The US Constitution is our most revered document, yet according to the National Constitution Center, less than six per cent of American adults are able to name the basic freedoms protected by the First Amendment.
"We take a lot of it for granted," said Kay Titus, a familiar figure at The Surrey, and Constitution chairperson for the Potomac Hundred Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
Because of her involvement as chairperson, Titus said that she developed an interest in the Constitution and its history and as a result enjoys passing her knowledge on to others. Usually, Titus entertains customers at the Surrey with a display and a talk about the U.S. Constitution on its anniversary, but this year she took her program to a local public school, Bells Mill Elementary.
It is not easy to keep the attention of third, fourth and fifth graders, but Titus gave the students a reason to remember what the Constitution looked like by displaying a large copy of the document to examine.
Del. Jean Cryor (R-15) and Sen. Jean Roesser (R-15) brought their political knowledge to the discussion and asked the children questions about the first amendment and other rights, as they have done in previous years with Titus.
The introduction of George Washington in his familiar gray wig, played by Mac Grant of Potomac, also kept the children entertained.
Titus’ program gave the Bells Mill Elementary students the opportunity to celebrate the 215th birthday of the signing of the Constitution by being able to participate in the signing of their own document.
“We welcomed Kay because it is very important for the children to have an understanding of what the Constitution is all about,” said Bells Mill principal Jerri Oglesby.
To learn more about the Constitution, call the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia at 215-923-0004 or visit their Web site at www.constitutioncenter.org