About the chapter
A society of descendants, keeping the revolution on the record.
The Spirit of St. Louis Chapter is a chapter of the Missouri Society, Sons of the American Revolution — a lineage society whose members each trace descent from someone who supported American independence. We are historical, educational and patriotic, and we are not political.
The chapter takes its name from the aircraft that carried Charles Lindbergh from New York to Paris in 1927, built and financed in this city. The name is a reminder that St. Louis has a habit of underwriting difficult things.
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What the Chapter Does?
Preserve The Records
We locate and document the graves of Revolutionary War patriots in eastern Missouri, set bronze markers, restore stones that have weathered past reading, and file the research so the next generation does not start over.
Teach The Founding
We run essay and oration contests in area high schools, award an Eagle Scout scholarship, and bring the Constitution and the color guard into classrooms that ask for us.
Honor Those Who Served
We lay wreaths at veterans’ graves, post the colors at civic observances, and present commendation medals to law enforcement, firefighters and emergency responders.
A Short History
Dates below are illustrative. [sample text — replace]
1889
The National Society Is Founded
Descendants of the men and women who supported independence organize in New York, a century after Washington’s inauguration.
1890
Missouri Organizes
The Missouri Society is formed and begins the work of registering lineages across the state.
1936
This Chapter Is Chartered
Founded in St. Louis and named for the aircraft the city financed nine years earlier.
1976
The Bicentennial Program
The chapter’s grave-marking program begins in earnest during the Bicentennial and has continued since.
Today
Four Hundred Graves and Counting
More than four hundred documented patriots are buried in eastern Missouri. Fewer than half carry a marker.
Officers and Boards
Elected annually at the March meeting. Photographs and names to be supplied by the chapter. [sample text — replace]
PresidentName to be addedPresides at meetings and represents the chapter to the state society.
First Vice PresidentName to be addedPrograms and speakers.
SecretaryName to be addedMinutes, correspondence and the chapter roll.
TreasurerName to be addedDues, the funds, and the annual report.
RegistrarName to be addedLineage applications and supporting documentation.
ChaplainName to be addedInvocations, memorials and pastoral care.
Who can join?
Membership is open to any man over the age of eighteen who can show lineal, bloodline descent from an ancestor who supported the cause of American independence — a soldier, a sailor, a signer, or a civilian who gave material aid. You do not need to have the research done already. Our registrar helps applicants trace and document the line, and most applications are built from records that already exist.