Celebrate The Foundation Of America

Editor’s Note: Constitution Week is the commemoration of America's most important document. It is celebrated annually during the week of Sept. 17-23.

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 & protects the freedoms central to our American way of life. This year, the annual celebration begins Sept. 17, 2020.

The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) initiated the observance in 1955, when the organization petitioned the U.S. Congress to dedicate Sept. 17-23 of each year to be commemoration of Constitution Week. Congress adopted the resolution, and on Aug. 2, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into Public Law No. 915.

The celebration’s goals are threefold:

• 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 great heritage and the foundation of our way of life;

• To emphasize U.S. citizens' responsibility to protect, defend and preserve the Constitution.

DAR has been the foremost advocate for the awareness, promotion & 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.

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 & sacrifice made possible the liberties we enjoy today.

“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 & present.”

One of the largest patriotic women’s organizations in the world, DAR has more that 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 education initiatives, citizenship programs, service to veterans, and meaningful community service.

For more information about DAR & its programs, visit http://www.dar.org.

About DAR

Locally, The Adam Holliday Chapter was officially organized on Dec. 30, 1921, and is named after our Revolutionary War patriot Adam Holliday. Adam and his brother William Holliday, are credited with the founding of Hollidaysburg.

We are a non-profit, non-political, volunteer women’s service organization with a three-fold mission dedicated to promoting historic preservation, education and patriotism. Our motto is “God, Home and Country.”

Any woman 18 years of age who can prove lineal descent from a patriot who served in the Revolutionary War or gave aid to American colonists during the Revolution is eligible for DAR membership.

For more information please visit the chapter website at http://pssdar.org/chapter_sites/adamholliday.php