Carolyn Kelley of Oakland has asked us to tell readers that a new chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is forming in Caribou, and she invites prospective members to attend a lineage research workshop at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Caribou Parks and Recreation building at 55 Bennett Drive in Caribou.

The obvious question is who are the Daughters of the Revolution – and what exactly do they do?

DAR members have documented their direct-line descent from a “patriot” in the American Revolution.

Many of these patriots fought in the Revolutionary War, but not all of them. Others rendered patriotic service at the time by being a member of Safety Committee in their town or providing money or goods to the patriots, for example.

Members of the DAR – and other lineage societies such as the Mayflower Society – “prove” their line with copies of birth, marriage and death records, wills, Bible records, cemetery listings, probate records, town and family histories.

I joined the DAR in 1979 because of my interest in genealogy and because I enjoyed attending a lineage research workshop led by Ann Thomas and the late Agnes Thomas and Agnes Ames.

One of my first projects was helping to index church records of Hammond Street Congregational Church, which are part of the Genealogical Records Committee volumes of the Maine DAR at Bangor Public Library, the Maine State Library in Augusta, Maine Historical Society in Portland and the National DAR Library in Washington.

DAR members encouraged me to start “Family Ties” in 1984, and continue to support the column today. (Connee Jellison, who wrote Family Ties for 10 years, also is a Daughter.)

DAR chapters own museums such as Burnham Tavern in Machias, conduct U.S. history essay contests for grades five through eight, mark graves for Revolutionary War ancestors and other landmarks, donate books to local libraries and give small flags to new U.S. citizens during naturalization ceremonies.

They honor DAR Good Citizens from the senior class of more than 100 participating high schools throughout the state, and they volunteer at the VA Hospital in Togus. The state project of the state regent, Donna Dunbar Hoffmann of Bucksport, is raising funds toward restoration work at Fort Knox.

Last spring, the Maine DAR honored Morrill Worcester for his patriotic project of many years, donating and placing wreaths at graves of veterans in Arlington National Cemetery.

To learn more, stop by the workshop in Caribou and meet Carolyn Kelley, state organizing secretary for DAR in Maine.

Mount Desert Isle Chapter held a family history workshop this summer in Somesville, and Frances Dighton Williams Chapter will hold a lineage research workshop at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at Bangor Public Library.

For information, check out www.dar.org. You also may contact Carolyn Kelley at shhdar@verizon.net or 465-2278.

Come along to New Vineyard for the fall meeting of the Maine Old Cemetery Association on Saturday, Sept. 30, at Smith Hall on Route 27.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with a fee of $3. Beverages and snacks will be served by the host group, the New Vineyard Historical Society. The schedule is:

9:15 a.m.: Welcome by MOCA President Emily Quint.

9:30 a.m.: “New Vineyard History” with Frederick O. Smith II, New Vineyard Historical Society.

10 a.m.: “Practical Advice for Hands-on Restoration,” with Carolee Merrill and Elaine Wells, New Vineyard Historical Society. After a brief break, the annual business meeting will feature election of officers and annual awards.

Noon: Lunch served by host group. Lunch reservations must be made by Sept. 20 to Emily Quint, 635-2231 or quint@tdstelme.net

After lunch, participants may take a tour of cemeteries and visit the New Vineyard Historical Society Archives.

The Sullivan-Sorrento Historical Society has a most interesting program coming up, “Diversity as Community,” set for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 20, at the Sullivan Recreational Center on Route 1.

Dr. Kay Kimball, associate professor of history; Dr. Michael Kimball, assistant professor of anthropology; and Dr. Marcus Libizzi, associate professor of English, will talk about the ongoing research project on the Atusville district of Machias.

The African-American community was established by London Atus, a slave who came with his master, the Rev. Lyons, the first minister in Machias.

Through oral history and archeological research, these professors have established the site of buildings and found the general location of a burial ground.

Descendants of London Atus served in the War of 1812, the Civil War and World War I. London himself served in the Revolutionary War under the name London Lyons.

Send genealogy queries to Family Ties, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402; or send e-mail to familyti@bangordailynews.net.