be the reason that many young women refrain from joining. Of the more than 100 members of the Chief John Ross Chapter, only about a dozen are 35 or younger. “We do struggle to get more young women,” says Teresa Rimer, regent of the chapter. “But we have definitely increased the number involved since I first joined 20 years ago. I was just about the only active young member.”

There were others, she remembers, but they weren’t very involved and had only joined out of family tradition. But these days, the DAR is more active and more open with its message. “I think it’s because patriotism as a whole in the past 10 years has increased due to 9/11, and young people are looking for a way to get involved,” Rimer says. Patriotism-it’s certainly the cornerstone of the organization’s philosophy (case in point: the official motto is “God, home and country”), but the DAR was founded more than 120 years ago. Young people today joining the organization may have a new meaning of patriotism, but it still does mean something important to them.

“I think our definition is probably just different,” says Young. “A lot of these older ladies grew up seeing their husbands have to go off to war, and I know a lot of the girls my age in DAR have never experienced that.” Even so, gratitude for America’s story and founding principles is never absent among

these young DAR members. Dumitru and Young each have multiple ancestors who were patriots in the American Revolution; one of Dumitru’s relatives crossed the Delaware River in George Washington’s boat. Her great-great-great-greatgreat- grandfather, muster master during the war, refused pension in 1818, explaining that he had “fought for liberty and freedom” and that he had been enjoying the rewards of his efforts for more than forty-two years.

Young is a direct descendent of John Gaston, a justice of the king who ignored his orders to collect taxes from his South Carolina neighbors and instead joined the revolution. He lost five of his sons in one battle. Personal connections like these make their country’s history just a little more real for them. “It’s not just about the Revolutionary War, but about the formation of our country,” Dumitru says. “And not just the actions of the soldiers, but about the sacrifices of the women and the children. And this appreciation continues today.”

Young shares Dumitru’s esteem for America’s past. “Patriotism to me is the acceptance of all people, because that in my opinion is what America is based on,” she says. “We had the Revolution so that people could not be persecuted based on religion or culture. We were founded on acceptance, so that gives me pride.”

But appreciation means much more when it is shown through service, and both Dumitru and Young say the DAR has been an indespensable vehicle for living out their patriotism in their community. Projects range from supporting the local Ronald McDonald House and battered women shelters to sending packages to wounded soldiers recovering in Germany. “They do wonderful things-with veterans, with schools,” Young says. “They have a lot of programs that I didn’t even know about until I started getting active.”

“It’s just a great way to give back to the community,” Dumitru adds. “I think this is important, especially with Mayor Berke trying to get more young people involved around Chattanooga.”

Rimer says she applauds the involvement of Young and Dumitru, both of whom hold several leadership positions on the chapter and state levels, and says that all of the young members are a great sign for the future. “We hope that if we get a few more women like them, it will encourage more women their age to join,” she says.

Dumitru and Young say that other young women could reap the same benefits from DAR as they have-community service, friendship, pride in country and a whole host of role models. “They are fierce, and it’s been cool getting to know them,” Young says of the elder members. “They’ve been through a lot in their lives. I think any young lady could learn something from them.”

And the older members are learning a few things in return. “We’re trying to digitize all our old records-that’s where Jessica and I become really useful,” Young says with a laugh.

But Dumitru says that being a young Daughter of the American Revolution is anything but all work and no play. “There are not as many young members as we would like, but we have fun,” Dumitru says. “We go over to people’s houses and watch movies, we take road trips…it’s not just attending meetings. And it’s a great way to meet new people your age, you know? We’re all working or mothers or wives or dating-we’re all in the same boat.”

But even closer to her heart, Dumitru says, are the opportunities the organization offers for keeping America beautiful. “We can’t just leave it up to our grandmothers’ generation,” she says. “If we want to see change, we need to do it.”