Welcome to the website of the Michigan Society
of the Sons of the American Revolution, West
Michigan Chapter!
Our objectives are:
• To perpetuate and
defend the principles of liberty and justice
which our Revolutionary ancestors established
and as contained in our Constitution and Bill of
Rights.
• To foster true
patriotism, to maintain and defend the
institutions of American Freedom and to carry
out the purposes expressed in the Preamble to
the Constitution of our country and the
injunctions of Washington in his farewell
address to the American people.
• To teach pure
American principles in our public schools,
colleges and universities, unstained by foreign
and subversive ideologies.
• To inspire respect
for and love of the American flag and for our
precious heritage of individual liberty.
• To promote fellowship
among the members by united and positive action
in support of the American Way of Life.
Our History
In l876 there were many
celebrations to commemorate the centennial of the
signing of the Declaration of Independence on July
4, l776. As part of this patriotic fervor, a group
of men in the San Francisco, California, area who
were descendants of patriots in the American
Revolution, formed an organization called the Sons
of Revolutionary Sires. Their objective was to have
a fraternal and civic society to salute those men
and women who pledged their lives, fortunes and
sacred honor to the battle for independence from
Great Britain. They desired to keep alive their
ancestors' story of patriotism and courage in the
belief that it is a universal one of man's struggle
against tyranny -- a story which would inspire and
sustain succeeding generations when they would have
to defend and extend our freedoms.
Out of the Sires grew the
National Society of the Sons of the American
Revolution, which was organized on April 30, l889 --
the l00th anniversary of the inauguration of George
Washington as our nation's first President. We have
used the acronym SAR to identify ourselves for over
l00 years. The SAR was conceived as a fraternal and
civic society composed of lineal descendants of the
men who wintered at Valley Forge, signed the
Declaration of Independence, fought in the battles
of the American Revolution, served in the
Continental Congress, or otherwise supported the
cause of American Independence. The National Society
was chartered by an Act of the United States
Congress on June 9, l906. The charter was signed by
President Theodore Roosevelt, who was a member of
the SAR. The charter authorizes the granting of
charters to societies of the various states and
territories and authorizes the state societies to
charter chapters within their borders.
The Michigan Society of the
Sons of the American Revolution was organized
January 10, 1890 in Detroit with ten members. The
West Michigan Chapter was organized December 2, 1897
in Grand Rapids with 26 members, making it one of
the oldest chapters in the entire country.
The SAR Pledge
We the descendants of the
heroes of the American Revolution who, by their
sacrifices, established the United States of
America, reaffirm our faith in the principles of
liberty and our Constitutional Republic, and
solemnly pledge ourselves to defend them against
every foe.
The SAR Recessional
Until we meet again, let us
remember our obligations to our forefathers who gave
us our Constitution, the Bill of Rights, an
independent Supreme Court, and a Nation of free men.
