Indiana University Campus Cemetery, Bloomington, Indiana
The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America XVII Century
Motto: A Lasting Legacy
Theme: Honoring our Heritage, Embracing the Future
Scripture: “Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly and
worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.”
Psalm 15: 1-2
Many organizations were founded in the later part of the 19th Century that required the prospective members demonstrate that their ancestors had been in the United States before a certain date or that their ancestors had served in a war. Examples of these organizations are Sons of the American Revolution (1889), The Daughters of the American Revolution (1890), The Daughters of the War of 1812 (1892), The Order of the Founders and Patriots of America (1896), The Mayflower Society (1897), and The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America XVII was founded in 1915.
The National Society of the Colonial Dames of America XVII Century is a hereditary society, that is, membership is conferred based on what your ancestors did. According to their Web site, “Any woman … is eligible … if there is a blood relationship to the applicant, and is the lineal descendant of an ancestor who lived and served prior to 1701 in one of the original Colonies” of the United States.
This patriotic organization’s 12,000 members are dedicated to a host of preservation, education, research, and service goals, such as, among many others:
- the preservation of the records and of the historic sites of our country
- fostering interest in historical colonial research
- the education of the youth of our country.
Gravely Speaking 
My first mother-in-law was a bigwig in the DAR….she did all the paperwork so my daughter could be in the Daughters of the American Revolution as well… I would have liked to have been able to ask her what she knew about the “Dames”…. Your pictures are always so crisp and eye-catching! This was a wonderful shot of their seal!
I had to lie on the ground to get this close up, so I appreciate the comment about the photo. I guess it was worth the effort! On another note, I did the paperwork so my Mother could join the D.A.R. She was very proud to be a member. As a little girl her grandfather had told her that she was descedant of a Mayflower passenger but she didn’t know the connections until we dug into our family history years later.