September 8, 2011 by suburbanacres

September Letter from the President / Community Newsletter

I was in awe to finally find myself inside St. Andrews of Roanoke. It ranked higher than the Mill Mountain Star…and even above the larger than life-sized display of “me” in the Museum of Transportation…which I have not yet seen!

I must have really looked like “the visitor”, because as I stood agape after Mass admiring the historic sanctuary, I received two separate invitations to dinner with the local division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians. In all of my experiences in Roanoke I’ve found nothing but warm reception from the people. Realizing that dinner (alone…on this business trip) was next on my agenda, I opened myself to adventure and accepted the second invitation presented by a gentleman who introduced himself as “David Bowers”.

I followed my host into town to the restaurant where we enjoyed a fine meal garnished with better conversation, and I felt nothing like a stranger as this group had so openly welcomed me at their table. That morning, I didn’t expect to end the day having experienced an earthquake, or to find myself at the dinner table with Mr. Bowers and his female companion, Mr. Bowers’ mother, two priests (including the Monsignor of St. Andrews), the principal of Roanoke Catholic School and his wife, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

Imagine my surprise to read Mr. Bowers’ business card (exchanged after the invitation)…“City of Roanoke….Mayor”.

I tell you this story because the friendly experience reminds me of what I’ve found consistently in Suburban Acres throughout my five year tenure. Folks here are open and ready to share life with one another. This is a strong neighborhood made of people who care about people…folks who look for opportunities to lend a hand and share a laugh. Even in this modern-day culture, we still borrow sugar from next-door and readily welcome each other to the table. I love it!

The kindness of strangers is a reminder that we are all neighbors. The kindness of neighbors is something to be celebrated joyously!

Continue to be kind to each other. See you soon!

~ Timothy

Please, enjoy the September newsletter!

June 13, 2011 by suburbanacres

The History Of Flag Day

Image via Wikipedia

The Fourth of July was traditionally celebrated as America’s birthday, but the idea of an annual day specifically celebrating the Flag is believed to have first originated in 1885. BJ Cigrand, a schoolteacher, arranged for the pupils in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 (the 108th anniversary of the official adoption of The Stars and Stripes) as ‘Flag Birthday’. In numerous magazines and newspaper articles and public addresses over the following years, Cigrand continued to enthusiastically advocate the observance of June 14 as ‘Flag Birthday’, or ‘Flag Day’.

On June 14, 1889, George Balch, a kindergarten teacher in New York City, planned appropriate ceremonies for the children of his school, and his idea of observing Flag Day was later adopted by the State Board of Education of New York. On June 14, 1891, the Betsy Ross House in Philadelphia held a Flag Day celebration, and on June 14 of the following year, the New York Society of the Sons of the Revolution, celebrated Flag Day.

Following the suggestion of Colonel J Granville Leach (at the time historian of the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the Revolution), the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames of America on April 25, 1893 adopted a resolution requesting the mayor of Philadelphia and all others in authority and all private citizens to display the Flag on June 14th. Leach went on to recommend that thereafter the day be known as ‘Flag Day’, and on that day, school children be assembled for appropriate exercises, with each child being given a small Flag.

Two weeks later on May 8th, the Board of Managers of the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution unanimously endorsed the action of the Pennsylvania Society of Colonial Dames. As a result of the resolution, Dr. Edward Brooks, then Superintendent of Public Schools of Philadelphia, directed that Flag Day exercises be held on June 14, 1893 in Independence Square. School children were assembled, each carrying a small Flag, and patriotic songs were sung and addresses delivered.

In 1894, the governor of New York directed that on June 14 the Flag be displayed on all public buildings. With BJ Cigrand and Leroy Van Horn as the moving spirits, the Illinois organization, known as the American Flag Day Association, was organized for the purpose of promoting the holding of Flag Day exercises. On June 14th, 1894, under the auspices of this association, the first general public school children’s celebration of Flag Day in Chicago was held in Douglas, Garfield, Humboldt, Lincoln, and Washington Parks, with more than 300,000 children participating.

Adults, too, participated in patriotic programs. Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, delivered a 1914 Flag Day address in which he repeated words he said the flag had spoken to him that morning: “I am what you make me; nothing more. I swing before your eyes as a bright gleam of color, a symbol of yourself.”

Inspired by these three decades of state and local celebrations, Flag Day – the anniversary of the Flag Resolution of 1777 – was officially established by the Proclamation of President Woodrow Wilson on May 30th, 1916. While Flag Day was celebrated in various communities for years after Wilson’s proclamation, it was not until August 3rd, 1949, that President Truman signed an Act of Congress designating June 14th of each year as National Flag Day.

http://www.usflag.org/

Take some time to visit the site (link above). Share with your children the meaning of the flag, its colors and symbols.
Learn how to respectfully display your American flag. There is a great deal of useful and interesting information on the site.

God Bless America!