Gila Butte member Carolyn Hawkins delivered copies of the Constitution, along with other related materials, to area high schools to mark Constitution Week. (Photo courtesy of Carolyn Hawkins)
In September, the Gila Butte Chapter distributed Constitution-related posters and educational materials to Basha, Casteel, and Perry High Schools in recognition of Constitution Week.
After a petition to Congress by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), President Eisenhower signed Constitution Week into law in 1956. The purpose is to encourage study of the Constitution and to educate the public on the men who composed it. The Constitution was signed on Sept. 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, so the week of Sept. 17-23 was chosen for the observance of Constitution Week.
At 4 p.m. on Sept. 17, 1787, bells rang to assemble the citizens of Philadelphia for the first public reading of the Constitution. Bells Across America, a part of Constitution Week, commemorates this with “ringing the bells” at 4 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Sept. 17 all over the country.
Anyone interested in joining the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) should contact Ruth at [email protected]. The chapter can provide assistance with lineage research to prospective members if needed.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution is a nonprofit, charitable organization, founded in 1890 and incorporated by an act of the United States Congress in 1896. Membership in the society is open to any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution. The DAR functions as a volunteer service organization and is dedicated to patriotism, education, and historic preservation. While DAR supports a strong national defense, it is not a political organization, nor does it lobby. Its membership includes women from Republican, Democratic, and Independent political parties; women from all races and ethnic backgrounds; and women from ages 18-100+. The society does not subscribe to any particular religion, nor does it discriminate against any members who are of various religious beliefs.