Litchfield Marks Constitution Week With DAR Proclamation

Article Summary: The Litchfield City Council opened its Sept. 17 meeting by recognizing the Daughters of the American Revolution and reading a proclamation designating Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week in the city. The proclamation was issued and signed by the city’s mayor pro tem.

Constitution Week Proclamation Key Points:

The proclamation designates the week of Sept. 17-23, 2026, as Constitution Week and urges residents to study the Constitution.

It was read aloud by Alderperson Sara Zumwalt and issued over the signature of the city’s mayor pro tem.

A DAR representative told the council the observance began as a DAR project in 1955 and became federal law in 1956.

LITCHFIELD — The Litchfield City Council opened its meeting on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026 — the 239th anniversary of the drafting of the U.S. Constitution — by recognizing the Daughters of the American Revolution and reading a proclamation designating Sept. 17-23 as Constitution Week in the city.

A representative of the organization’s local chapter traced the observance’s history for the council. Constitution Week, she said, was initiated by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1955, when the organization’s president general adopted a project to promote observance of the U.S. Constitution with a memorial week beginning on the anniversary of the signing of the document, Sept. 17. Members were encouraged to invite their governors and mayors to issue proclamations celebrating the Constitution. A U.S. senator from California submitted the resolution to Congress; it was adopted Aug. 2, 1956, and signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, declaring Constitution Week to be observed annually Sept. 17-23.

She thanked the city’s mayor pro tem for issuing and signing the proclamation on the chapter’s behalf.

Alderperson Sara Zumwalt then read the proclamation, which recites that it is “the privilege and duty of the American people to commemorate the 239th anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America with appropriate ceremonies and activities,” and that Public Law 915 “guarantees the issuing of a proclamation each year by the President of the United States of America designating September 17th through 23rd as Constitution Week.” It proclaims the week in Litchfield and urges “all citizens to study the constitution and reflect on the privilege of being an American with all the rights and responsibilities which that privilege involves.”

The presiding alderperson followed with brief remarks. “The Constitution is one of those just remarkable documents in world history that’s been written,” he said. “I want to thank these ladies for coming tonight to commemorate that. And all of us as Americans definitely have so much to be thankful for.”

He recounted the story of Benjamin Franklin outside Independence Hall in Philadelphia being asked what kind of government the framers had produced. “He said, ‘A republic if you can keep it,'” he said. “And so 239 years, we’ve been able to keep that republic.” He closed by thanking the visitors and saying he was grateful the city could be part of the celebration.

The recognition was the first item of business after the roll call. No council action was required.