The Brothers Hold on Music
1978 can be called the year of the Brothers Gibb (The Bee Gees, brothers Barry, Maurice and Robin, or their younger brother Andy).
In that year 25 weeks found a song either written or performed by one of the 4 brothers at the number one spot including 15 weeks in a row from February 4th to May 13th.
In a 53 week period from July 30, 1977 to July 29, 1978 they held the Number 1 spot for 31 weeks.
July 30 – August 13 and September 17, 1977 (4) “I Just Want to be Your Everything” – Andy Gibb
December 24, 1977 – January 7, 1978 (3) “How Deep is Your Love – Bee Gees
February 4 – February 25 ( 4) “Stayin’ Alive” – Bee Gees
March 4 – March 11 (2) ” (Love is) Ticker than Water” – Andy Gibb
March 18 – May 6 (8) “Night Fever” – Bee Gees
May 13 – “If I Can’t Have You” – Yvonne Elliman (Written by the Bee Gees)
June 17 – July 29 (7) – “Shadow Dancing” – Andy Gibb
During this 53 week period the only other artists to have a Number 1 song are:
August 20 – September 10 & September 24 (5) – “Best of my Love” The Emotions
October 1 & 8 (2) “Star Wars Theme” – Meco
October 15 – December 17 (10) – “You Light Up My Life” Debby Boone
January 14 – January 28 (3) – “Baby Come Back: – Player
May 20 & 27 (2) – “With a Little Luck” – Wings
June 3 – ” “Too Much, Too Little, Too Late” – Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams
June 10 – “You’re the One That I Want” – John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
The movie “Grease” would have another Number 1 song in 1978, its theme song “Grease” by Frankie Valli and written by Barry Gibb. It would spend 2 weeks at Number 1, August 26 and September 2.
The Best Days of Summer
Summer is as much a state of mind as it is a season. The calendar may say that summer lasts from mid-June to mid-September, but to many it’s much longer. Memorial Day weekend is thought to be the unofficial first day of summer and many people look forward to this weekend.
When I was a kid I always looked forwarded to the Last Day of School. To me that was really the first day of summer. And I’m sure that even today kids wants this day to come fast. No more school work and no more listening to teachers.
The 4th of July is considered the anniversary of the United States and it’s great to throw the country a birthday party. Picnics and Bar-B-Q’s, spending time with friends and fireworks highlight a great summer day. Even though it seems natural it also seems strange that the 1812 Overture has become a fireworks theme, since the song has nothing to do with the United States, but the invasion of the French into Russia.
It may not be as anticipated as the last day of school, at least not for kids, but the First Day of School can be considered one of those days that some wants to see come. Mom’s and some Dad’s, after a summer of having young kids begging for their attention, can find some solitude as their children walk out the door for the first day of the school year. Time to drink the morning cup of coffee with no one but the birds at the feeder bothering them.
Labor Day is another of those unofficial days of summer. This one is for the end. But in some ways it should be considered the first day of the rest of summer. Even into the latter days of October the feeling of summer can be felt.
But for me i think that one of the best days of summer is A Cool Summer Day. One that comes after a extended heat wave that has driven you into a cooler place. A day to take a long walk in the park or sit on the beach and watch the wonders that nature gives us.
The Department of Foreign Affairs
It wasn’t very long before George Washington and the 1st Congress saw that even though the President was granted the power to conduct the nation’s foreign relations under the Constitution, he needed assistance. Congress approved legislation to establish a Department of Foreign Affairs on July 21, 1789, and President Washington signed it into law on July 27. In September before the first head of the Department took office the name was changed to Department of State.
Thomas Jefferson was acting as Minister to France when he was named the first Secretary of State on September 29, 1789. He took office on March 22, 1790. John Jay who was acting in a similar post prior to the adoption of the Constitution continued as Acting-Secretary until Jefferson was able to take office. Jefferson was Secretary of State until December 31, 1793.
Including Jefferson the country has had 67 Secretary of States with Hilary Rodham Clinton currently holding the position. Clinton is the third woman to hold the post following Madeleine Albright (64th) and Condoleezza Rice (66th).
Until the middle of the 19th Century, the Secretary of State was a stepping stone to the Presidency. Along with Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, John Quincy Adams, Martin Van Buren, and James Buchanan were Secretary of State before they became President. Since Buchanan none of the Secretary of States became President, although a few have tried.
The Secretary of State, as long as they have the qualification of the office of President of the United States, is the 4th in the presidential line of succession as specified by the Presidential Succession Act of 1947.
