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Sept. 17, 2012, begins the national celebration of Constitution Week.

The tradition of celebrating the Constitution was started many years ago by the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

The General Henry William Harrington Chapter of the DAR of Rockingham will have a booth at the Richmond County Agricultural Fair in Hamlet, Sept. 17 through 23, with the theme “Celebrate the Constitution Week.”

The week-long commemoration of America’s most important document is one of the country’s least known official observances, according to the DAR. The Constitution stands as a testament to the tenacity of Americans throughout history to maintain their liberties and freedom, and to ensure those inalienable rights to every American, DAR leaders believe.

The Rockingham DAR chapter began on Oct. 15, 1981, with 15 members. The goals of the DAR are to educate and preserve American history and patriotism, according to Mary Bowles, DAR regent of Rockingham. “I like to support patriotism and our Armed Forces,” said Bowles.

In 1955, the Daughters petitioned Congress to set aside Sept. 17 through 23, annually, to be dedicated for the observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was later adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed into Public Law #915 on Aug. 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The aims of the celebration are to (1) emphasize citizens’ responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution, preserving it for posterity; (2) inform the people that the Constitution is the basis for America’s great heritage and the foundation for our way of life; and (3) encourage the study of the historical events which led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787.

The United States of America functions as a Republic under the Constitution, which is the oldest document still in active use that outlines the self-government of a people. This landmark idea that men had the inalienable right as individuals to be free and live their lives under their own governance was the impetus of the American Revolution. Today, the Constitution stands as an icon of freedom for people around the world.

“We must remember and teach that those who wrote the Constitution believed that no government can create freedom, but that government must guard freedom rather than encroach upon the freedoms of its people,” said Merry Ann T. Wright, President General of the DAR.

“The Constitution by itself cannot guarantee liberty. A nation’s people can remain free only by being responsible citizens who are willing to learn about the rights of each arm of government and require that each is accountable for its own function. Therefore, Constitution Week is the perfect opportunity to read and study this great document which is the safeguard of our American liberties. We encourage all citizens across the country to take time this week to guard that which is committed to us by our forefathers … our freedom,” Wright said.

Known as the largest women’s patriotic organization in the world, DAR has 170,000 members with approximately 3,000 chapters in all 50 states and 11 foreign countries. The DAR has long promoted patriotism through commemorative celebrations, memorials, scholarships and activities for children, and programs for new immigrants.

For more information about DAR and its programs visit www.dar.org or call 202- 628-1776.