Smith-McMillan DAR Chapter Marks Constitution Week With Bell Ringing

On “Constitution Day,” Thursday, Sept. 17, members of the Smith-McMillan Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) hosted the annual “Ringing of the Bells Ceremony” celebrating Constitution Week on the Fayette County Courthouse grounds.

Kathy Schatte, Chairman of Constitution Week, welcomed everyone and explained the purpose: that the Constitution of the United States is the binding document that has held our country together since it was conceived and designed in 1787 with ratification by nine states June 21, 1788. Without it, we would not be celebrating 250 years of these UNITED States in 2026.

Honorable Judge of Fayette County, Dan Mueller, proceeded to read the Proclamation on the Courthouse steps noting that today, Sept. 17, 2026, marks the two hundred and thirty-ninth anniversary of the framing of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention.

At 3 p.m., immediately following the Proclamation, all in attendance proceeded to “ring their handheld bells” in unison with bells across the Country for one minute, so that bells are heard simultaneously from coast to coast by churches, schools, courthouses, fire houses, veterans’ homes and organizations, and city governments, Bell ringing was often used to announce the presentation of some significant information. Announcing that the delegates to the Constitutional Convention had reached agreement and a constitution for the new Nation was the result, certainly would have been heralded with the ringing of bells.

Sept. 17-23 commemorates the signing of the Constitution of the United States of America. Our Constitution, with 4,440 words, is the oldest and shortest written constitution of any government in the world. Founding Father John Adams called it ‘the greatest single effort of national deliberation that the world has ever seen,’ and George Washington described it as “little short of a miracle.” Learn more about why they felt this way by studying the Constitution. This announcement was provided by the (Chapter/State Society), National Society Daughter of the American Revolution.

Before closing, Smith-McMillan chapter members and guests read the Preamble to the U. S. Constitution, Kathy Schatte followed it with the closing prayer written by George Washington, and all joined together in singing “God Bless America.”