ILLUMINATE OUR LEGACY

Junior Membership Committee

2026 Achievements

National Society Daughters of the American Revolution

REMEMBERING THE LADIES

2026 Juniors Virtual 5K

A renewal of one of our favorite traditions — honoring Nancy Ward, Cherokee peacemaker who supported diplomacy between Patriots and the Cherokee during the Revolution.

$123K+

Funds Raised

2,300+

Participants

+13%

Growth vs. Early Years

6,524 mi

Collective Distance

Fun Fact: Together we covered over 10,500 km — walked, ran, biked, rowed, swam, hiked, and skied for the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund. That distance would take 263 days on foot at a typical pace.

We did it in just 60 days.

RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE

Outstanding Junior Contest

The Outstanding Junior Contest continues to expand its reach, reflecting growing enthusiasm for the leadership, service, and dedication shown by DAR Juniors nationwide.

36 competing states in 2026, up from 35

13 State Runner-Ups, up from 10

Growing Engagement

Greater recognition of exceptional Junior members across the National Society — momentum reflecting the strength of our Juniors' leadership and service.

Congratulations!

TO OUR 2026 STATE OUTSTANDING JUNIOR WINNERS & National Outstanding Junior Finalists!

The Outstanding Junior Contest honors exceptional DAR Juniors whose leadership, service, and dedication embody the mission of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution — truly Juniors Blossom in Service.

2026 STATE OUTSTANDING JUNIOR WINNERS

8 NATIONAL OUTSTANDING JUNIOR FINALISTS

Alabama Shelby Faith Davis

Arkansas Courtney Taylor Bisswanger

Arizona Ashley Nicole Morey

Colorado Ali Skewes-Cox

Florida Rachel Migliacci

Hawaii Delaney Ross

Idaho Rebecca Linden

Illinois Tatiana Marie Sotomayor Funkhouser

Kentucky Kathleen Victoria Brady

Louisiana Savannah Marie Hackler

Massachusetts Maegan Squibb

Maine Victoria Catherine Currie-Girard

Michigan Erin Louise Daldos

Minnesota Allison Marguerite Blaise LaBorde

Mississippi Madeline Clare Waggoner

Missouri Jessica Ratts Vogt

Nebraska Rhiannon Charlotte Rosenthal

North Dakota Tasia Horning

New Hampshire Paetra Brailsford

Ohio Katie Elizabeth Bitonti

Oklahoma Victoria Danielle Nielsen

Oregon Meghan Burrell

Rhode Island Danielle Saucier

South Dakota Ellysia Fabulous McElroy

Utah Elizabeth Nicole Maland

Virginia Morganne Unger

Wisconsin Joy Powers

Wyoming Megan Christina Smith

California Michelle Elizabeth Field

*District of Columbia Hillary Chace Fisk

Georgia Caroline Elizabeth-Grace Chapman

**Maryland Sasha Atherton Quillin

New York Bethany Jean Davis

Tennessee Rachel McKinley

Texas Katharine Tillman

Washington Stephanie J. Massart

Thank you for your leadership, commitment to service, and dedication to DAR.

Juniors Blossom in Service

*National Outstanding Junior Runner Up

**National Outstanding Junior

OUTSTANDING JUNIOR CONTEST

Juniors in Action

Rachel McKinley

Tennessee — Therapy Partners visit

Rachel Migliacci

Florida — Orlando Fire Museum tour

Savannah Hackler

Louisiana — chapter therapy dog visit

Rhiannon Rosenthal

Nebraska — trail restoration project

Victoria Currie-Girard

Maine — veterans' grave flags

Allison LaBorde

Minnesota — headstone preservation

OUTSTANDING JUNIOR CONTEST

Juniors in Action — More Stories

Tatiana Funkhouser

Illinois — Humane Society shift

Rebecca Linden

Idaho — youth sports event

Caroline Chapman

Georgia — community cook-off

Hillary Fisk

DC — Vietnam Veterans Memorial

Alexandra Skewes-Cox

Colorado — Indian Peaks outreach

Shelby Davis

Alabama — Sheriff's book donation

Delaney Ross

Hawaii — trail restoration

2026 NATIONAL JUNIOR PROJECT

This Year's Recipient: Duo Dogs, Inc.

Selected by all 22 committee members, Duo Dogs trains assistance dogs and touch therapy teams supporting independence and wellbeing for people with disabilities.

