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Show _ CALL TO THE Our moment had arrived. The lights in the great old Armory slowly grew dim and then darkness set tled over the audience. "It is done," I thought as I relaxed in my seat on our lovely flower-decked stage next to the President, Willie Smith. The Lodgepole pine to me was more than a tree as I let my mind remember reading how they had been used to help erect the early redman's home. I saw the mists ris ing from the lakes and streams that Lewis and Clark had perhaps watched and my boots walked where theirs had walked. I grew, year after year to know and love more the heart of the land I lived in, for knowledge brings a richer and deeper appreciation for things we enjoy. When our President asked if I would Chairman a Civic Participation Program for our Club I immedi ately said "yes" and after thinking over various ideas and remembering school days when I had re ceived recognition for writing an/ essay entitled, "What My Country Means To Me"; I met with her for lunch and asked her opinion. If you know our President Willie, you know that the mere mention of our Flag brings a gleam to her eye and before lunch was cold; yes, we forgot to eat we had gotten so carried away with the ideas that kept popping their little heads up; an Essay Contest was under way! slipped by. ed lights began to glow from overhead, their rays directed toward a grey-blue velvet enclosed area at the side of the stage. All eyes automatically turned toward it as the drapes were quietly opened a thrill of pride and pleasure swept over us all, for there, standing tall, reaching almost to the ceiling, stood our beautiful silken American Flag, tightly closed against her staff. As with any truly successful project, communica tion is of utmost importance. We worked from an outline which had been drawn up and carefully gone over down to the smallest detail. We contacted newspapers, radio and television media and were promised their full support. Pictures were taken; daily announcements were made by radio, and Wil lie personally had almost sixty letters written and mailed to all of the State, District and local BPW Club Officers and their membership; Community leaders, Boy and Girl Scout Groups, school Princi pals and teachers, Armed Forces, Veteran's Groups, and any and all interested in accepting an invitation to an A ward Program honoring our Flag and our Es say Winners and their Parents. As one we came to our feet, and, led by a deep rich voice, we sang our Star Spangled Banner as the flag, ever so slowly, began to open. She continued to slip fold after fold away from her staff and all dur ing this time, after our song had ended, a recorded voice told of the history of her being. Then, as the recording ended and she stood waiting, voices, strong with the feeling of pride that had been build ing again within us, came out of the darkened gath ering and the stirring Pledge of Allegiance was given. Prior to the above ceremony, our President had greeted all those in attendance and introduced our lovely State Corresponding Secretary, Helen Dahle, who read our Club Collect. The Program was then placed in my hands and how grateful to my Club Members I am for this forgotten opportunity. From the time I was just a little girl I have loved history and reading about the beginnings' of this country and tho it is said we cannot "love" inani mate objects; that we but "like" them, I must still say "love" for this country is alive to me. As I grew older my great love of the out-of-doors took me to remote and primitive areas of our vast forests. I no longer could be content with just read ing and dreaming. I must experience, in a way, what early explorers may have experienced. I must see for myself. COLORS Chief Joseph and his tribesmen. A magic seemed to settle upon us as dim, soft color never to be L sin, Illinois, Ohio, and eventually westward. I had been born in history rich Ohio and while very young set my sights on some day living in the west. I walked, with my husband and our son, the trail of weeks of our Civic Participation Program planning; I could feel her thoughts. We both were "feeling" the audience's expectancy. We both were "feeling" the twelve heartbeats of our Patriotic Essay win We were "feeling" the closeness of our dis ners. tinguished speakers seated nearby, and yes, we even "felt" the combined warmth that seemed to radiate and surround us which came from our visitors seat ed in our audience. Some had traveled many miles to be with us. Some had traveled few. Many were leaders in our community and in our Armed Forces as well. Many were our State and District officers and many were our neighbor Club Members and our own beloved Club Members whose hands and hearts had given so much to make our Program the success we could "feel" it was becoming as the minutes very t I delighted in exploring the country of the great In dian tribes from eastern Canada, Minnesota, Wiscon Having worked so closely with Willie during all the - .& . Essay contest rules were simple. They would per mit any young person between a certain age brack et, regardless of whether he was in school or not, to enter. We asked the entrants to entitle their essay, "What The United States Of America Means To Me" write it in long hand and deposit it in red, and blue boxes at our City Library or City Hall. Punctuation, spelling and sentence structure would not be considered in judging. In other words, whit we were trying to give an equal opportunity to any young person in Orem to enter and win one of the five awards we had planned. These awards. would consist of a twenty-five dollar United States Sav ings Bond and a beautiful American Flag Kit for Kits for first place winner and four second place winners. The kits had beautiful little .the our lag golden eagles on each staff. . |
