The nation's capital welcomed more than 3,000 members of one of its foremost service organizations this week, with the arrival of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) for their 118th annual Continental Congress, July 8-12.

In attendance at the Congress was Cynthia T. Stout of near Burlington, a 33-year member and newly elected Vice President General of the National Society. Current Indiana State Regent and a member of the General James Cox Chapter, Stout's activity on the national level includes service on the National Board of Management, House Committee, Kate Duncan Smith DAR School Board of Trustees, and Tamassee DAR School State Regent's Council.

She is also in the State Regent's Club, the National Officer's Club, the Heritage Club, and the State Vice Regent's Club. Her activity on the Indiana State and local level includes several state offices and chairmanships, and she won the National DAR Good Citizen award in 2008. She has also actively served the C.A.R. as well as her community as a Girl Scout leader and in various societies. Stout and her husband Allen, an active SAR member, have been married for 55 years and have three children and 10 grandchildren, several of whom are active in the C.A.R.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. With more than 165,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide, DAR is one of the world's largest and most active service organizations. To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visit www.DAR.org.