Welcome and opening prayer (Preston): Good morning. Welcome to our fifth grade
program. The purpose of our chapel program is to show that our God and Creator is
sovereign. Though our country is very diverse in language, religion, and customs, we
are all united under God’s perfect plan. Today, as we demonstrate this diversity, we
want to remind you that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son
that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Let’s join together in prayer. (Preston prays)
Narrator (Noah): This year in our History class, we have been studying the United
States. America has been called a “melting pot”, and rightly so. We’ve learned about
the different geographic regions, what groups settled where, and why. Each fifth
grader wrote a research paper on an American who has made a positive contribution to
our country. Join us as we meet some of these famous Americans as we journey
around this great country of ours. We’ll begin where our country got its start. . . the
Northeast Region which includes the states of: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey and Maryland. (Narrator returns to risers)
SONG: “Chester”
Kaylee W. (Molly Pitcher)& Megan (Eleanor Roosevelt) enter carrying the map of the
NE, followed by Avery and Elizabeth.
Avery (Louisa May Alcott): Hello. My name is Louisa May Alcott. Though I was born
in Pennsylvania, I wrote, and based my well known book, Little Women, on my family
life in Massachusetts.
Elizabeth Grace (Anne Sullivan): I’m Anne Sullivan, Helen Keller’s private teacher. I
was born in Massachusetts. Plymouth Rock is in Massachusetts. That’s where the
Pilgrims landed in their search for religious freedom.
Avery: Oh yes, I remember. And who can forget Boston, famous for a situation
involving tea? You could say that the Northeast was the cradle of independence for our
young nation.
Elizabeth Grace: It’s true! More than half of the signers of our Declaration of
Independence were born in the Northeast. enter Caleb, Hayden & Nicholas M.; Avery &
Elizabeth move to the side but remain on stage.
Caleb (Nate Saint): Not only were many of the signers from the Northeast, the actual
signing took place there as well, in my home state, Pennsylvania. I’m Nate Saint, pilot
for MAF, or Missionary Aviation Fellowship. I survived a plane crash, but was unable to
fly for over half of a year after the crash. I made good use of this “down time” by
inventing several safety devices that made flying in the jungle safer. Myself and four
other missionaries attempted to share the gospel with the Auca Indians. Unfortunately,
the Aucas were so fearful of the white man, that they killed us with their spears at our
first meeting.
Hayden (Taylor Swift): I’m Taylor Swift and I was also born in Pennsylvania. My family
lived there until I began high school when we moved. I was bullied and not very popular
in middle school, so I was happy to move to Nashville to focus on my singing
career. My first #1 hit came in 2006 with “Our Song”. I had fun being the voice of
Audrey in the movie, “The Lorax”. I spend my spare time supporting many charitable
organizations including the Red Cross and St. Jude’s Hospital.
Nicholas M. (Milton Hershey): You may not recognize me, but I know you’ll recognize
my name: Milton Hershey. I had to borrow $150 from my aunt before I could set up my
own candy shop. I loved experimenting with chocolate. My Hershey Bar and the
Hershey Kiss made me a success in the chocolate business. I believed in treating
others as I wanted to be treated. I shared my company’s profits with my employees and
donated many things to my community. enter William, Nate, Lauren I. and Reese;
Caleb, Hayden & Nicholas M. join Avery & Elizabeth to the side but remain on stage.
William (Teddy Roosevelt): Bully! Teddy Roosevelt here, the 26th President of these
United States. I was born and raised in New york, just one of the 14 US presidents who
were born in the Northeast region. I spearheaded the construction of the Panama
Canal, led the Rough Riders in a battle at San Juan Hill, authored over 25 books, and
had a children’s toy named after me.
Nate (Colin Powell): I was also born in NY. Colin Powell’s the name, highly decorated,
4 star general in the US Army, retired. I considered a run for the presidency in 1996,
but decided against it.
