The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, petitioned the U.S. Congress to dedicate September 17-23 of each year to the commemoration of Constitution Week. Congress adopted the resolution, and on August 2, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into Public Law #915.

 

Members of the Church and Cannon Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, met in front of the Springfield Fire Department on September 17, 2021 to participate in Bells Across America. Bells Across America is an annual celebration of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. Participants gather to ring bells, much as the church bells of Philadelphia rang out when the U.S. Constitution was first signed at 4 pm on September 17, 1787. Vice Regent, Heather Sanford, read Mayor Weber’s Constitution Week Proclamation. State Treasurer, Linda Jurczak, led the recitation of the Preamble to the Constitution. At 4 pm, a bell was rung 13 times – one for each state that ratified the Constitution.

 

“There are two documents of paramount importance to American history: the Declaration of Independence, which forged our national identity, and the United States Constitution, which set forth the framework for the federal government that functions to this day,” says DAR President General Denise Doring VanBuren. “While Independence Day is a well-recognized and beloved national holiday, few people know about Constitution Week, an annual commemoration of the living document that upholds and protects the freedoms central to our American way of life.”

 

By fostering knowledge of, and appreciation for, the Constitution and the inalienable rights it affords to all Americans, DAR helps to keep alive the memory of the men and women who secured our nation’s foundational liberties.

 

One of the largest patriotic women’s organizations in the world, DAR has more than 190,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters. DAR members promote historic preservation, education and patriotism via commemorative events, scholarships and educational initiatives, citizenship programs, service to veterans, meaningful community service and more. Any woman 18 or older who can prove direct lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible for membership. For more information, visit www.dar.org  To join Springfield’s Church and Cannon Chapter, email [email protected] for details.