DAR suggests Constitution Week tributes
From coast to coast, bells will ring Tuesday to commemorate Constitution Week, celebrated annually from Sept. 17 to 23 to honor America's most important document.
“The Constitution is a living document that assures each citizen of the freedoms Americans cherish and appreciate,” said Martha Eberhardt, regent of the General Richard Butler Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. “As members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, it is our responsibility to keep our ancestors' legacy alive by promoting the ideals they fought valiantly to give their descendants.”
The local chapter kicked off Constitution Week with a luncheon, a 20-year tradition, Saturday at the Butler Country Club, 310 Country Club Road in Penn Township.
The Daughters of the American Revolution initiated the observance in 1955, when the organization petitioned Congress to dedicate Sept. 17 to 23 annually to the commemoration of Constitution Week.
Congress adopted the resolution, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law on Aug. 2, 1956.
The annual observance provides opportunities for education and community outreach, two mission areas of crucial importance to the national society's work.
“The framers created a Constitution that translated into law the ideals upon which our nation was built,” said DAR President General Denise Doring VanBuren. “Their vision was so forward thinking that their words still guide us today. 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.”
The General Richard Butler Chapter, which is made up of 78 members and 13 associate members, was organized on Feb. 20, 1920, and was chartered on April 24, 1920. It is dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history and securing America's future through better education, said Eberhardt, chapter regent.
Its members work to restore and maintain historical sites, including the Little Red Schoolhouse in Butler, Madonna of the Trail near Nemacolin Woodlands, and Constitution Hall in Washington DC; restore and clean Revolutionary War patriots' gravesites and headstones; preserve genealogical records and historical documents; support schools through donations and volunteer efforts; provide awards to outstanding students including the Junior ROTC Award, American History Awards, and a Junior Citizenship Award in local school districts; and volunteer time to assist military veterans at the VA Butler Healthcare, the Adopt a Vet program, and collecting school items and backpacks for the Rucksacks to Backpacks project.The group's next service project is Oct. 12 when members will work at Robin's Home for female veterans.Written almost 250 years ago, the Constitution is timeless and the belief that everyone is created equal still applies today, said Carol Kristufek, Connoquenessing Chapter of the Daughters of the American Colonists treasurer.“It's very important — it's what our country was founded on and where our basic rights come from,” Kristufek said. “It's written so well that it does stand the test of time.”While Independence Day is a national holiday, fewer people know about Constitution Week.This year marks the 64th anniversary of Constitution Week, which is one fact people might not know about the celebration, Eberhardt said.People can celebrate by ringing a bell at 4 p.m. Tuesday, which is when chapters of the Daughters of the Revolution will ring their own bells to signify liberty and freedom, Kristufek said. They can also read and reflect on the document.People should contact churches, schools, courthouses, fire houses, veterans' homes, city governments and individuals, and ask them to ring bells Tuesday, Eberhardt suggested.During the week, Eberhardt said, people should talk about the historical events surrounding the establishment of the Constitution and the men who framed the document, the 64th anniversary of the first resolution by the U.S. Congress to observe Constitution Week, the 232nd anniversary of the signing of the Constitution and the 228th anniversary of the ratification of the first ten amendments known as the Bill of Rights.Help teach all citizens, especially youths and newly naturalized citizens, about founding documents, Eberhardt said.“Live to protect and defend the Constitution,” she said.
Here are the General Richard Butler Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution officers for the 2019-21 term:Regent: Martha EberhardtVice Regent: Donna CroftChaplain: Diana GradyRecordingSecretary: Karen StartzellCorresponding Secretary: Janice WankeTreasurer: Laura SchaffnerRegistrar: Carol HeplerHistorian: Stacy StoughtonLibrarian: Karen Vargo
The U.S. Constitution is the fundamental framework of America’s system of government.The ConstitutionCreates a government that puts the power in the hands of the peopleSeparates the powers of government into three branches: the legislative branch, which makes the laws; the executive branch, which executes the laws; and the judicial branch, which interprets the lawsSets up a system of checks and balances that ensures no one branch has too much powerDivides power between the states and the federal governmentDescribes the purposes and duties of the governmentDefines the scope and limit of government powerPrescribes the system for electing representativesEstablishes the process for the document’s ratification and amendmentOutlines many rights and freedoms of the people