83

Assistance Dogs Placed

300+

Touch Therapy Teams

280K+

Individuals Impacted

15 / 3

States / Countries Active

$100,000 gift presented — fully funding the breeding, raising, and training of two complete Assistance Dogs, a two-year journey that changes one person's life forever.

Submitted by : Missouri State Junior Membership, Christina Johnson - State Chair

INVESTING IN EDUCATION

Classroom Grants Program

179

Classroom Grants Awarded

46

States Participating

Creativity in Action

Projects ranged from classroom supplies and guest speakers on state history to a sluice built to teach history, math, and science. One teacher built a stage so drama students finally had a place to perform. One school created an outdoor classroom, “The Perch,” that the entire school will use for years to come.

JUNIORS BLOSSOM IN SERVICE

Digital & Community Engagement

Instagram Growth

1,300+ followers

3,000+ views on top posts

Campaigns included Junior Spotlights, sales promotions, DOC features, Junior Tree ornaments, 5K promotion, and Congress countdowns.

Daughters Online Community

+900

Community Members

211

New Threads Posted

+1.6K

Total Discussion Posts

+170

Library Entries

STAYING CONNECTED

Communications & Virtual Engagement

4

Editions of Branches & Blossoms Newsletter

9

Junior Connect Zoom Events

43

Total Zoom Meetings Hosted

4

Quarterly State Chair Meetings

Branches and Blossoms — the Junior Membership newsletter — is shared on the DOC and emailed to all Junior members each quarter.

JUNE 2026 QUARTERLY MEETING

What We Learned from 2,600+ Chapter Reports

Leadership & Engagement

Oak Mountain Chapter, AL — one Junior chaired Veterans; another chaired an Ancestry Cookbook project.

Letitia Green Stevenson Chapter, IL — gave a Junior a committee assignment and asked her to give a conservation minute.

Las Vegas Springs Chapter, NV — offers Junior members co-chair/chair positions and meeting participation roles.

Social Engagement

Coushatti Trace Chapter, TX — “DAR is much more fun with your friends” was identified as a successful recruiting approach.

New York City Chapter, NY — hosts Junior activities before chapter meetings to build connection.

Elizabeth Bradford-Elijah Pugh Chapter, AL — a Junior led a museum fundraiser that raised over $3,000.

​

Hands-On Service

Tennessee - Junior socials, zoo outings, veteran service

North Carolina - Weekend volunteer projects, cemetery cleanups

Colorado - Care packages for college Juniors, fundraising initiatives

Texas - Honor Flight cards, service events, community activities

Utah - 9/11 flag installations, Wreaths Across America

​

Paging

Letitia Green Stevenson Chapter, IL — mentored a Junior through State Conference and Congress paging.

New York City Chapter, NY — held a “Paging 101” event with a Junior member and former page chief.

Tennessee state summary — paging at State Conference was described as a continuing driving force in Junior engagement.

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“If we don't capture it, we can't celebrate it. And if we can't celebrate it, we can't learn from it.”

ENDOWMENT FUND

Friends of Junior Membership

This year marked exceptional growth and strategic modernization for the Friends of Junior Membership, the endowment fund supporting Junior Membership's long-term work.

Dozens of New Friends

Through dedicated outreach, we welcomed dozens of new Friends and Best Friends of Junior Membership, significantly strengthening the Endowment Fund.

Updated Website Section

Launched a refreshed website section, streamlining digital access and modernizing our online presence for donors.

Development Partnership

Established a collaborative partnership with Development to enhance donor visibility, recognition, and detailed contribution reporting.

TRADITIONS THAT BLOSSOM

Junior Membership Christmas Tree

States Blossom for the Season

On December 10th, DAR proudly hosted its annual open house at DAR Memorial Continental Hall. Continuing a cherished tradition, the Junior Membership Committee took the lead in designing a tree that embodied this year's theme — “Juniors Blossom in Service” — and captured the vibrant junior spirit from across the nation.

State Regents were invited to contribute two ornaments representing their state's flowers. Some organized junior competitions empowering members to craft unique ornaments; others enlisted chapter members to create stunning works of art for the tree.

THE NEXT CHAPTER

Junior Legacy Experience

For many years, Junior Membership supported the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund through the Junior Doll — a beloved tradition and an important fundraiser for generations of Juniors. As times change, Junior Membership continues to look for new ways to support HPMF while celebrating the creativity and traditions of our states. The Junior Legacy Experience was created as the next chapter of that tradition.

