In this special Legacy Edition of the DAR Today Podcast, host True Lewis welcomes President General Mrs. Ginnie Sebastian Storage for a heartfelt conversation about her DAR journey, her family’s deep connection to service, and the vision behind her administration theme, Illuminate Our Legacy. Mrs. Storage shares how her DAR story began through the Children of the American Revolution, her early years in the Washington-Lewis Chapter in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and the meaningful ways DAR became woven into her family life through her mother, her daughter Mackie, and her husband Mark. Together, they reflect on the importance of telling the stories of all Revolutionary War patriots — including female patriots, patriots of color, Indigenous patriots, and those whose names have too often been left out of history. Mrs. Storage also shares the meaning behind her Torch and Blossom pins, the President General’s Project, the cherry tree endowment gift to the nation, and the sacred responsibility of preserving Memorial Continental Hall, the DAR Library, and the stories entrusted to our Society. As America prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of independence, this episode reminds Daughters and listeners alike that legacy is not only something we inherit — it is something we preserve, share, and carry forward.
In this episode, we discuss:
We are grateful to President General Mrs. Ginnie Sebastian Storage for joining the DAR Today Podcast and sharing her heart, her vision, and her encouragement for Daughters across our National Society. May this conversation inspire each of us to illuminate our legacy through every story we tell, every act of service we offer, and every memory we preserve for the generations to come.
Special Guest: President General Mrs. Ginnie Sebastian Storage, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
DAR Today Podcast Committee:
True Lewis, National Chair and Host
Mrs. Renee Pace, our Liasion and Curator General
Jennifer Horsley, Writer, Editor, and Producer
Haley Salitros Lancaster, Writer and Editor
Lyndsay Lawless, Sound and Audio Specialist
Dr. Céline Higgins Evans, Producer, Branding Creator, and Post-Production
Samantha Freise, Communications Lead Specialist
Edy Sarnoff, Guest Care Coordinator
Ann Harrigan, Digital Design Specialist
Jen Thorpe, Videographer and America 250 Visuals
With special appreciation to:
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
The Children of the American Revolution
The Trust for the National Mall
DAR members, chapters, and listeners who continue to preserve, share, and illuminate our legacy
True Lewis:
President General Mrs. Storage, welcome to the D.A.R. Today podcast. We are so honored and delighted to have you with us today, and we look forward to hearing all about your vision, your leadership, and this beautiful call to Illuminate Our Legacy.
Mrs. Storage, I know that your leadership has been so inspiring, and the theme has already touched so many of us. But I would like for our Daughters and our listeners to hear a little of the personal heart behind that leadership — a little bit about your DAR life and your family.
President General Mrs. Storage:
Absolutely, True. It is so nice to be with y’all this evening, and I am really looking forward to our visit.
I guess I should start by saying that I did not join DAR just as an adult. I was actually a member of the Children of the American Revolution before I ever became a DAR member. I remember sitting in algebra class one day, and my good friend Cindy Steinbach looked at me and said, “Do you want to go to a meeting?” And I said, “Sure, I’ll go to a meeting. I’m up for any fun time.”
That is how I started in CAR.
For years and years, really the whole time growing up, I knew I had a Revolutionary War ancestor. I knew that was very well documented because, of course, everybody who has a family book knows that the family book stays on the shelf where everybody can see it.
We had a family book, The Bowen Family of George’s Creek, and in that book was our ancestor, Robert Bowen. He was a captain. Through that, I was able to join the Children of the American Revolution and had a grand time in CAR.
The next obvious thing to do was DAR. My godmother was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution chapter in our town, so when I turned 18, she signed me up. That is how my journey in DAR began.
The Washington-Lewis Chapter in Fredericksburg, Virginia, was so generous with me and gave me opportunities I could do when I was young. I remember my very first chairmanship was Constitution Week. Of course, Constitution Week is a lot of work at one time of the year, so it was perfect for me as I was starting a career and getting out of college. I could go find somebody to pay for the ad, and I could go get the resolution from the mayor of the city. That is how I started in DAR.
