Masonry Magazine November 2012 Page. 44
FULL CONTACT PROJECT MANAGEMENT
By "Coach" Gary Micheloni
Football, Family, Friends and Fundamentals
November 2012 is probably the most significant month of this year. We have, by many accounts, the biggest, most significant election in decades. The country finds itself politically divided. No matter what happens, or who wins, I will remain thankful. If my side loses, I won't be happy, but I will be thankful.
The first proclamation of Thanksgiving was made by President George Washington on Oct. 3, 1789. It wasn't a national holiday, but followed a huge war, the birth of a nation, and the adoption of a constitution. Later, there was a groundswell of support for it, but it took 74 years for Thanksgiving to become that holiday. Fittingly, that also was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln on Oct. 3, which nicely commemorated what President Washington had done previously on that day. Surprisingly, the first national Day of Thanksgiving was celebrated in the midst of America's Civil War. You know what? I'm thankful for that.
The date moved around a bit, but it was always celebrated in November. President Franklin Roosevelt finally fixed the date as the fourth Thursday of November. That was November 26, 1941, just eleven days before the country was forced into World War II. I'm thankful that, today, our country recognizes how important a holiday this is.
As the saying goes, "Freedom isn't free." Ours was bought at the considerable price of more than 1 million combat casualties. So, I'm thankful for the leadership of these three presidents, along with the sacrifices of our military and their families, of ordinary citizens who saw that dream of freedom and refused to let it die during each of those three wars.
Today, we don't have "those" kinds of wars, but combat still rages. Most of us know someone who knows someone who is in Afghanistan or somewhere else away from home. We all know somebody who has lost a job, maybe a home, possibly losing a business. We all know people who are losing the battle with apathy; they just don't care anymore. Some are friends, some are neighbors, some are even competitors.
The aforementioned leaders had a vision. They provided leadership at a
COACH GARY SAYS:
Freedom isn't free.