Daughters of the American Revolution promote Constitution Week

The national celebration of Constitution Week, commemorating one of the country’s most important documents, is also one of the least known official observances.

The tradition of celebrating the Constitution was started many years ago by the Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1955, the Daughters petitioned Congress to set aside Sept. 17-23 annually to be dedicated to Constitution Week. The resolution was adopted and signed into law the following year by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

A Daughters of the American Revolution chapter operates out of Fort Sidney locally. It assist in genealogy and the researching of family history. Contact chapter regent Carol Mason at 308-254-3572 for more information.

DAR has served America for 122 years. In 1928, the Daughters began work on a building as a memorial to the Constitution. John Russel Pope, architect of the Jefferson Memorial, was commissioned to design the performing arts center, known as DAR Constitution Hall.

Known as the largest women’s patriotic organization in the world, DAR has more than 165,000 members with approximately 3,000 chapters in all 50 states and 11 foreign countries. It has long promoted patriotism through celebrations, memorials, scholarships, children’s activities and programs for immigrants.