CONSTITUTION DAY CELEBRATION
DAR Promotes Constitution Week
The Black Hills Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) will be conducting a ceremony commemorating the signing of the United States Constitution on September 17, 2018, at America’s Founding Fathers Exhibit on Highway 16. The ceremony will begin at 4:00 pm in front of Independence Hall near the replica of the Liberty Bell. Black Hills Boy Scouts have been invited to participate by lowering the flag at the end of the ceremony. Everyone is invited to come and learn about the importance of the Constitution, the men who signed it, and ring the Liberty Bell. After the flag ceremony everyone will be invited inside Independence Hall for free to view replicas of the men who founded America and the place where both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed. It will be a fun learning experience for scouts, families, and the general public who attend.
Boy Scout troops from the Black Hills area and the general public are invited to attend and take part in the program because DAR’s primary goals include encouraging the study of the historical events that led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787; to inform people that the Constitution is the basis of America’s great heritage and the foundation of our way of life; and to emphasize U.S. citizens’ responsibility to protect, defend and preserve 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 is still in use today. While Independence Day is a beloved national holiday, fewer 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. This year, the annual celebration begins September 17, 2018.
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) initiated the observance in 1955 when the organization 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. One of the largest patriotic women’s organizations in the world, DAR has more than 185,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters across the country and even in numerous foreign countries. DAR strives to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism via commemorative events, scholarships and educational initiatives, citizenship programs, service to veterans, meaningful community service, and more. For additional information about DAR and its programs, visit www.dar.org.