Lauren I. (Christa McAuliffe): Hi, I’m Christa McAuliffe and I was born in Boston,
Massachusetts, lived in Concord, New Hampshire, and taught Junior High School
History in Maryland. A real Northeasterner! In 1985, I was one of ten “regular” people
chosen to be a part of the Challenger Expedition - the first “Teacher in Space”. After
120 days of astronaut training, on January 28, 1986, the Challenger was launched from
the Kennedy Space Center. The shuttle broke apart 73 seconds after launch. I never
had the chance to teach my lessons from space.
Reese (Noah Webster): Noah Webster was born in Connecticut before Connecticut
was a state, actually, it was in 1758, before America was even a country! He was
fascinated with words from a very young age, learning Latin just so he could attend
college. He attended Yale during the Revolutionary War. He is best known for his
American Dictionary of the English Language which contained more than 70,000 words
and definitions.
enter Narrator (Rachel) as all Northeasterners return to risers. The map of the
Northeast exits as the Southeast map enters, carried by Josh (Abe Lincoln) & Victoria
(George Washington)
Narrator (Rachel): (addressing the map carriers) Thank you Mary Ludwig, I mean,
Molly Pitcher. Say that sure was something the way you took over for your wounded
husband during the Revolutionary War battle of Monmouth. And Mrs. Roosevelt, a
pleasure. You always were “right in the middle” of things when you were the First Lady.
. . (to the audience): Now, we’ll give the Southeast center stage. The twelve states that
make up this region are: Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida. These
states played a key role in a major war in our country, and the Civil Rights Movement,
as well as, producing inventors, superb athletes and superstars in the fields of arts and
entertainment.
SONG: “Oh Susanna”
enter Adaya and Joseph
Joseph (Patrick Henry): I, Patrick Henry, born May 29, 1736 in Hanover County
Virginia, was one of this nation’s founding fathers. Many people called me “The Voice
of the American Revolution”. You may remember my often quoted words: “Give me
Liberty, or Give me Death”.
Adaya (Rosa Parks): Yes Patrick, we remember your words, and great they were, but I
believed in action, or rather, in-action. It was December 1, 1955, in Montgomery,
Alabama. I had just finished work and had boarded the bus for the ride home. I was
tired. I found a seat near the middle of the bus, just behind the “whites only” section
and sat down. Before long, the bus was full. When another passenger, a white man,
boarded, the driver instructed me to get up so that this white man could sit down! I
quietly refused and ended up getting arrested. I wasn’t the first black woman to be
arrested for refusing to give up my seat, but my decision to refuse certainly got a lot of
attention. Change was coming, though it came slowly. enter Preston, Haniah and
Kelli while Adaya, and Joseph move to the side but remain on stage.
Preston (Jackie Robinson): Jackie Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo,
Georgia. Even though he did not have a good education as a boy, he made it to UCLA
where he lettered in four different sports before he dropped out to join the military. After
he was discharged from the army, Jackie began playing baseball professionally. In
1947, he broke the color barrier when he played his first game for the Brooklyn
Dodgers, becoming the first African American to play in the major leagues.
Haniah (Henry Aaron): Jackie was Henry’s hero. Henry Aaron was nicknamed
Hammerin’ Hank when he played with the Milwaukee Braves. He was born in Mobile,
Alabama in 1934. His family was so poor, that Henry used bottle caps and tied together
socks for batting practice! The house his dad built didn’t even have a shower or a
bathroom! Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record when he hit his 715th home
run in 1974.
Kelli (Peyton Manning): Peyton was only 2 years old when Hank Aaron broke the
Babe’s record. Another southerner, he was born in Louisiana to a definite “football”
family. He played college ball for the Volunteers in Tennessee. A first round draft pick
in 1998, Peyton played for the Indianapolis Colts for 14 years leading them to numerous
championships including a Super Bowl. He currently plays for the Denver
Broncos. The 5 time NFL MVP has been married to Ashley Thompson for 14 years,
and the couple has 4 year old twins, Mosley and Marshall. enter Ben, Tori, Chandler
and Eva; Preston, Haniah and Kelli move to the side but remain on stage. Adaya and
Joseph return to risers.
