Mayor Jim Auxer has proclaimed that Constitution Week will officially be held in Shepherdstown the week of Sept. 17. Members of the Pack Horse Ford Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution will ring church bells at 4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 17 to signify the signing of the Constitution 225 years ago.

There will be a patriotic display in the store-front window of Dickinson and Wait Craft Galleryduring Constitution Week. Entitled “Heroes Walked Among Us,” the exhibit will pay homage to some of the Shepherdstown men and women who served in the military during our nation’s wars. Chapter members also will lay a wreath at the grave site of President James Madison, known as the Father of the Constitution, during their trip to Montpelier near Orange, Va.

In 1955, the Daughters of the American Revolution petitioned Congress to set aside September 17-23 annually for the observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was adopted by Congress and signed into Public Law on August 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

In 2004, U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd introduced a bill that mandated that all colleges and schools that receive federal funding teach a lesson on the U. S. Constitution. The Pack Horse Ford Chapter committee members, led by chairperson Jane Snyder, will distribute 700 copies of the Constitution and posters to teachers in six schools of Jefferson County. U.S. Senator Joe Manchin donated 300 copies.

Constitution Week is the perfect opportunity to read and study this great document, which is the safeguard of our American liberties. The Chapter encourage all citizens across the nation to take time during this week to reflect on the country’s great heritage. The Daughters of the American Revolution is a nonprofit, nonpolitical volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to preserving American history, securing America’s future through better education, and promoting patriotism. To learn more about the work of today’s DAR, visit www.DAR.org.