Mayor James Perkins, Jr. joined with members of the William Rufus King Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution Monday to mark the anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution.

The mayor signed a proclamation claiming Sept. 17 to Sept. 23 as Constitution Week in Selma in honor of the 217th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution by the nation’s founding fathers.

DAR member Christine Moore said the week is an important reminder to all residents about their rights, freedoms, and duties as citizens of the United States.

“The ideals upon which this document is based are reinforced each day by the success of the system to which it is written,” Moore said. “The system cannot function without an enlightened public.”

Moore added that citizens should be willing to “defend and preserve” the freedoms that our ancestors fought long and hard to obtain.

The tradition of celebrating Constitution Week was started by the national DAR organization in the mid-1950s.

In Aug. of 1956, the U.S. Congress adopted a joint resolution making this week an annual observance of the historic document and the role it still plays today.

There are twenty-six amendments to the Constitution, three of which are directly concerned with insuring the right of citizens to vote.

During this presidential election year, DAR is using this week to urge all Americans to vote.

Moore said the William Rufus King Chapter is also asking residents to “study the Constitution and to honor the Founding Fathers.”

Known as the largest women’s patriotic organization in the world, DAR has over 170,000 members with chapters in all 50 states and 11 foreign countries.

DAR promotes patriotism through commemorative celebrations, memorials, scholarships and activities for children, along with programs for immigrants.

The William Rufus King Chapter of DAR was founded in 1943.

Members will hold their next meeting on Oct. 13 at the Selma Country Club.