Ben (Tony Dungy): Tony Dungy remembers that Super Bowl as well. He was head
coach for Indianapolis from 2002-2008. Tony was the 3rd person in NFL history to win
a Super Bowl as both a head coach and a player. When Tony made the Steelers’
opening day roster in 1977, he became the first undrafted free agent to make the team
in two years, and went on to lead the team in interceptions during the 1978, Super Bowl
winning season! Tony is also a New York Times bestselling author. His autobiography,
Quiet Strength, reached the number one spot twice in 2007. Tony Dungy is best known
as a coach, a family man, and, a man who is not afraid to share his faith.
Tori (Emmitt Smith): Emmitt was born on May 15, 1969 in Pensacola, Florida. As a
boy, he dreamed of playing for the Dallas Cowboys. His family struggled financially, so
Emmitt worked many jobs, earning extra money to help his sick grandmother. He left
college, the University of Florida, as a junior to enter the NFL on his dream team - the
Cowboys. During his 12 seasons with the Cowboys, he helped the team to 3 Super
Bowl wins! His life after football has been “star-studded” as well. In 2006 he won
television’s 3rd season of “Dancing with the Stars” competition, and returned to
compete in the 2012 “All-Stars” season.
Chandler (Jerry Rice): Jerry Rice was also a NFL star turned dancer. He finished the
2nd season of “Dancing with the Stars” as runner up. A fitting finish for a man who
spent his teenage years running everywhere he went. He was born in Crawford,
Mississippi. He started playing football as a sophomore in high school. He played
college football at Mississippi Valley State. Rice joined the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers
in 1985. He played 20 seasons in the NFL setting many records and receiving
numerous awards, including 3 Super Bowl wins!
Eva Grace (Cam Newton): The Southeast has certainly produced many stars of the
NFL. One of the most recent? Savannah, Georgia born, Cam Newton, quarterback for
our own Carolina Panthers. Currently, Cam is 6 feet 5 inches tall, and weighs 245
pounds. That’s not surprising, considering that, at 8 years old, he weighed nearly 100
pounds and was five feet tall. enter Lilly and Kayla; Ben, Tori, Chandler and Eva
move to the side but remain on stage; Preston, Haniah and Kelli return to risers.
Lilly (Mia Hamm): The Southeast has also produced its share of Olympic Gold
Medalists, including Mia Hamm, soccer player. Born in Selma, Alabama, Mia played
college soccer at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and was part of the
National Championship Tarheel team. She was voted the best player of all women’s
soccer in the 1990’s. She played for team USA in the 1996 and 2004 Summer
Olympics winning the Gold both times!
Narrator (Victoria): Enough athletes already. . .what about Presidents who were born
in the South like Abe and I, or inventors like George Washington Carver from Alabama,
or famous authors. . . Lilly, Kayla, Ben, Tori, Chandler and Eva all return to risers as
Ashlyn and Leo enter.
Ashlyn (Laura Ingalls Wilder): Thank you, President Washington, we were beginning to
think we had been forgotten, hadn’t we Samuel?
Leo (Mark Twain): That’s Mark, Mark Twain, Ms. Wilder. Samuel Langhorne Clemens
was my birth name, but most folks know me as Mark Twain. I was born in Missouri
shortly after Haley’s Comet flew through the sky in 1835. I began writing when I was
13, working for my older brother, Orion, at a newspaper called the Hannibal Journal. At
17, I became bored with the newspaper business, felt like I needed adventure, so I
became a steamboat pilot. These adventures provided inspiration for my novels The
Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Ashlyn: My books were also based on my experiences, though I did not begin my
writing career until I was living in Mansfield, Missouri. My husband, Almonzo and I built
Rocky Ridge Farm, which is now a Laura Ingalls Wilder museum. enter Sophie, Mabrey
and Jennifer; Leo and Ashlyn move to the side but remain on stage
Sophie (Jim Henson): I’m sure many Americans have read, or at least would recognize
your books, but few would recognize Jim Henson, puppeteer. However, people
worldwide would recognize many of his creations: Kermit the Frog, Big Bird and Ernie to
name just a few. Jim Henson was born in Greenville, Missouri. When he was a boy, he
was a cub scout. He loved to draw monsters. His grandmother encouraged his
creativity. Thanks, Grandma.
