Bells Across America event Sept. 17 launches Constitution Week observance
August 31, 2022
Bells will ring throughout the United States, including Greenwood, on Saturday, Sept. 17, to commemorate the 235th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787.
The Mount Ariel Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will host Bells Across America with a program at 3 p.m. at the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection. The program will be followed immediately by the 4 p.m. ringing of bells to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution into law.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will serve as a launch to Constitution Week, to be held Sept. 17 – 23 nationwide.
During the colonial period of our country, bells were used to call people together and to alert them to important announcements or events, said Helen Nazzaro, regent of the Mount Ariel Chapter, DAR.
“Bells called the people of Philadelphia together to hear the Declaration of Independence read publicly for the first time on July 8, 1776,” she said. “Then, just over 11 years later, around 4 p.m. on Sept. 17, 1787, bells were used to call people to hear the first public reading of our new Constitution. The most significant statements they heard were in the Preamble to the Constitution, which outlined the organization of our republic and the rule of law that would hold the new country together.”
Many have memorized the 52 words of the Preamble to the Constitution and find them as profound today as when first written, she said. “This year’s observance on Sept. 17 marks the 235th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution, which now is commemorated annually by the ‘Ringing of the Bells’ across America.”
Constitution Week is observed nationally in schools, colleges and universities. The observance had its beginning in 1955 when the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution petitioned Congress with a resolution to set aside September 17-23 for observing Constitution Week. The annual celebration was established when signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on Aug. 2, 1956.
The DAR remains committed to encouraging study and educating the public about the Constitution and the men who framed it.
About the DAR
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a women’s service organization whose members can trace their lineage to an individual who contributed to securing American independence during the Revolutionary War. Today’s DAR is dynamic and diverse, with over 185,000 members in 3,000 chapters in the United States and abroad. DAR members annually provide millions of hours of volunteer service to their local communities across the country and world. DAR chapters participate in projects to promote historic preservation, education, and patriotism. Over one million members have joined the organization since its founding in 1890. If you are interested in learning more about DAR membership, visit the Mount Ariel Chapter, NSDAR, Hodges, SC Facebook page or contact Helen Nazzaro at 901-626-6911.
