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JULY 12-18, 2017 UCW 13 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Sons of the American Revolu- tion is a nonprofit organization that is popular across the United States. By focusing on their con- nection to the birth of this nation, members of the organization work to prolong and promote the history of the United States, ex- plained Bob Ervin, past president of the Le Marquis de Lafayette Chapter of Sons of the American Revolution. ey want to remind people where of there lineage. On July 13, at Headquarters Library, SAR and the Daughters of the American Revolution offer a presentation about genealogy. Membership requirements for SAR and DAR are specific. As explained by Ervin, it is based on male lineage of origin. "To be a member of the organization, it's the same for the Daughters of the American Revolution; people must prove lineage to someone who supported the Ameri- can Revolution" he said. "(ose ancestors could have been) involved in many ways, like soldiers, furnishing supplies or attending certain committees." e organizations meet regularly and are engaged in supporting the local communities. ey support programs that develop leadership, such as the Boy Scouts, Junior ROTC and ROTC. ey offer scholarships every year and even recognize patriotic ac- tions of local businesses. On Flag Day every year, they also organize a flag retirement ceremony to re- tire old American flags honorably. On July 13 in the Pate Room of Headquarters Library, SAR and DAR offer another type of com- munity outreach. "We are holding our regular meeting and having a genealogist who will talk about how to start tracing your lineage and will make a presentation about it," Ervin said. "It is open to the public and a great opportunity to start asking questions. e genealogy library in a room upstairs will also be available, and there are ladies up there who will help people do their research." Ervin's love of history started early on as a his- tory major in college, though he originally focused on the Civil War until five or six years ago. "I traced my lineage to eight great-great-great-grandfathers in the Civil War, and then I decided to go ahead and trace further," he said. "I was able to prove lineage to become a member, and since then I've proven lineage to 11 other patriots, and I've proven 22 patriots for my grandsons because they have it from their father's and mother's sides." After exploring his own family's history, Ervin began helping other men prove their relation to patriots. For many, the idea of this research and sifting through old historical documents can be intimidat- ing. Ervin said that, thanks to the databases available on the internet and the local resources available in person, the research is not so unmanageable. "Learning how to research genealogy is a process," he said. "It is kind of like a puzzle. When you first dump out all the pieces, you think, How in the world am I going to figure this all out?! I usually start build- ing the outside and then start working on the middle, and that is kind of like genealogy. Start with what you know. Look at your parents. What are their names and then their parents, and just start putting things to- gether. It can still be intimidating, but there are people at the SAR, the DAR and the libraries that will help." For those interested in exploring their connections to America's history, the genealogy seminar begins at 6 p.m. at the Headquarters Library. In addition to the presentation from the genealogist, there will be SAR and DAR members available to help answer questions. Ervin emphasized that the library has been incredibly helpful and noted that it offers numerous resources for research. EVENTS Trace your Lineage with Sons of the American Revolution by ERINN CRIDER Learn about genealogy at Headquarters Library July 13. FTCC Corporate & Continuing Education ( 9 1 0 ) 6 7 8 - 8 4 3 2 • V i e w o u r c l a s s s c h e d u l e o r r e g i s t e r b y v i s i t i n g w w w. f a y t e c h c c . e d u / c o n t i n u i n g - e d u c a t i o n Call Us Today! Let us help you reach your greatest potential! Train today for an exciting career in Healthcare! Begin earning your certification in one of FTCC's health-related fields! Traditional, Hybrid, and Online settings available! Register Now! ERINN CRIDER, Staff Writer. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. (910) 484-6200.