“We want everyone to stop at 4 p.m. to ring a bell,” Susanne McInnis, Richmond County Regent for the DAR said. “To commemorate the Constitution’s signing at 4 p.m. on this day.”
Constitution Week is a week-long celebration commemorating the Constitution, which DAR considers one of the country’s least known official observances.
“We want everyone to let bells ring,” McInnis said. “Or honk car horns, ring church bells or anything else. It’s a united effort to show everyone we remember.”
For several years the General Henry WIlliam Harrington Chapter of the DAR has been active in Richmond County and every year actively support the nationwide observance of Constitution Week.
“Constitution Week is the perfect opportunity to read and study this great document which is the safeguard of our American liberties,” said DAR president general, Linda Gist Calvin. “We encourage all citizens across the country to take time this week to reflect on our heritage of freedom.”
This year will mark the 222nd anniversary of the framing of the Constitution, which was signed in Philadelphia, Pa. in September 1787.
The DAR jump-started the tradition in 1955 after petitioning Congress to set aside Sept. 17-23 each year for the observance of Constitution Week. In 1956, it was adopted by Congress and signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
“People take it for granted,” McInnis said. “We assume it’s always there for us. Maybe this can make them think.”
The DAR, founded in 1890, is a volunteer women’s organization devoted to promoting patriotism, preserving American history and securing America’s future through better education. Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion or ethnic background, who can provide lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution, is eligible for membership.
For more information about DAR, visit www.dar.org or call (202) 628-1776.
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