Fast forward to 1991: I met my husband, Mark, on a blind date. He and I met in February, we got married in December, and then in May of the next year, I was Chapter Regent. Honestly, I say Mark has been with DAR just as long as he has known me. He grew up in DAR.
I served as Chapter Regent for six years, which is a very long time. I do not recommend that, but that is what the chapter needed at the time, and I learned a lot doing it. I was a working woman. I worked full-time at the time, and I enjoyed visiting with all of the DAR ladies on Tuesday afternoons when we had our meetings.
Then my daughter came along in 1992, and she has literally been raised in DAR. Mackie went on to be National President of the Children of the American Revolution, and now she is National Chair of the CAR Committee.
I feel like we have been a family that has been very closely aligned with DAR.
I will tell you a funny story, though. My mother was never really a joiner. She did not really like joining clubs. But after I had been Chapter Regent for six years, she said, “You know, I think since I have retired now, I want to join DAR.” And I thought, “Mama, couldn’t you have done it when I was Chapter Regent?”
But she joined, and until she died, we went to the district meetings, we went to the chapter meetings, she came to Continental Congress, and we did all of the things that mothers and daughters do in DAR.
So I am very proud to be a first-generation DAR member, but I am also very proud that my mother followed in my footsteps and joined, and so did my daughter.
True Lewis:
Yes, I am so proud of that. I love that story. It is going to resonate with a lot of people. I know how I felt when I came in with my mom, and with Mackie, I just love that you have all this history and these stories, and your family was all involved. That is what it is really all about.
I did have one personal question, but I think you really told our Daughters and our listeners about your title, the office, and this season of leadership — who shaped your service, your family, and your legacy, and how that led you here. You actually walked right into my question and answered it so beautifully with the story about your mother and your daughter Mackie. We know we love her as well and what she is doing.
President General Mrs. Storage:
Well, thank you. Thank you.
True Lewis:
Our Illuminate Our Legacy theme has resonated with so many, and it is rich in meaning. What does that theme mean to you personally, and what do you hope it will stir in the hearts of Daughters across our Society in this moment in history? We are also in our America 250 era.
President General Mrs. Storage:
That is exactly right. I always say that this is a milestone that is not just a date to be marked, but a date to be remembered. We need to make sure that what we are doing to commemorate this time is meaningful not only to our Daughters, but to everyone. We need to set a good example for everyone in our country, because it is so important that we remember where we came from and tell our stories.
In terms of Illuminate Our Legacy, if you think about the word “illuminate,” it means not only to bring light to something, but to make something clear. We, as Daughters of the American Revolution, have a sacred work to do when we shine that light on our patriots, when we shine the light on what we are doing in our three pillar areas of historic preservation, education, and patriotism.
We encourage people to be good citizens, to support our veterans, to preserve our historic sites, to commemorate those dates that should never be forgotten, and most importantly, to tell the stories of our patriot ancestors. So many of those stories are lost to time simply because they have not been told.
Something that touches me very deeply is the stories of our female patriots. So many of those names are just lost to history because they were not considered in the same light as the soldiers, the men who signed the Declaration of Independence, or those who signed oaths of allegiance.
But our female patriots are equally important. They kept the home fires burning. They tended the farms. They took care of the children. They made sure everything ran so the men could go physically fight the war.
Of course, we also had female patriots who took up arms themselves and fought the war. I personally have a female patriot, Lily McElhenny Bowen. She actually had money in her own right, which was very unusual at the time. She had given four sons to support the Revolution. They all returned, and they all contributed. But in her own right, she had her money, and she gave that money to support the cause.
To me, it is very important that I tell her story. It is also important that I tell Phillis Wheatley’s story, because she literally gave voice to the cause and showed everybody, in a very eloquent way, what was going on. And then there is Deborah Sampson, who dressed as a man simply because she felt the cause was so important that she wanted to be a participant in it.
There are so many stories, not just of female patriots, but of all patriots, that are necessary to be told so we never forget. We never want people to forget the time, energy, and sacrifice that went into making our country free.
To me, that is so very important.
