Constitution Day 2026!
The Constitution of the United States turns 239 years old Sept. 17, 2026. Its signing in 1787 is recognized by presidential proclamation each year, and Sept. 17-23 is designated as Constitution Week. Our Constitution is the oldest written national Constitution in the world. It’s preservation of personal freedom is what sets it apart from all others and protects us from a government gone rogue.
Constitution Day began in 1940 with congressional efforts to recognize attainment of citizenship through designations such as “I Am An American Day,” or “Citizenship Day.”
According to the National Constitution Center, ”Constitution Day became a national observance in 2004, when Senator Robert Byrd lobbied for a bill designating Sept. 17 as the day for citizens to commemorate the signing of the U.S. Constitution and learn more about our founding document. He added the Constitution Day clause to his 2004 federal spending bill because he believed that all citizens should know about their rights as outlined in the Constitution. This clause mandates the teaching of the Constitution in schools that receive federal funds, as well as federal agencies.” In response to Byrd’s legislation, the U.S. Department of Education gave notice in 2005 that schools receiving federal funding would be required to provide an educational program pertaining to the Constitution on Sept. 17.
No other Grimes County organization has assisted local schools in this endeavor more effectively than the Grimes County Republican Women. Since the club’s formation in August 2011, it has celebrated Constitution Day by delivering pocket Constitutions to the seven schools serving Grimes County fifth-graders. This year, the Grimes County Republican Women will have placed nearly 8,500 pocket Constitutions in the hands of Grimes County fifth-graders!
President Ronald Reagan once said the three most important words in the Constitution are “We the people.” He repeatedly emphasized that freedom must be actively preserved by each generation and “is never more than one generation away from extinction.” Never in modern history has that been more true than it is today! To remain a free people, it is our duty to teach our children and grandchildren about their rights enshrined in this unique, beautiful document.
As we celebrate our Constitution’s 239 birthday, Grimes County Republicans stand with our first Commander-in-Chief, George Washington who said, “The Constitution is a guide which I will never abandon.”
Connie Clements
Grimes County Republican Party Precinct Chair
Precinct #6 (Navasota East)
