Speech #920290459

Daughters of the American Revolution. in every locality study and publicize the Constitution during its 168th Anniversary Week of September 1723. 1955. request their Mayors and Governors to proclaim Constitution Week. and sponsor Chapter. school and public programs on the Constitution. especially emphasizing the primary purposes of good government as set forth in the Preamble to the Constitution and the duty of citizens in our Republic to protect the Constitution and the freedoms as set forth in its Bill of Rights. so that it may continue to protect us and our posterity in "This Nation under God." The societys efforts to commemorate Constitution Week resulted in proclamations by Governors of 45 States and the District of Columbia. Hawaii and the Canal Zone. The observance of Constitution Week in 1955 by the Daughters of the American Revolution was so outstanding that in February 1956 the national society received one of the five top special Awards from Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge: "For meritorious dedication to American constitutional freedom and liberty. particularly for the 1955 program on the significance of Constitution Day." At their Continental Congress in 1956. the Daughters of the American Revolution resolved to "petition the President of the United States to proclaim this weekConstitution Week. from September 17 to 23annually and that the society ask the Congress of the United States to designate September 17 as Constitution Day." On February 29. 1952. the Congress of the United States approved a joint resolution setting aside the 17th day of September of each year as Citizenship Day in commemoration of the signing of the Constitution of the United States on September 17. 1787. and in recognition of all who. by coming of age or by naturalization. had attained citizenship during the year. On August 2. 1956. the Congress approved a second joint resolution. requesting the President to designate the week beginning September 17 of each year as Constitution Week. On August 5. 1972. the President of the United States. by Proclamation. directed "the appropriate Government officials .to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on Citizenship Day.