“I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder…”
For days and weeks, Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration of Independence, finally approving it on July 4, 1776, setting for all time forward the date of birth of a new Nation, “Conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal”.
John Adams, writing to his wife Abigail said about the day, “[it] will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”
From the outset Americans celebrated Independence Day on July 4th, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress, and the date subsequently declared a legal federal holiday in 1941. Each year and every generation since has noted the anniversary of our Nations birth very much in the way John Adams had envisioned in 1776, with parades, fireworks, shows, sport, games, celebration, bonfires and bells.
As we gather farther and farther away from the monumental moment and the memory of a time and governess less free and less generous with individual liberty, our full appreciation for the magnitude of this historic moment and the words of this document gets diluted in the moments of the days celebrations and feasts.
As we congregate this July Fourth, let us not fail to remember the meaning of the words of that Declaration written in 1776 and the personal and individual rights, liberties and life’s pursuits it established forever as self-evident and guaranteed to us by our Constitution.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The passage has come to represent a moral standard to which we, as citizens of United States, should strive and a major statement on human rights for millions of people all around the world.
On reflection of our birth as a nation, John Adams (1735–1826) commented, “I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.
Happy Birthday America!
Optimist Meeting Minutes 8-7-13
UncategorizedOur pizza dinner went over well, although Joe is starting a movement for mushrooms next time!
Speaker: Tonight we had a presentation about the Boy Scouts of America. We learned that we are in the 3rd largest council in PA with more than 11,000 youth from 6 counties participating in events. Our district, the Battlefield District boasted 40 new Eagle Scouts which is the largest number to reach this honor in several years.
The scouts participate in numerous service projects, including collecting items for food banks and shelters, assisting with the Reenactments, and placing American flags in the Gettysburg Cemetery. The Boy Scouts offer an Explorer program which exposes youth to various potential career paths. The hope for next year is to offer programs in nursing and law enforcement. In September, there will be a Camporee at Spangler Farm on the battlefield. The scouts will be participating in a service project that coincides with the National Park Service.
Treasurer’s Report: Tom has a proposed budget for the upcoming year which begins in September. We will discuss this at our first meeting in September.
Upcoming events: Don is well-staffed for the soccer parking which will take place on August 24th and 25th at the Historical Field Lots. Unfortunately the tournament will not be utilizing the James Gettys Fields. Don will be sending out a reminder email shortly with time slots that members volunteered for.
-The Gettysburg Halloween Parade is scheduled for Tuesday, October 22nd with a start time of 7:30pm. Rain date is October 29th. We need to determine ahead of time if we will have enough volunteers to make a showing. There is some talk that there will be a limited number of groups that can walk the parade and there may also be a fee this year. We do have candy with the Optimist logo that is available to use, but again we need volunteers to help Marci with planning and volunteers for the day of the event so let’s check our calendars.
Next meeting: Zone Meeting Pig Roast Wednesday, August 21 at 6:30pm at the Lake Heritage Pavilion. Bring a spouse or a guest!
Looking ahead, on Wednesday, September 18th we will have our final outdoor meeting of the year at the Cropp’s house. This will be a steak dinner and another great opportunity to bring a potential new member!
Optimist Meeting Tonight at Lake Heritage!
UncategorizedOptimist Meeting tonight at 6:30pm at Lake Heritage. Board of Directors meeting to follow the regular meeting.
Next Optimist Meeting: Wednesday August 7th at 6:30pm
UncategorizedAugust is here! The next Optimist Meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 7th at 6:30pm at the Lake Heritage Pavilion.
Optimist Club of Gettysburg Family Night 2013
UncategorizedWayne and Sue Hill once again hosted the Optimist Club of Gettysburg Family Night on Wednesday, July 17, and as usual the evening was a huge success and a great time with plenty of good food and a lot of fellowship for Optimist Club members and their families. After the feast, the attendees gathered around the pool for the traditional trivia contest with the winning team earning the opportunity to select a community charity or good cause to be a recipient of a $1000.00 award from the Optimist Club.
The contest this year was hosted by Tom Barako and centered on subjects related to musical history, comic strip trivia and super heroes past and present. The team made up of Al Parone, Kris Accardi, Mindy Accardi and Brent and Karen Smith dazzled everyone with their wide range of knowledge and intellect, taking first place and earning the right to select a charity.
After some careful consideration, the winners selected the Big Brothers and Big Sister Program and the SCCAP Circles Program, an effort that supports local children with back to school supplies. Each organization will receive $500.00 from the Optimist Club of Gettysburg.
Our sincere appreciation to Wayne and Sue Hill for their lovely hospitality and their continued dedication to Optimism and our effort to “Bring Out The Best in Kids”.
District Convention to be held in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
UncategorizedThe Atlantic Central 86th District Convention will be hosted in Gettysburg on Friday, August 16 through Sunday, August 18 at the Eisenhower Hotel starting with registration at 4pm on August 16. The theme of this years event will be “Get ready to run”!
The Optimist Club of Gettysburg is planning on attending the event. Members who are interested in attending are urged to contact Mark Cropp ([email protected]) or Craig Sweet ([email protected]). We will select a day and time for attendance that is convenient for all those who want to join us. The deadline for registration is Wednesday, July 31 so please respond as soon as possible!