When we Illuminate Our Legacy, it is not just about the legacy of our patriots. We also need to illuminate what we are doing right now. But we set a clear and lighted path so that those who come behind us can see what needs to be done to keep this country free and make sure nobody ever forgets the sacrifice that went into making it free.
True Lewis:
I love that. Women are often the voices in the background that bring things to light. It is often those hidden stories, or “her stories,” and that is why I loved when I interviewed our curator, Carrie Blough, with Revolution in Their Words, and how at our DAR Museum, that exhibition also goes in tune with what you were just saying about those voices we do not always hear.
I especially love that about the women, and it is especially fitting for the Daughters as well.
President General Mrs. Storage:
Absolutely. And it is about all of those patriots whose stories may not have been told — the women, the patriots of color, the Indigenous patriots, and those whose stories we simply do not know. We need to find those stories, whoever and wherever they are, and continue to tell them.
True Lewis:
It is always a work in progress, and we are getting there. Our Daughters all over the country, in every chapter and community, are working to find that history and those voices from those communities and bring them forward. That is encouraging.
Mrs. Storage, your pins are so graceful for this season of leadership, and they speak a lot to us. Can you tell our Daughters and listeners a little bit about your torch and blossom pins, and what you hope Daughters feel when they see them?
President General Mrs. Storage:
There is a story for each one, as you know, True.
The torch pin is so very important because, as part of the President General’s Project, we are continuing to restore Memorial Continental Hall, specifically the DAR Library, the period rooms, and surrounding areas.
If you walk into Memorial Continental Hall, particularly through the Pennsylvania Foyer — that is the best example I can use — you walk in through the Pennsylvania Foyer, look down at the library doors, and pull that handle, you will see that torch. That torch is the door pull on those two doors that take you into the library.
That torch is actually installed upside down. I have to believe that when our early members decided they were going to build that memorial to the men and women who achieved American independence — because that is what that building was designed for — they did that intentionally.
At the time, Victorian funerary symbolism showed that an upside-down torch with the laurel leaf reminded people to keep those who have gone before us in memory, eternally grateful for their service.
When I saw that, I said, “That is so important in terms of what we need to focus on.” The men and women who achieved American independence — the torch is a beautiful emblem. We literally took that emblem and turned it right side up because we want to look toward the future. That is one of the two pins that represent the President General’s Project.
The second pin, of course, is a beautiful cherry blossom. Part of the big gift to the nation that will come out of the President General’s Project is a $2 million gift to the cherry tree endowment through the Trust for the National Mall.
That is so important. We were founded in 1890 in Washington, D.C. Very few people can think about Washington, D.C., without thinking about those beautiful cherry blossoms. To keep those trees preserved, healthy, and there for everyone who comes to our capital city, our founding city, is very meaningful.
Everyone equates Washington, D.C., with those cherry blossoms. We feel it is a very appropriate gift to the nation during this 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence.
I will tell you, as a side note, early on when the Jefferson Memorial was being built, they wanted to remove some of those cherry trees. Some of our early members chained themselves to those trees so they would not be cut down. I truly believe our members have loved those cherry trees for years, and it is only fitting that we make this incredible gift to the nation at this point in time.
True Lewis:
Yes, both of your pins are so encouraging, and they illuminate everything we need to know. I was a Pennsylvania Daughter at one point for eight years, so I saw that, but I did not really pay attention. I am still learning that the torch was upside down.
Because of historic preservation, the notes, and the things they archived, we know that now. It is amazing that we keep going year after year, but we are still learning from the past and taking what we had in the past and moving it forward today.
I enjoy that about the pins and how they remind us of our call to action here in DAR and how we can illuminate that back in our own communities.
We are at this point in history, and when we think about legacy, what parts of the DAR mission are most important to you that we should be illuminating right now? What is most significant for us to do in this moment?
President General Mrs. Storage:
For over 135 years, DAR has stuck to our core principles and our core pillars: historic preservation, education, and patriotism. If we keep those pillars in mind and work around those pillars, we will always be successful in our mission.
One of the beautiful things about DAR, especially for a new member coming in, is that there are so many opportunities to meet those mission areas. We have more than 40 committees, and there is something for everyone.
