The Declaration of Celebrating Thanksgiving

Following the Revolutionary War, the Continental Congress recognized the need to give thanks for delivering the country from war and into Independence. Congress issued a proclamation on October 11, 1782:

By the United Stated in Congress assembled.

PROCLAMATION.

IT Being the indispensable duty of all Nations, not only to offer up their supplications to ALMIGHTY GOD, the giver of all good, for this gracious assistance in a time of distress, but also in a solemn and public manner to give him priase for his goodness in general, and especially for great and signal interpositions of his providence in their behalf: Therefore the United States in Congress assembled, taking into their consideration the many instances of divine goodness to these States, in the course of important conflict in which they have been so long engaged; the present happy and promising state of public affairs; and the events of the war, in the course of the year now drawing to a close; particularly the harmony of the public Councils, which is so necessary to the success of the public cause; the perfect union and good understanding which has hitherto subsisted between them and their Allies, notwithstanding the artful and unwearied attempts of the common enemy to divide them; the success of the arms of the United States, and those of their Allies, and the acknowledgment of their independence by another European power, whose friendship and commerce must be of great and lasting advantage to these States:-----Do hereby recommend to the inhabitants of these States in general, to observe, and request the several States to interpose their authority in appointing and commanding the observation of THURSDAY the twenty-eight day of NOVEMBER next, as a day of solemn THANKSGIVING to GOD for all his mercies: and they do further recommend all ranks, to testify to their gratitude to GOD for his goodness, by a cheerful obedience of his laws, and by promoting, each in his station, and by his influence, the practice of true and undefiled religion, which is the great foundation of public prosperity and national happiness.

Done in Congress, at Philadelphia, the eleventh day of October, in the year of our LORD one thousand seven hundred and eighty-two, and of our Sovereignty and Indepence, the seventh.

JOHN HANSON, President.

Letter Writing campaign

Please write a letter to the producers of The View - please educate them nicely on the fact that homeschoolers are not demented and give examples of how you (as a homeschooler) or your children are not isolated and any positive aspects of homeschooling. Don't bash public/private schools just include as much information as you can to show that homeschooling is not just an education but a strong community in this great country.

The View
320 West 66th St.
New York, NY 10023

Joy Behar calls homeschoolers demented

I realize the View is all about controversy but I find Ms. Behar's comments very offensive and hope to be able to let ABC know. My other goal is to get the word out to the public and stop a lot of these misconceptions about homeschoolers.

This was posted to one of my homeschool groups....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6slZ4Fps6Bo&eurl=http://www.allamericanblogger.com/

Joy Behar calls homeschoolers "demented" during discussion of how the Obama children should be educated. If you load the video, then fast forward to about 6:30, you will skip to where they start talking about the homeschoolers. Barbara Walters then talks about the "isolation" . Watch for yourself.

On June 28, 1919, World War I (“The Great War”) officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles which took place at the Palace of Versailles just outside the town of Versailles, France. However, a temporary cease fire or armistice went into effect between the Allied nations and Germany on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. This is why November 11, 1918 is considered the end of “the war to end all wars.”

November 1919: President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. Originally the day was to be observed with parades, public meetings, and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11 a.m.

June 4, 1926: The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed this concurrent resolution:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday:

Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

May 13, 1938: An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) was approved making the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday - - a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day."

June 1, 1954: The 83rd Congress amended the Act of 1938 by replacing “Armistice” with the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380), November 11th now was a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

October 8, 1954: President Dwight D. Eisenhower issues the first “Veterans Day Proclamation.” He stated: “In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversay, all veterans, all veterans’ organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose.” He also declared the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans’ Day National Committee to coordinate a national planning of the observance.

June 28, 1968: The Uniforms Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) moved four national holidays to Mondays: Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. This insured three-day weekends for Federal employees.

The first Veterans Day on October 25, 1975 under this new law was very confusing.

September 10, 1975: President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479) returned the annual obervance of Veterans Day back to its original date November 11, beginning in 1978. Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11th no matter what day of the week it is. Veterans Day being observed on November 11th preserved the historical significance of the date and helps keep the focus on the important purpose of this day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

**United States Department of Veteran’s Affairs, History of Veterans Day website - http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp

For Children to learn more about this important holiday: http://www.va.gov/kids/

Guy Fawkes Day Nov. 5th

Did you know today is Guy Fawkes Day in England?

Who was Guy Fawkes and why is he so honored with a day named after him? Actually, it's not named in his honor, but rather his dishonor.

Fawkes was involved in the 1605 Gunpowder Plot aimed at blowing up the Parliament building and murdering England's leadership, including King James I. He was found in the early morning hours of Nov. 5 in a cellar under the building with 36 barrels of gunpowder.

The plot was hatched by extremists wanting to replace the Church of England-led government with a Catholic one. The conspirators rented a cellar that extended under Parliament and placed the cache of gunpowder in it with Fawkes, who would detonate it the next day while Parliament was seated for a regular session.

In a letter, one of the plotters warned a family member not to attend Parliament that day, and the letter was passed to authorities who then searched the cellar, finding Fawkes and the explosives. He and the other main conspirators were sentenced to death. As he was being led to his execution, Fawkes jumped from the hanging platform, broke his neck in the fall and died instantly.

The next year Parliament established Nov. 5 as a day of public thanksgiving. Guy Fawkes Day is still celebrated throughout Great Britain, with evening bonfires and fireworks. Many still burn effigies of Fawkes nearly 400 years after his botched attempt.Guy Fawkes Day is also known in England as Bonfire Night.

If you would like to know more about its history, click on this link: http://www.bonfirenight.net/

By Ken Tate
editor,
Good Old Days®
Good Old Days® Books
Good Old Days® Looking Back



**Thanks to Ken Tate and the Gold Old Days e-newsleter (Nov. 5, 2008, Vol. 7 No. 15) for the above information on Guy Fawkes Day. To subscribe to The Gold Old Days e-newsletter go to: http://newsletters.drgnetwork.com/

Mapleside Farms

This past week we went with some homeschoolers on a field trip to Mapleside Farms in Brunswick, OH (http://www.mapleside.com/).

They have a Farm Market, Bakery, Restaurant, Craft Shop and Banquet Facilities. They also have an apple packing room and cold storage room. Outside they have a 40 acre apple orchard, a corn field (maze), pumpkin patch, and play areas.

We had a wonderful tour guide, Miss Cindi. They grow apples I've never heard of before -such as Melrose, Suncrisp and Winesap. I was really impressed, not only did the children learn new things, the adults did too.

Some fun facts:

• They need 40,000 bees to pollinate the orchard. They rent the bees from a near by bee keeper.


• 50 leaves are needed to produce one apple blossom.


• If you take cuttings from 2 different types of apple trees, graft them together, you end up with a new variety of apple.

Here are some pictures:

View - You can see the Elyria

Skyline and Water Tower

(40 miles away)

Rose and Laura

Apple Tree

Apple Orchard

Miss Cindi showing us the

production room.