Alexandria Schoolkids Participate in Constitutional Anniversary in City Council Chambers 

“We the People of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” 

~ Preamble to the United States Constitution 

ALEXANDRIA, VA – Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson peered out at the crowd from his lectern in City Council Chambers, with fellow council members and school officials seated behind him. “Is Samuel Tucker Elementary School still here?” he quipped. “Because I don’t see you!” A cheer arose from the rows filled with Tucker students. “That’s better,” the mayor grinned.  

“Is Douglas MacArthur School still here?” the mayor wrinkled his forehead in mock surprise. A second cheer rose up from the hall. The mayor grinned again.  

The room was filled with children from four of the city’s elementary schools. They had come to City Council Tuesday morning to witness a historic ceremony, marking one of our most prominent days in U.S. history. The United States Constitution was signed on this very day 237 years ago on September 17, 1787. 

“Why do we celebrate the Constitution?” Linda Ferrara asked the students. She is chair of the Virginia Daughters of the American Revolution District V Constitution Week Committee. 

 “The US constitution is our nation’s charter that establishes our form of government and it’s an outline by which we exercise self-rule,” Ferrara explained.  

“It is a unique document. Our Constitution is one that has stood the test of time longer than any other in history.  It reflects the thinking of many learned founding fathers more than 200 years ago, yet it still applies today.”  

 Mayor Wilson read an official proclamation, commemorating Constitution Week which began Tuesday and continues through September 23.   

And now it was time to turn the tables. The Daughters of the American Revolution presented the mayor with a proclamation and lauded him for his years of service to the City of Alexandria. Mayor Wilson did not seek reelection and his role as the city’s top leader concludes January 2025. Wilson was visibly moved by the honor.  

“Most of you know Virginians played a prominent role in our independence and in establishing a government,” Ferrara told the audience. “George Washington was the organizer and president of the Constitutional Convention. Inspired by Thomas Jefferson and others, James Madison drafted much of the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.”  

Ferrara continued, “his masterpiece was the document for a unified government and citizens’ rights. The U.S. constitution was Madison’s work signed on September 17th, 1787.”   

Ferrara went on to thank the Daughters of the American Revolution for establishing Constitution Week. Considered the largest women’s patriotic organization in the world, the DAR currently has over 190,000  members with approximately 3,000 chapters in 50 states, Washington, D.C., and 13 foreign countries. There are five DAR chapters in Alexandria alone. 

The students assembled on the council chambers stage to perform. The Alexandria City High School choir sang the National Anthem, followed by performances from Samuel Tucker, Mount Vernon Community, Douglas MacArthur, and Lyles-Crouch Traditional Academy.  

The program concluded with a Countdown. In less than two years, the United States will reach the semi-quincentennial, 250 years since the founding of this nation. It is a significant American birthday with a strong Virginia flavor. Many of those early milestone events leading up to independence happened right here in the City of Alexandria.  

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