Hey Newbies! We find that DAR can be overwhelming. Let us help answer some common newbie questions. If you have additional questions always feel free to email the chapter. When in doubt the answer is always email the chapter.
Now that we have answered where the Maria Mitchell Chapter falls within the DAR world. It brings up our next question.
As a small chapter, we focus our effort on a small subsection of DAR. We encourage members to learn more about what else DAR does. We hope in doing so members will bring and implement new things in the chapter. So, if none of the chapter committees interest you, maybe think about starting your own. Which brings us to our next question.
You may have noticed the pins in the Members course guide. In DAR you earn pins like merit badges. The pins pictured above are earned for completing the members and new horizons courses. They go on a ribbon forming a DAR resume of sorts. You do have to pay for each pin, so we like to emphasize that they are optional.
You’ll notice there are guidelines on how and when to wear pins. This is also known as protocol and applies to many things in DAR. It can be though of as a preservation of the history of the organization. It’s important to be aware of what the proper protocol is in any situation, but we all make mistakes. If you do make a mistake, and someone corrects you, don’t take it personally. They are trying to be helpful.
Maria Mitchell Chapter, NSDAR 