Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher made it official as he proclaimed this week Constitution Week.
Members of the local chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution joined him at a ceremony on Friday at city hall.
Fletcher, in his proclamation, said, “Sept. 17 marks the 230th anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention. It is fitting and proper to officially recognize this magnificent document and its memorable anniversary.”
The mayor called “upon our citizens to reaffirm the ideals the Framers of the Constitution had in 1787.”
There are several important documents in American history, but the Declaration of Independence forged the nation’s 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 national holiday, not many people know about Constitution Week, an annual commemoration of the living document that upholds and protects the freedoms central to the American way of life. This year, the annual celebration began Sunday.
The Daughters of the American Revolution, known as DAR, initiated the observance in 1955, when the organization petitioned Congress to dedicate Sept. 17-23 of each year to the commemoration of Constitution Week. Congress adopted the resolution, and on Aug. 2, 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower signed it into law.
The celebration’s goals are to encourage 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 heritage and the foundation of our way of life and to emphasize citizens’ responsibility to protect, defend and preserve the Constitution.
“DAR has been the foremost advocate for the awareness, promotion and celebration of Constitution Week. This annual observance provides innumerable opportunities for educational initiatives and community outreach, two mission areas of crucial importance to the National Society’s work,” according to the announcement from Junelle Mongno of the Major Jacob Gray chapter of DAR, which is based in Jacksonville.
“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 independence, whose bravery and sacrifice made possible the liberties we enjoy today,” said Ann Dillon, DAR president general.
“The framers created a Constitution that translated into law the ideals upon which our nation was built. Their vision was so forward thinking that their words still guide us today,” she said.
“No American history education can be complete without a thorough understanding of the impact the Constitution has had on the lives of American citizens past and present,” Dillon added.
DAR is one of the largest patriotic women’s organizations in the world. It has more than 185,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters across the country and even in foreign countries.
DAR promotes historic preservation, education and patriotism via commemorative events, scholarships and educational initiatives, citizenship programs, service to veterans, meaningful community service and more.
For more information about DAR, visit www.dar.org.
