Teaching about the Bill of Rights, Constitution, and Declaration of Independence

I whipped out these posters when I was subbing in a 4th grade class a while back.  I find that simple visuals like these are very effective.  We also discussed them as a class in more detail but this was an easy way for them to remember each important document.

Vietnam War Project

My junior high age son did an awesome "scrapbook" project on the Vietnam War.  He did a thorough job in his research but I would still double check the facts if you are looking for official information and we took a lot of the pictures off of google so some of them may be copyrighted.  I know other students may be tempted, but please don't copy the report because that would be cheating, right?

I helped him with the layout and  graphics (thank you Stampin' Up for the great background pages) but the thoughts and writings are his own.  The pretend newspaper article is something that really happened to our family in July 2008 in Washington D.C. but I changed the names since I don't put our private info "out there."   I highly recommend that everyone takes their children to Washington D.C. at some point in their childhood if they can pull it off.  Best trip of our lives.

I sure wish I had really studied this war earlier in my life (or paid more attention in school).  I wonder if the war was too "raw" and controversial to discuss since it ended when I was in elementary school.  I had so many Vietnamese students at my high school whose parents had escaped from Vietnam after the war.  We called them "boat people" since they arrived on boats and I honestly didn't give much thought as to why they wanted to come to America.  In hindsight, I wish I had been more sensitive and compassionate to their plight, or the plight of their parents.

Enjoy!

Quote - Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy

 My brother sent me this quote and I loved it.  Of course I had to make it a little cuter though.  This sums up why I volunteer so heavily in my community.

Talk - Our Own Personal 9/11 Experiences - "Face the Future with Faith"

When I realized that we’d be speaking on 9/11, at first I felt a little worried. But upon reflection, I saw how perfectly it related to our assigned topic.

I still remember that fateful Tuesday, September 11, 2001 when we first learned about the terrorist attacks. We lived in Northern California and our oldest child, Zach, was in kindergarten. Our alarm clock went off, in radio mode, and as I half consciously went to hit snooze, I heard something about a plane hitting the WTC. I jolted up in bed and turned on the TV. I called my parents and said, “Turn on the news.” My dad asked me what channel and I replied, “Any channel.” My heart sank even further as we learned more and more details about the tragedy and saw the second plane hit. At the time, Thane commuted to work in San Francisco on the BART public transit system, but he stayed home that day because we were afraid the bustling city of San Francisco could be a terrorist target too. When we took Zach to school, all us kindergarten parents stood around and talked about the horror of this event. We were all scared of what might come next. We were in mourning for all those who were suffering, dying, or losing loved ones. We were bound by a collective grief and fear. But I remember the unity I felt with my family, friends, neighbors, and fellow Americans.

As I was preparing for this talk, a realization came to me. Every one of us have “9/11 experiences” in our own lives. Some of us may have health challenges. Some deal with wayward children. Others deal with divorce, death, unemployment, addictions. The point is, we all have challenges.

When dealing with these personal 9/11 experiences, there is a difference from the day the world stood still for all of us together as we faced a common tragedy. In our personal 9/11 moments, we may feel very alone in our fear and sadness, we may feel embarrassed, abandoned, downtrodden, worried, and scared.

Constitution Week Art

Here is the awesome project that my son entered into our local Constitution Fair Art Contest.  He won first prize in the junior high division and won $200.  He was thrilled!  This was not a school assignment.  It was just something he chose to do on his own.

It may be hard to see the details, but in the center the people are holding the Constitution.  Around the outside of the people it says,
"We the people need to protect the Constitution, so the Constitution will protect our freedom." 

The quote by Abraham Lincoln underneath the picture reads,
"Don't interfere with anything in the Constitution.  That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties."

Cub Scouts - Flag Ceremony

***FORMAL FLAG CEREMONY -- OPENING COLORS

Color Guard, Attention! (**when commanding the color guard, say the word “attention” in an authoritative way… like, “Aaa-tennnn-TION!!!!” – this will also help the audience realize that the flag ceremony is starting**)

Color Guard, Forward March!
(The audience should rise at the Flag becomes visable.
The audience at this point should not salute or cover their hearts. The flag will still be furled.)

(>>wait for color guard to reach the front<<)
Color Guard, Halt! Color Guard, Present the Colors ( Color Guard will now un- furl the flag and hold it at a 40 degree angle, all in uniform will salute and those not in uniform cover their hearts.)

At this point the announcer will begin the Pledge of Allegiance and the Audience will follow suit.
I pledge allegiance - to the Flag - of the United States of America - And to the Republic - for which it stands - One Nation Under God – Indivisible - and with Liberty and Justice for All. (**Color Guard does not salute or say the Pledge of Allegiance**)

TWO! (**Everyone drops salute**)

Color Guard Post the Flag of the United States of America!

Color Guard, Post the Flag of Pack 123! (**Skip this part if you are not using a pack flag**)

Color Guard, Honor your Colors! (**Flag bearers salute the US flag**)

TWO! (Color Guard drops salute)

Color Guard, return to ranks. (>>wait for flag bearers return to formation<<)

Color Guard, Halt!

Color Guard, At Ease!

Audience, Please be seated.

**FORMAL FLAG CEREMONY --- CLOSING COLORS

Color Guard, Attention!

Audience, Please Rise!

Color Guard, Forward March! (>>wait for color guard to reach the front<<)

Color Guard, Halt!

Scout Salute!