For more details,visit http://optimist-ac.org/uploads/ACD2013Convention.pdf.
It is time to join with our fellow Optimist of Pennsylvania to “Bring Out the Best in Kids”.
Happy Birthday America!
Uncategorized“I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder…”
For days and weeks, Congress debated and revised the wording of the Declaration of Independence, finally approving it on July 4, 1776, setting for all time forward the date of birth of a new Nation, “Conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal”.
John Adams, writing to his wife Abigail said about the day, “[it] will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.”
From the outset Americans celebrated Independence Day on July 4th, the date shown on the much-publicized Declaration of Independence, the date the resolution of independence was approved in a closed session of Congress, and the date subsequently declared a legal federal holiday in 1941. Each year and every generation since has noted the anniversary of our Nations birth very much in the way John Adams had envisioned in 1776, with parades, fireworks, shows, sport, games, celebration, bonfires and bells.
As we gather farther and farther away from the monumental moment and the memory of a time and governess less free and less generous with individual liberty, our full appreciation for the magnitude of this historic moment and the words of this document gets diluted in the moments of the days celebrations and feasts.
As we congregate this July Fourth, let us not fail to remember the meaning of the words of that Declaration written in 1776 and the personal and individual rights, liberties and life’s pursuits it established forever as self-evident and guaranteed to us by our Constitution.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
The passage has come to represent a moral standard to which we, as citizens of United States, should strive and a major statement on human rights for millions of people all around the world.
On reflection of our birth as a nation, John Adams (1735–1826) commented, “I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in providence, for the illumination of the ignorant and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth.
Happy Birthday America!
“One Cup at a Time”
UncategorizedCaton, Jared and Josh are once again hosting their annual Alex’s Lemonade Stand in Gettysburg. This is the 8th year that they’ve
operated the stand supporting childhood cancer research. During their first seven years, they have raised nearly $30,000. With the 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg being celebrated this year, they are hoping that this could be their biggest year yet.
Caton and Jared attended an Optimist Meeting in January where members graciously jump started this years campaign.
Please stop by their stand at 429 Baltimore Street on the following dates and times.
Saturday, June 29th 1-5pm
Wednesday, July 3rd 2-8pm
Thursday, July 4th Noon-5pm
Friday, July 5th 1-6pm
For more information or if you are unable to attend but are interesting in making a donation, you can do so by going here.
Thanks for helping them fight childhood cancer, “one cup at a time”!
Optimist Minutes 6-19-13
Uncategorized-We had a very informative presentation tonight in regards to the Dollars for Scholars program. Since the Gettysburg Area Dollars for Scholars began in 2005 the Optimist Club of Gettysburg has been a strong supporter. We have donated each year so that one male and one female student from GAHS will receive a generous scholarship. This year the Gettysburg Dollars for Scholars program reached 41 different students for a total of $63,600 worth of scholarships! At this time, the program is hoping to expand on the number of applicants who are looking to go to a technical school. Students interested in receiving scholarships fill out one anonymous application. A team dedicated to the Dollars for Scholars program reviews each application and awards individual scholarships based on the criteria specified for each scholarship. Once all the scholarships have been determined a computer-generated program will list the recipient associated with the anonymous number. The Gettysburg Area Dollars For Scholars has decided to keep their monies local as they invest through ACNB. In the future, the Optimists could consider forming an endowment to make our scholarship self-funding. Individuals or groups looking to make a donation or begin an endowment can find more information at www.gettsburgdfs.org.
-With perfect timing for this meeting, the Optimist Club received a very nice thank-you note from one of this year’s recipients of the Optimist Scholarship.
-Craig has visited several clubs in the Zone and plans to stop at a few more next week.
-Tom is excited to write his next really big check on our new dry erase board that is designed to look like an Optimist check.
-Kudos to Jean for raising money for the Optimist Club through a Casual Day at work!
-Thanks to Bill and Sam for a delicious meal!
-The Chamber of Commerce printed a nice article regarding our donation to the Gettysburg Little League.
-Next Gathering: Wednesday, July 17 at Wayne Hill’s house. We will need desserts, hot dishes, and salads. If the first letter of your last name begins with the letters A-D please plan on bringing a dessert; E-K please bring a hot dish; L-Z please bring a salad.
Optimist Meeting Reminder: 6/19/13.
UncategorizedThe next Optimist meeting will be held on 6/19/13 at 6:30pm at Lake Heritage.
Optimist and Little League Baseball
UncategorizedThe Optimist Little League Team recently wrapped-up the 2013 season on June 4. The team is sponsored by the Optimist Club of Gettysburg and includes members between the ages of 9 and 10 in the “Player Pitch” category. This year the Optimist Team was coached by Mike Tushek and supported by parents and Optimist members. The Optimist Club is proud of their young ball players and look forward to next season.
The Gettysburg Little League is one of more than 19 youth related programs supported by the Optimist Club of Gettysburg each year. We wish to thank all the Little League Volunteers and coaches for their generous support and efforts to “Bring out the best in kids.”