Should I Join?

. . . the Sons of the American Revolution?

I found out I was eligible a few years ago when my grandmother (my dad's mom) signed herself up. It turns out one of our ancestors on her side of the family is Zadock Hurd, who fought as a private in the Revolutionary War. He's on the Pension List of 1813 as receiving $20 annually for his service to the country.

I need to check with Grandma, but I'm guessing he is the same Zadock Hurd listed here, born March 18, 1761, in East Haddam, Connecticut. There's not much other info on there except that his parents -- Rachel Love Fuller and Justus Hurd -- were also born in Connecticut and died in New Hampshire (he in Gilsum in 1804, she in Chesterfield in 1815). So I'm guessing he is the same Zadock Hurd -- the father was also a Revolutionary War veteran, but he's not on the Pension List as he'd passed away before 1813. So don't know his rank.

I am very curious now about this ancestor of ours -- I will have to see if Grandma knows anymore about him. During the Revolution, he would have been between the ages of 14 and 22. So that must have been a very interesting experience indeed!

I've been googling him -- someone with the same name was one of the first settlers of the town of Keene, New York, located in the Adirondacks and named for Keene, New Hampshire. So could be him, too.

I'm not sure about joining the SAR. I need to read about it on their website a little more. Mainly (as far as I know) they are all about respect for the flag and patriotism, which is practically my middle name. With a T that rhymes with P that stands for . . .

I guess I also worry that if I do end up becoming a dual citizen over here, my membership might not be looked on very favorably . . . but then I am rather proud of my ancestor who I don't know much about. So I am tempted to go on and join anyway. And they do have a UK chapter apparently. May not be able to resist.

What do you think? Should I go for it?