TWO!

Color Guard, Retrieve the Colors! (>>wait for flag bearers to pick up their flags<<)

Color Guard, Return to Ranks! (>>wait for flag bearers to return to formation<<)

Audience, Thank you for joining us.

Color Guard, Dismissed!


Just a couple of rules to remember:

1. You never salute a furled flag ( ie a flag that is being held against the pole)

2. The United States flag should never be crossed behind another flag. The U.S. flag will always be in front.

3. The United States flag should never be lower than another flag. So hold it up higher

4. The U.S. flag should be posted to the right of a speaker or on the audiences left.

5. The Color Guard should not salute or say the Pledge of Allegiance. Their job is to guard the flag at that moment.

6. The announcer does not have to invite the audience to say the Pledge, he can just start and the audience will follow.

7. In the Pledge, there is no pause between One Nation Under God.

8. The word TWO at the end of the Pledge just means second position. First position is the salute, and TWO, or second position is to break salute.

9. It is o.k. to direct the audience of what they are supposed to do before beginning the Flag ceremony - to remind them to stand when the flag becomes visible in their peripheral vision and to place their hands over their heart once the flag as been presented.

The Color Guard can be, but is not limited to 3 persons in Uniform (another reason boys need uniforms)

There should be at least a flag bearer and 2 guards for each flag. So 3 color guards for the U.S. Flag and 3 guards if you use the State Flag and a bearer for a Pack flag if you use that. (Pack flag does not need guards)

There are several different versions that are available, but this will be the one taught and hopefully done properly at Round Table.

Washington and Zarahemla: The Beltway-Nephite Disease

Click here for a great article written by Gary Lawrence in Meridian Magazine on-line. I have listed a few highlights below from the article.

Six years.

In the thousand-year span of the Nephite people, that’s the time on stage for a prideful group known as the king-men.

The last fourth of the book of Alma, in which the king-men story is imbedded, is a sharp break from the doctrine-laden chapters of the first three-fourths of the book, as Mormon turns to stories about war strategy and political happenings.

Why did Mormon include this story of arrogance? Is it a parallel for our time, a warning, something we should learn?

I think so. Because Mormon saw our time, what he decided to include in his abridgement was not happenstance.

Doing a bit of reverse engineering on the actions of king-men based in the government town of Zarahemla, and drawing on other scriptures describing Nephite behavior, here are nine characteristics to watch for, if and when king-men pop up in Washington.

1. They Will Be Subtle
2. They Will Exploit the Desire for Power
3. They Will Consider Themselves the New Nobility
4. They Will Look Down on Others
5. They Will Flatter
6. They Will Deceive
7. They Will Strike When Crises Provide Opportunities
8. They Will Not Trust People’s Freedoms
9. They Will Oppose Efforts to Defend the Country

If the events of 2009 and the attitudes of those currently in power are not those Mormon saw in our day, such that he included the king-men story in the Book of Mormon, what further parallels must occur before we learn the intended lesson?

Are we so complacent to think that the king-men parallel lies yet in the future, a problem for some other generation? Are we willing to take a chance that 2009 could not possibly be the king-men day that Mormon saw?

Look around, America. The answer is clear — very clear.

14 Fundamentals in Following the Prophet (article by Ezra Taft Benson)

Here is a great article that my friend Debbie sent me a link to.

It begins: "To help you pass the crucial tests which lie ahead, I am going to give you today several aspects of a grand key which, if you will honor, will crown you with God’s glory and bring you out victorious in spite of Satan’s fury..... Here then is the grand key—Follow the prophet—and here are fourteen fundamentals in following the prophet, the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

(click on the link to read the whole article)

http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=f318118dd536c010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=cc52b4f40c9db010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1

This campaign has been a challenging experience for me. I have been accused of bigotry, linguistically assaulted, flipped off, yelled at, etc. but despite all the challenges, I am more determined than ever to follow the prophet in all that I do.

Thank you Debbie for these kind words of encouragement from your email to me because they mean a lot: Anyway, I just wanted to share and tell you that I've always admired the way you speak up for what you believe in and the way you are always so unafraid to share the gospel. Your example gives people like me more courage to speak up! In the face of all the discouraging things I've read and heard lately, it gives me some hope that there are others out there who are willing to follow the counsel of the prophet as well. So thank you for being such a great example!! You're amazing!


To all of you out there who are striving to speak up for your beliefs (in a positive and legal way), I sing your praises and send you my encouragement and gratitude. I am glad we live in a country which allows freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Hopefully our citizens will continue to keep these rights forever.

Ezra Taft Benson Quote

"I have personally witnessed the heart rending results of the loss of freedom. I have talked face to face with the Godless Communist leaders. It may surprise you to learn that I was host to Mr. Khrushchev for a half day when he visited the United States, not that I am proud of it. I opposed his coming then and I still feel it was a mistake to welcome this atheistic murderer as a state visitor. But according to President Eisenhower, Khrushchev had expressed a desire to learn something of American agriculture and after seeing Russian agriculture I can understand why. As we talked face to face he indicated that my grandchildren would live under communism. After assuring him that I expected to do all in my power to assure that his and all other grandchildren would live under freedom he arrogantly declared in substance - You Americans are so gullible. No, you won't accept communism outright but we'll keep feeding you small doses of socialism until you finally wake up and find you already have communism. We won't have to fight you. We'll so weaken your economy until you fall like overripe fruit into our hands."