WHEREAS, September 17, 2024, marks the 237^th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution of the United States of America, the living document which bolsters and guides America’s democracy; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s founding fathers were among the original framers of the United States Constitution which included three notable Virginians – George Washington, president of the Convention, James Madison, Jr. and John Blair, subscribers; and

WHEREAS, Virginia’s own Declaration of Rights, authored by George Mason, was later used as a model for the first ten adopted amendments to our nation’s Constitution – becoming the Bill of Rights; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, one of the most important documents in early Virginia and United States history, was the driving force behind the religious clause in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution that was ratified in 1791 along with the other nine amendments; and

WHEREAS, the history, significance, and effect of the provisions in the Constitution and its amendments are essential knowledge for all citizens, beginning with Virginia’s students; and

WHEREAS, the content and concepts included in our Charters of Freedom, our founding documents, serve as a foundation for civics instruction in Virginia’s schools; and

WHEREAS, knowledge of the sacrifices made for freedom, as well as the values and principles on which this country was founded, is an integral part of civics and government education for our students and is vital to preparing Virginia’s youth to be responsible citizens; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth is preparing to commemorate Virginia’s role in the 250^th anniversary of American independence and the opportunity to educate, engage, and inspire Virginians around our history, foundational values, and beliefs that capture Virginia’s story and role in shaping the nation; and 

WHEREAS, citizens of the Commonwealth are encouraged to reaffirm the ideals that the framers of the Constitution had in 1787 by vigilantly protecting our liberties and increasing the knowledge of our young people about the importance of our Constitution and the freedoms it guarantees;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Glenn Youngkin, do hereby recognize September 15-20, 2024, as CONSTITUTION WEEK in the COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA and call this observance to the attention of all our citizens.