Almost everyone knows what it’s like to prepare for a big event: a milestone birthday, wedding, graduation, etc. The host agonizes over guest lists, seating charts, entertainment, menus, etc. for months. There seems to be an endless list of things to do before the big day.
The hours leading up the party evaporate. Before you know it, you’re right in the middle of this celebration you planned and anticipated for months. Suddenly, it’s over. Just a few short hours flew by in an instant. You feel just the slightest bit of a letdown, even though your plans turned out perfectly. 
This is exactly how we feel about Constitution Day. We spend months planning the perfect day to commemorate the Constitution’s signing. We receive delighted visitors for hours. Then it’s all over in what seems like a matter of minutes. Another Constitution Day came and went, but we feel just slightest twinge of sadness, knowing it’s all over until next year.
We are happy to announce that we discovered a way to fix the letdown problem. Instead of Constitution Day, we’ll celebrate Constitution Month! That will never end, right? Continue Reading…
Posted 5 days, 19 hours ago. 2 comments
A runner’s checklist:
Sneakers: check
Water bottle: check
Comfy shorts & tee: check
iPod: check
A copy of the Constitution: ?
Wait, a copy of the Constitution? Of course! If you’re going to race in the Constitution Run at Montpelier, why wouldn’t you be uber-prepared and bring along a copy of the Constitution?! 
We’re inviting runners of all ages to come to Montpelier on September 12 to be a part of this first-ever event. The Constitution Run will be a 5K. There will also be special races for kids and dogs too. Kids ages 5–10 (and their parents) can race in Dolley’s Dash, a 1K designed for little track stars of all skill levels. Dogs and their owners can trot together in the 1K Dogathon. We have a feeling we might hear “heel” a lot during this race… Continue Reading…
Have you noticed a lot of people are talking about the Constitution these days? So have we and we couldn’t be happier that people realize it’s still relevant more than 220 years after it was ratified by the people of the United States. It’s on the news, around the dinner table, on the bus, and in the coffee shop. People are saying “I believe such-and-such because it’s in the Constitution.”
Sadly, the conversation often ends with “it’s in the Constitution,” as if that’s the winning grand slam in the bottom of the 9th. Really it should be the beginning of a thought-provoking debate, not the end to an argument.
Our fast-paced society leads us to trust our news sources without necessarily verifying their claims. Sometimes our journalists and politicians do not have a deep understanding of the Constitution and it is our duty as civically engaged people to check up on them. Continue Reading…
Posted 4 months ago. 4 comments
By now you probably know 2010 is a census year. Did you also know the Constitution calls for a census? Article I, Section 2 states, “The actual Enumeration shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent Term of ten Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct.”
Last week, U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves visited Montpelier to shoot a video for the Census Web site. The Census Bureau released the video on James Madison’s 259th birthday.
The shoot happened in the Montpelier second floor library, where Madison researched past democracies. This research laid the framework for the Virginia Plan.
Posted 5 months, 3 weeks ago. Add a comment
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