When you come into DAR, you may be so excited about genealogy and preserving those stories. Or you may be excited about supporting our veterans. Or you may be excited about our scholarship programs. Regardless, we have a spot for you. We can put you to work. We can speak to your passion.
As you evolve in DAR, as you grow older and mature, your interests may change, and that is okay. We will give you another area that you can be excited about, because that is just how DAR is.
There are so many opportunities that we can meet anybody where they are at any given time in their life. We are more than willing to do that. That is what I always like to encourage chapters to realize — that people’s interest in DAR may ebb and flow, but they are still members.
You still need to maintain contact with them and make sure they feel valued. That member may not have, at this season in her life, the opportunity to participate. But if she remembers that the chapter was still concerned about her, inquired about her, and checked on her, then she is going to come back to us even stronger and pursue her area of interest in all of those many opportunities we can provide her.
That is my biggest selling point for DAR when I talk to somebody. We always have something that will meet your interests, and we have many areas that you can experiment with. If something does not meet your needs, go to something else, because we offer so many opportunities for people.
True Lewis:
Yes. When I first came in, I was just used to what I was doing in my civilian life, so that is how I started out in my chapter. Then I went on to other places where I had no idea what I was doing, but I had such good chapters and mentors that I learned my way through everything and took the courses.
You are right. There are so many things you can do that are of interest. If you just start there, you would be amazed at all the other things you can do.
Even my mom, at 78 years old, does not do all the things I do being busy, but she has her own way of doing DAR in her chapter, and that is good for her.
Everybody has some level of comfort, and everyone can find something in DAR that will be good for her chapter and community. It will keep you growing in DAR. There is so much. It is a lot to explain, but it is there. Your chapter helps you figure it out too. They are there to support you and guide you where your needs are. Like you said, as you get older, those needs change, and you grow with that.
President General Mrs. Storage:
Exactly. I have found that the jobs I have been offered through my DAR career where I had the least exposure are often the ones that became most meaningful.
I remember when President General Presley Wagner called me and said, “I would like you to be National Chair of the DAR Project Patriot Committee.” At the time, it was only the second administration that committee had been active, and I had no one-on-one experience with active-duty military.
I thought, “How am I ever going to do this job?” But I said, “She believes in me, and she thinks I can. So I am going to say yes, and I am going to do the very best I possibly can.”
It ended up being one of the most meaningful experiences I have ever had in DAR because I took the chance, I said I could do it, and it worked out beautifully. I encourage people to take chances with opportunities that are offered in DAR, because you might be surprised at how much you are going to like something.
True Lewis:
Right. My last assignment was something I totally did not expect, but it was the best thing I had done in DAR so far besides this. Someone saw something in me that I did not see in myself. I was unsure about how I was going to do it, but it was the best committee I had been on in DAR so far.
So we are going to talk again about your President General’s Project, because it speaks about honoring all patriot narratives and celebrating all the remarkable women who created our National Society. We are also recognizing our America 250th anniversary and appreciating members, staff, and donors.
How did all those pieces come together for your vision for this administration?
President General Mrs. Storage:
When we recognize that there are some patriots who are harder to prove — and I refer back to the women, the patriots of color, and Indigenous people — I think about going into this administration, and I was very much committed to making sure we did something to improve that.
One of the things we did was establish the 250 for the 250th Committee, which turns genealogy a little bit on its head and says, “Let’s prove from the patriot forward, so people who might be related to these patriots have a place to start.”
Now we have 250 of those lines on the 250 for the 250th Committee page that people can start with and try to prove back to.
Of course, we have all of our specialty research. We have many different areas where we have subject matter experts who know how to do this research and help prospective members all the time.
I do not think we tell that story enough. We do not toot our own horn enough in terms of saying, “Look, we can help you. Just come ask, and we will gladly help you.”
As we are at the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence, it is very fitting that we are doing this — that we are saying, “Let’s recognize everybody. Let’s welcome everybody into this Society. Let’s be inclusive in any way possible,” because anybody who is eligible for membership should join. I firmly believe that.
That is one of the ways we have incorporated, with the President General’s Project and this administration, all of our patriot narratives, making sure that we are celebrating all of the remarkable women who created our National Society, and honoring the intention of those four founders who, in 1890, established this organization.