Each year, a state designs a one-of-a-kind experience that showcases its history, culture, and hospitality, while raising funds for HPMF. The winning ticket is drawn here at Congress — the winner experiences that state, and every dollar raised supports the work of Junior Membership.

This year, Alaska became the very first state to host.

GLOBAL SISTERHOOD

Units Overseas

Units Overseas chapters strengthened Junior Membership this year through creative engagement across our diverse, far-flung chapters — proving that distance is no barrier to meaningful DAR involvement.

The Bahamas

Welcomed three new Junior members and encouraged participation in Continental Congress activities.

London — Walter Hines Page Chapter

Fostered Junior leadership, mentorship, and fellowship through dedicated events and communications.

Worldwide Tree Ornaments

Chapters across continents — from Spain to Germany and beyond — contributed ornaments to the Junior Membership Open House tree.

MORE THAN MERCHANDISE

Junior Shoppe & Sales

The Junior Shoppe has grown its offerings and brought fresh excitement to Continental Congress, with proceeds supporting the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund.

28

New Products Since July

20

Congress-Exclusive Debuts

7

Stay Available Year-Round

$________

Raised for HPMF

Note: Congress-exclusive items with remaining inventory will be made available for online purchase shortly after Congress, so members who missed shopping in person can still find the pieces they admired.

TOGETHER AT CONGRESS

Junior Congress Events

Junior Membership events at Congress gave Juniors meaningful ways to connect, learn, and celebrate together throughout the week.

Junior Forum

A passport activity sent Juniors through stations on the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund, the Outstanding Junior Contest, and fund impact — completed passports earned entry into a Junior Shoppe prize drawing.

Junior Luncheon

Over 750 Daughters celebrated Outstanding Juniors and Pages, enjoyed a skit, and saw the announcement of the 2026 National Junior Project and Helen Pouch Memorial Fund school grants.

Service to America

Visitors spun a prize wheel to answer Junior Membership trivia, taking home a keepsake to promote Junior pride.

Every purchase, race entry, and gift begins a journey — from Junior Membership fundraising, through the HPMF, out into classrooms and communities across the Society.

SOURCES OF SUPPORT

IMPACT AREAS

Junior Sales

Junior Legacy Experience

Junior 5K

Junior Shoppe – Congress

General Donations

Classroom Grants

Direct funding for teacher-led classroom projects

DAR Schools

Sustains scholarships and programs at DAR-supported schools

National Junior Committee Project

Powers the committee's national service initiative

Helen Pouch

Memorial Fund

(HPMF)

HOW ARE FUNDS WORK

HELEN POUCH MEMORIAL FUND

JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

2026 National Committee

Donna Michelle Santistevan

National Chair

Roberta Cecile Wimberley

Executive Liaison

Grace Elizabeth Arthur

National Vice Chair

Lillian Mae Pennington

NVC – Junior Communications, External

Sarah Ashley Hancock Rao

NVC – Communications & Virtual Engagement

Kathryn Claire Rainville

NVC – Junior Events, Year-Round

Erin Fallon Jackson

NVC – Junior Events, Congress

Alexandra Elizabeth Skewes-Cox

NVC – DOC

Michelle Joy Wikum Williams

NVC – Friends of Junior Membership

Marchella Nicole Tarr McGinnis

NVC – Classroom Grant

Heather Jean Simpson

NVC – Classroom Grant

Rachel Marie McKinley

NVC – Junior Sales

Mary Katelyn Thrash

NVC – Junior Shoppe

Nastassia LeeAnn Taylor

NVC – Outstanding Junior Contest

Caroline Davina Colvin

NVC – Units Overseas

Morgan Leigh Holmes

DVC – Northeastern

Emmalee Dow Morris

DVC – Eastern

Erin Catherine Moore Burnett

DVC – Southeastern

Grace Miriam Sayles

DVC – East Central

Meghan Grace Flannery

DVC – North Central

Haley Skyler Easton Popelka

DVC – South Central

Amy Kathleen Siems Brooks

DVC – Northwestern

Elizabeth Bell Mandeville Stevens

DVC – Southwestern

THANK YOU TO OUR DAUGHTERS

Juniors Blossom in Service

National Society Daughters of the American Revolution • Junior Membership Committee