As stated by the Department of State, its purpose includes:
* Protecting and assisting U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad;
* Assisting U.S. businesses in the international marketplace;
* Coordinating and providing support for international activities of other U.S. agencies (local, state, or federal government), official visits overseas and at home, and other diplomatic efforts.
* Keeping the public informed about U.S. foreign policy and relations with other countries and providing feedback from the public to administration officials.
* Providing automobile registration for non-diplomatic staff vehicles and the vehicles of diplomats of foreign countries having diplomatic immunity in the United States.
The Eleven States of the United States
It was on July 26, 1788 that New York became the eleventh state to ratify the Constitution of the United States. The Constitution’s Seventh Article stated that “The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.”
The ninth to ratify was New Hampshire, a little over a month earlier on June 21, 1788. Upon ratification Virginia, the the most populous state and New York, the wealthiest state still hadn’t. Although Virginia did become the tenth on June 25th. And New York as stated in the first paragraph.
The Congress of the Confederation chose March 4, 1789 as the day “for commencing proceedings under the Constitution.” When Congress convened and George Washington took the oath as President, there were only 11 states of the United States. North Carolina and Rhode Island still hadn’t ratified.
Both of these waited until the Bill of Rights were submitted before their ratification. North Carolina on November 21, 1789 and Rhode Island on May 29, 1790.
The first state to be admitted that was not part of the original thirteen colonies of the Articles of Confederation was Vermont on March 4, 1791. Although Vermont had been operating as an independent state since the time of the Revolution.
By the time the century had ended and the election of 1800, two more states joined the union. Kentucky on June 1, 1792 and Tennessee 4 years later on June 1, 1796.
The Rank of General in the United States
The military rank of 5 Stars was not known until World War II. It has only been given to 9 men. Four of these were Army Generals George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight David Eisenhower and Omar Bradley. Four were given to Naval Fleet Admirals William D. Leahy, Ernest J. King, Chester W. Nimitz and William F. Halsey. The 9th man to receive it was Henry H. Arnold who carried the rank first as an Army General and then beginning on May 7, 1949 as General of the Air Force.
This rank currently is not used by the Military and is in reality a rank thought as only needed during time of a congressional declared war.
After the Civil War Congress created the rank of General of the Army of the United States. This rank was for Ulysses S. Grant. This was considered a 4-star rank and could only be held by one person.
When Grant retired the rank was given to William T. Sherman. He was succeeded by Philip H. Sheridan, the last person to hold this rank.
The United States has also had a rank called General of the Armies, which is considered the most senior of all officers. This rank has never been held officially by an active duty officer and has only been given to two men. John J. Pershing received this rank after World War I.
George Washington was posthumously given the rank in 1976 during the Bicentennial. In history, George Washington, as the Colonial Commander was the only active person to have this rank. The 1976 resolution stated that “considered fitting and proper that no officer of the United States Army should outrank Lieutenant General George Washington on the Army list”.
The Lost Roanoke Colony
Jamestown, Virginia, which was established in 1607, was not the first English colony in America, but was the first successful one. In the later part of the 16th century, twice colonies were started in what is now Northern North Carolina.
Sir Walter Raleigh had received a charter to colonize North America with 10 years to establish a colony or lose his rights. In 1585 after exploring the region, he decided to place the first colony on Roanoke Island. This settlement had for its leader Sir Richard Grenville and later Ralph Lane, when Grenville returned to England for supplies. Grenville was delayed and all but 15 of the surviving members of the colony returned to England with Sir Francis Drake. Drake had just failed in his attempt to take over the Spanish settlement in St. Augustine.
In 1857, under the leadership of John White, another group of settlers attempted a settlement. On July 22, 1857, 121 colonists arrived on the coast of North America. They had hoped to meet up with the 15 men who had stayed behind. They did not find them and other than a report from one of the local native tribes, the Croatans, who said that 9 men left in a boat sailing north up the coast after being attacked, they were never found.
A few weeks later, on August 18, 1587, John White’s daughter Eleanor, who was married to Ananias Dare, gave birth to a daughter who they name Virginia. Virginia Dare was the first English child to be born in North America.
John White in November decided to return to England. He wished to get additional supplies for the colony as well as to bring back some reinforcements to help keep the natives from attacking the settlement.
This was also the period when England was at war with Spain and when White arrived back in England his ship was taken to assist in battle against the Spanish Armada. It took him over two years, returning to the colony in August of 1590. He found the colony abandoned with only the word “CROATOAN” carved in a tree. No one knows what happened to the colony or to the 115 people who were there.
A Fellowship Published
The classic book by J.R.R. Tolkien The Lord of the Rings was first published as three volumes; The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King on July 21, 1954, on November 11, 1954 and on October 20, 1955 respectively in the United Kingdom.
