Constitution Day - We the People
| Category: | Holidays |
|---|---|
| Props: | A printed copy of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution (optional) |
| Notes: | For the meeting nearest September 17, Constitution Day and Citizenship Day in the United States. Pairs well with citizenship merit badge work or a discussion of duty to country. |
On September 17, 1787, in a hot room in Philadelphia, thirty-nine delegates signed a document that would become the Constitution of the United States. They had spent the whole summer arguing about it. Not one of them got everything he wanted. But they compromised, and they signed.
That document is still the plan our country runs on, more than two hundred years later. And the very first three words tell you who's in charge.
"We the People."
Not "We the Kings." Not "We the Government." We the People. The idea was that ordinary citizens would run the country, by voting, serving on juries, speaking up, and taking part.
That's where Scouts come in. When we say "duty to country" in the Scout Oath, this is a big part of what it means. Being a good citizen isn't only about waving a flag. It's about paying attention, learning how things work, respecting people you disagree with, and someday voting and serving your community.
Here's one more thing worth noticing. The people who wrote the Constitution disagreed about almost everything, and they still found a way to work together. Any patrol that has ever tried to plan a campout menu knows how hard that can be.
So this Constitution Day, remember those first three words. "We the People" includes you.