Becoming a Member - What to Expect

What is the National Society of Colonial Dames?

The NSCDA is an organization of women which actively promotes our national heritage through historic preservation, patriotic service and educational projects. Founded in 1891, there are over 14,000 members in 44 state societies. We all share a passion for historic preservation and through our museum properties; patriotic and educational programs provide outreach to our local communities. More than 70 historic properties throughout the country are owned, managed by or associated with various states societies.

What are the Benefits of Membership?

The main benefit of membership is meeting and working with compatible women who share a strong interest in history, education and genealogy. Our members can support our activities with membership dues and attending our events. Our members can be involved actively helping with our museum property committee regarding the Betts House, The Kemper Log House and our Federal Gallery at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Or members can work with our Patriotic Services Committee or the committee working on the yearly sponsorship of sending a teacher to Williamsburg, VA. We also have a committee for our high school essay writing scholarship. We have National workshops in Washington, DC biennially and on the opposite year a different location in the United States. In 2025 we will be going to Charlestown, SC. Also, Dames may visit Dumbarton House, our 18th Century historic headquarters house in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington D.C. or participate in trips to Sulgrave Manor in Oxfordshire, England the George Washington family ancestral home endowed by the NSCDA.

What to expect once you become a NSCDA Ohio Society Candidate:

You will have access to our National NSCDA website with a password and username.
You will create a line of ascent. We will give you the form to fill out.
Once you have an approved line of ascent, we have a $50 candidate fee to pay for mailings and other miscellaneous expenses.
If you are a legacy as registrar I will use your Mother, Grandmother, Aunts or Sister’s lineage papers to create your lineage papers. I will use the same colonial state your relatives sent their papers to. I would just have to collect from you birth certificates for yourself, your husbands birth certificate if you are married and birth, death, and marriage certificates of anyone in your first 3 generations that are not included in your relative’s lineage papers. Unfortunately, If you have a great grandmother who was a Dame you will have to start at the beginning as a non-legacy. But we can use their lineage papers as a guideline.
If you are not a legacy you will have to collect the proofs of birth, death, marriage and linkage of relationship between each generation starting with yourself.
If you are not interested in the collection of your own proofs, we have certified genealogists that can help you get started. Email: ohregistrarnscda@gmail.com with questions about the use of a certified genealogist. They have contracts and hourly fees for the preparation of your papers for submission to the colonial states.
Each of the 13 colonial states have different fees for their verifying genealogists and a onetime colonial fee for the completion of lineage papers and proofs. Some have a discounted fee if you are a legacy.
Once you have your line of ascent and are close to collecting all your proof documentation, as Registrar I send to your colonial state a Proposal for Membership and a Letter of Introduction with your line of ascent. You typically have 2 years to collect your proof documents and submit your lineage papers to the colony.
After you become an official NSCDA member our Ohio Society has a yearly dues payment for Junior Dames 17<, Young Dames 35< and 36 Years and over.
As you start your research on your family below are some commonly used websites to access