The book was created as a single volume and was broken up into sections by the publisher.
When The Fellowship of the Ring was published, a index was promised. However that complete Index and Appendices were not complete until the 1966 revised edition was printed. These Appendices gave a view of the World of Middle-Earth and it’s three Ages that Tolkien began in 1917.
While recovering from ‘Trench’ fever 1917 Tolkien began work on a tale he called The Fall of Gondolin part of a larger project he would name The Book of Lost Tales. The Lord of the Rings would become part of this world.
While his children were young he began telling them a fairy tale of a Hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins who lived in a hole in the ground. With the encouragement of his friend C.S. Lewis, (Lewis would later create his own children tales The Chronicles of Narnia), Tolkien finished The Hobbit tale in 1933. In 1936 the manuscript was shown by a family friend of publisher Stanley Unwin. The Hobbit was published in 1937.
The Lord of the Rings was begun as its sequel in 1937 and took until 1953 to complete. Tolkien was exacting in the writing of his tales and would work his Middle-Earth mythology his entire life, with The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit being the only major works of this mythology published during his life.
It Looked Like She was Nude
“Sally Rand” was born as Harriet Helen Gould Beck in Elkton, Missouri on Easter Sunday, the 3rd of April, 1904. She was the daughter of Nettie Grove, a Pennsylvania Dutch Quaker, and Corporal William Beck, a veteran of the Spanish-American War.
She left home at the age of thirteen to work as a cigarette girl in a nightclub in Kansas City, but ultimately went to Hollywood. During the 1920s, she acted on stage as well as appearing in over 20 silent films. She was given the name Sally Rand by the Hollywood great Cecil B. DeMille.
Sometime in her late 20′s she came up with the idea to combine her talent for artistic dance with the always present male desire for a glimpse feminine body.
In 1932 she accepted a position at the Paramount Club. It was there that she first performed the “fan dance,”. She had purchased the the two large ostrich feather fans used during the dance at a second-hand shop. The dance proved so popular that she danced at the 1933 World’s fair. Many of the reports were that she danced in the nude. Her nudity was an illusion since she actually danced in a body stocking.
In 1934, Sally perceived the need for something new. She decided on a bubble dance. The only trouble was that the biggest balloons available were a mere 30″ in diameter. Sally fronted the money for experimentation. After numerous tests, the see-through bubble was born.
Rand did her famous fan dance routine well into her seventies. She died in 1979 in Glendora, California at the age of 75.
PTA
In 1897 Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst organized the first meeting of National Congress of Mothers. It was held February 17–19, Washington DC. They were expecting about 200 people, 2000 attended. Birney was elected President with Apperson named First Vice President. The wife of Adlai E. Stevenson, Vice President of the United States was named another of the Vice-Presidents.
It is the largest volunteer child advocacy association in the nation. The National PTA reminds the United States of its obligations to children and provides parents and families with a powerful voice to speak on behalf of every child while providing the best tools for parents to help their children be successful students.
National PTA is composed of 54 state congresses and nearly 26,000 local units in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Department of Defense Schools in Europe and the Pacific. National PTA, as directed by its board of directors, provides leadership, programs, support, and resources to its members at all levels of the association.
Membership is open to anyone who believes in the Mission and Purposes of National Parent Teacher Association. Individual members may belong to any number of PTAs and pay dues in each. Every person who joins a local PTA automatically becomes a member of both the state and National PTAs.
The Mission of the Parent Teacher Association
• To support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community, and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children;
• To assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children;
• To encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of this nation.
Sources: pta.org
4-H
The website for 4-H 4husa.org says, “4-H is a community if young people across america who are learning leadership, citizenship and life skills.” It is adminstered by the Cooperative extension System of the United States Department of Agriculture.
The 4-H’s are Head, Heart, Hands and Health.
The organization serves over 9 million members in the United States from ages 5 to 21 in almost 100,000 clubs.
The 4-H started as youth program in Clark Count, Ohio in 1902 and with the passage of the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 Congress created the Cooperative Extension Service of the USDA. Included within the CES charter the work of various boys’ and girls’ clubs involved with agriculture, home economics and related subjects. By 1924 these clubs became organized as “4-H” clubs and the clover emblem was adopted.
The organization is often associated with summer camps, county fairs and state fairs.
National 4-H Council is the national, private sector non-profit partner of 4-H and the Cooperative Extension System. National 4-H Council focuses on fundraising; brand management; communications; legal and fiduciary support to national and state 4-H programs; and operation of the full-service National 4-H Youth Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Md., and the National 4-H Supply Service, the authorized agent for items bearing the 4-H Name and Emblem.
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