Constitution Week recognized locally by Daughters of the American Revolution

Thursday is Constitution Day, a day that kicks off a week (September 17 to 23) dedicated to honoring the United States Constitution.

Honoring this annual designation, the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) have displays celebrating the Constitution set up in the Jasper Public Library and Dubois County Contractual Libraries.

Local Regent Paula Book also plans on distributing several books to the elementary and middle schools.

This year has been difficult for the local chapter of DAR — as it has been for many organizations. According to Book, they held their first meeting since February at Jaycee Park Tuesday evening. She said it was good to see the group together and they made plans for this year’s service project.

In past years, the group has spent October visiting with the residents of Dubois County nursing homes. With Covid-19 forcing nursing homes to restrict visitors this year, the group plans on sending out about 600 cards of encouragement to be distributed to residents.

According to Book, the members of DAR can put whatever messages they like in the cards whether it is just a note of encouragement or discussion on the going-ons in the county.

For her and the members, it is important to reach out to the nursing home residents in light of the emotional impact of their separations from their families.

Annually, the group celebrates Constitution Week with the displays. This year being the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women’s right to vote bears an important reminder for the rights the Constitution protects for all citizens.

This week’s celebration of the Constitution was started by the Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1955, DAR petitioned Congress to set aside September 17-23 annually to be dedicated for the observance of Constitution Week. The resolution was later adopted by the U.S. Congress and signed into public law on August 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The displays located in the libraries are part of the many activities across the country put on by members of DAR.

“In communities across America, Daughters of the American Revolution will erect hundreds of community displays, sponsor municipal proclamations, ring bells, and stage programs to raise awareness of the Constitution’s tenets and importance,” DAR President General Denise Doring Vanburen said in a press release.

For about the past 10 years, DAR member Linda Messmer has been the chairperson for the Constitution Week celebration. She delivers decorations and documents to the local libraries for them to create displays. The libraries then decorate a public area with those pieces and add books and documents from the libraries’ collections.

DAR is a national group whose members are descendants of Americans who fought in the Revolutionary War.

Those interested in joining or learning more about DAR should contact Regent Paula Book at pauladenisebook@gmail.com.