Mabry (Lilly Pulitzer): Family is such an important part of many success stories. In my
case, it was my husband, sort of. Shortly after we were married, we moved to Palm
Beach Florida where he owned several citrus groves. I opened a juice stand. My
clothing line started in 1959 as an extension of the juice stand. Squeezing fruits is
messy work! My first dress was pink, green, yellow, and orange because I squeezed
pink pomegranates, limes. lemons and oranges for juice. My designs got a huge boost
when an old school chum, Jackie Kennedy, was pictured in Life magazine wearing one
of my dresses! All Lilly Pulitzer prints have my name incorporated in them somewhere.
Jennifer (Dolly Parton): Oh, all those bright colors remind me of the coat my momma
made me when I was 10. She made it out of a box of cloth scraps, then she told me the
story of Joseph and his coat of many colors from the Bible. I wrote a song about this
coat and in 1971 it became a #1 hit. My husband, Carl Dean and I have been married
for 49 years, but he has only been to one of my concerts! I built Dollywood in
Tennessee hoping to help the economy and the people of my home state. God is good
and He deserves the credit for all of my success. enter Anah; Sophie, Mabrey and
Jennifer move to the side but remain on stage; Leo and Ashlyn return to risers
Anah (Billy Graham): God is good, just ask evangelist Billy Graham. Billy was born on
November 7, 1918 in Charlotte, North Carolina. A world famous evangelist, he was
ordained a Baptist minister in 1939. He graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois in
1943. He met his wife of 64 years, Ruth Bell, while attending Wheaton. Since 1948,
Billy Graham has been named one of the Ten Most Admired Men in the World, a total of
57 times, more than any other individual in the world! He has been called: “Pastor to
the Presidents”, having had a personal audience with many sitting US presidents from
Harry S. Truman to Barack Obama. Mr. Graham, we American’s covet your prayers
even today. Anah; Sophie, Mabrey, and Jennifer return to risers; map of the SE exits
Song: “Brethern, We Have Met To Worship”
Narrator (Jacob - Houdini ): Ah, the Midwest. . .12 states right in the middle of this
great country. enter Caroline and Alyssa carrying the map Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa,
Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and
Wisconsin. . .the “Bread Basket”; the “Heartland”. No matter what you call it, this region
has produced its fair share of prominent Americans such as myself, Harry Houdini of
Wisconsin, escape artist extraordinaire, Henry Ford, as in the automobile, of Michigan
(Alyssa) and Walt Disney, a creative genius, of Illinois (Caroline). And that’s just the
beginning. Let’s meet some more midwesterners. Ohio looks like a good place to start.
. . enter Eliya, Ashton, John Cris, and Evan; Jacob moves to the side but remains on
stage
Eliya (Orville Wright): The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, North Carolinians,
right? Wrong! Both were born in the midwest. Wilbur, in Indiana and younger brother
Orville, in Ohio! As a boy, Orville received a toy helicopter from his father. That was
what first got him interested in flying. It was Orville who laid on the lower wing to “pilot”
that famous first flight.
Ashton (Neil Armstrong): As a child growing up in Ohio, I loved to build model
airplanes. I even set up my own wind tunnel in my parent’s basement to test out my
model planes. I was a boy scout and achieved the highest level of Eagle Scout. My
interest in flight led me to a lifetime in the sky. I was a pilot in the US Navy and flew 78
missions over Korea during 1952. After the war, I returned to college at Purdue where I
played a baritone in the Purdue All American Marching Band. In 1962, I joined the
NASA Astronaut Corps and went on to become the first man to walk on the moon.