True Lewis:
Right. I love that.
We already talked about our hope for newer members finding their place in DAR, but how do we keep this fresh inspiration for seasoned Daughters like myself or longtime members?
President General Mrs. Storage:
I think a lot of that falls to the National Society. We have to recognize that society is ever-changing, so we need to be ever-changing. We cannot be stuck completely in the past. We still need to honor our traditions and our protocol, but there is a way to do that while adapting, changing, and recognizing that society is different than it was even 10 years ago — and especially different than it was 25, 50, 75, or 135 years ago.
We need to do that and still stay true to our mission, which I think DAR has done a really good job of. We have always recognized that our mission areas are historic preservation, education, and patriotism. We have stuck to that, and because of that, I think we are very successful in those areas.
True Lewis:
We are. I feel like we are successful. I have only been in not too long, but I remember when I came in, and it was very traditional. Even just in these 10 years, I have seen an enormous jump. We are moving forward in all directions, full blast. I can appreciate that ever since I came in with President General Dillon.
That tells you all the changes DAR has been through and is going through, and just being committed. It is moving forward in a positive way, and I am proud of that.
President General, what gives you the greatest hope as you look ahead beyond your term? What lasting torch of hope for Illuminate Our Legacy will you leave for those who follow?
President General Mrs. Storage:
I think what I would like to do is inspire those young women who are just joining DAR, who have not been in DAR for a very long time, to recognize how relevant and important our mission is and to find their purpose and their place in DAR.
That way, they can continue forward and make sure our National Society perseveres for years and years to come, and that we always continue what we do best: making sure that we honor our Revolutionary War patriots, those men and women who achieved American independence.
We need to frequently remind everyone that we need to be good citizens. We need to support veterans. We need to respect our historic properties, preserve our stories, and tell our patriots’ narratives so that everybody remembers why we are a free nation, how we got that way, and that we are a free nation because of our Revolutionary War patriots.
True Lewis:
President General, this could be our closing question. What does it mean to you personally to lead this Society, the Daughters of the American Revolution, into this 135th Continental Congress and this America 250 era?
President General Mrs. Storage:
I do not think I could have ever planned to be President General during the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, but it certainly has been the honor of my life to take on this responsibility. And it truly is a responsibility.
Our nation’s history and our National Society’s history are so important. In my mind, we need to highlight everything the Daughters have done over 135-plus years and make sure that we continue to be able to fulfill our mission.
I promise you that the 135th Continental Congress is going to be one to remember. We have so many surprises in store. We have excellent speakers. We have opportunities for members who are coming to D.C. for Congress to get out and explore the city and take advantage of opportunities that will only be there during this 250th year.
We want to make sure everybody comes, enjoys themselves, and honors our nation. We are truly well positioned to celebrate 250 years of our nation’s independence.
True Lewis:
I am so happy and excited. With our 135th Continental Congress during 2026 and America 250, I feel so relaxed and calm. I just want to enjoy it and make a lot of memories.
I have my pages ready for my America 250 journal that Daughters can get at the DAR Store, to record your history and your memories for this year. If I live long enough, I can look back and think about this season. That little journal means a lot to me as a historian, and I do a lot of genealogy, so I was so glad that you all came up with that for the committee as well.
I just want to thank you.
On behalf of myself, and especially my National Vice Chairs here on this committee, we all want to thank you for joining us. It is truly an honor to welcome you and hear your heart for this administration and your vision for how we Illuminate Our Legacy during this time in 2026 for America 250.
We are grateful for the opportunity to serve you, President General, during this time and to share the stories, service, and mission of our Society through this podcast. Your time, encouragement, and leadership mean so much to our committee.
On behalf of all the Daughters and listeners out there, I am sure they would love for me to say thank you as well for joining us.
President General Mrs. Storage:
Well, it has truly been my pleasure. My heart is with DAR and all of our members. I thank you, your committee, and everyone in the National Society who works for our goals and objectives. It means the world to me.
Thank you very, very much for having me.
True Lewis:
We are going to celebrate and go on.