By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

With the help of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR),Virgin Valley school kids participated in Constitution Week Sept. 17-23. DAR brought educational speakers and the Liberty Bus to the schools.

Local attorney and historian/author Jeffrey McKenna spoke Wednesday at Virgin Valley Elementary, JL Bowler Elementary and Hughes Middle School with a fun motivational history speech explaining the circumstances that led to the writing of the American Constitution. McKenna said it took him 20 years to write his book, “Saving Dr. Warren, a True Patriot.”

McKenna then announced the “Saving Dr. Warren…A True Patriot Essay Contest.” The contest, for ages 11-18, is open for submissions through March 5, 2025. There is a $500 first prize. Flyers with contest information were handed out to teachers, along with a small handbook about the Constitution for each student. For more information, visit the Help Patriotism Prevail Foundation online.

The Liberty Bus visited Beaver Dam Elementary on Friday. The bus is part of United We Pledge, a non-profit group from St. George. The group is planning to build a Liberty Village in Hurricane, Utah, in the near future.

“The visiting Liberty Bus, sort of a museum on wheels, teaches the kids about our founding documents,” said Heather Lindsey, educational manager for the group. “In the last room over the flag, in big letters, it says, ‘Anything is possible.’ The kids understand because of the freedoms we have from our founding documents, anything is possible for them.”

Former history teacher David Causey serves as the group’s docent and the bus driver.

The kids were totally engaged as they were taken through the bus in small groups.
DAR members ended the week-long celebration at the veterans center on Saturday morning for a flag retirement ceremony.

VV chapter regent Dr. Leigh Roessner said, “The DAR Virgin Valley Chapter is happy to have helped bring Constitution Week awareness to the public in this past week. Our chapter arranged the ringing of the bells ceremony and historian Jeffery McKenna speaking at the schools. And member Ruth Dickie arranged the visit from Liberty Bus. It took months of planning for these events, and we feel we have achieved our goals of promoting patriotism, education and historic preservation within the Virgin Valley. Watch for more activities being planned from our chapter.”