John Chris (Thomas Edison): Inventor, Thomas Edison was also born in Ohio. He
was the youngest in his family; a very curious little boy who often got into trouble. He
was sick a lot as a child, so his mother taught him at home. He made his first invention
when he was only 16. He has been granted more patents than anyone else in
history. In 1928 he received the Congressional Gold Medal.
Evan (Russell Wilson): Wow, and I thought my subject, Super Bowl winning
quarterback Russell Wilson was exciting. . .and he is. . .just in a different way. . .He was
born in Cincinnati, Ohio on November 29, 1988 and is currently the quarterback for the
Seattle, Seahawks. At 5 feet 11 inches, he is one of the shortest quarterbacks in the
NFL. Russell is a Christian who witnesses constantly. He posts a Bible verse daily on
his Twitter feed, and visits the Seattle Children’s Hospital every Tuesday. enter Haley,
and Madilyn; Eliya, Ashton, John Cris, and Evan move to the side but remain on stage;
Jacob returns to risers
Haley (Kurt Warner): Russell isn’t the only Super Bowl winning quarterback to get his
start in the midwest. Kurt Warner was born in Iowa on June 22, 1971. He was
undrafted after college, but always knew he would play ball in the NFL, even when he
was working for $5.50 an hour stocking shelves in a Cedar Falls supermarket. He
never gave up and in 2000, he led the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl victory. The first
thing he said after the win? “Well, first things first, I’ve got to thank my Lord and Savior
up above, thank you Jesus.” Well said, Mr. Warner, well said! On January 29, 2010
Kurt Warner officially announced his retirement from football. He wanted to spend more
time with his wife, Brenda, and their seven kids.
Madilyn (Shawn Johnson): Fellow Hawkeye and Christian, Shawn Johnson, won 4
medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. She won Gold in the Individual Balance
Beam and 3 Silvers in Individual All-Around, Individual Floor Exercise, and the Team
Competition. In 2009, she and her partner, Mark Ballas, won season 8 of “Dancing with
the Stars”. She has also written 2 books since her Gold Medal performance at the
Olympics. enter Ryan and Audrey; Haley, and Madilyn move to the side but remain on
stage; Eliya, Ashton, John Cris, and Evan return to risers
Ryan (Charles Schulz): Cartoonist, Charles M. Schulz, was born in Minneapolis,
Minnesota in 1922. As a child, he skipped 2 grades in school. He was a Sergeant in
the US Army during WWII. Schutz’s first published cartoons were called Lil
Folks. Schulz disliked the name Peanuts because he thought it made the characters
sound unimportant. Peanuts, one of the most popular comic strips of all time, first
appeared in seven newspapers on October 2, 1950.
Audrey (Fred Astaire): Dancer, choreographer, singer, musician and actor, Fred
Astaire was born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1899. He started taking dance lessons with
his sister Adele when he was just 4 years old. His amazing career spanned 76 years
during which he made over 30 musical films from 1933-1957. He was ranked as the 5th
Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute. He received 9 lifetime
achievement awards and was in more than 200 films and musicals. the midwest map
exits and Ryan and Audrey return to risers
SONG: “America the Beautiful”
the Rocky Mountain map enters, carried by Kayley (FDR) & Ragan (George
Washington Carver); enter Jordan
Jordan (Sacagawea): My name is Sacagawea. I am from the Lemhi Shoshone tribe. I
was born in Salmon, Idaho, 1788 or 89. The exact date of my birth is uncertain. When I
was 12, I was kidnapped by the Hidasta tribe. My ability to speak both Hidasta and
Shoshone was of great value to the Lewis and Clark Expedition during which I served
as both a guide and an interpreter. We traveled thousands of miles from North Dakota
to the Pacific between 1804-1806 exploring the Western United States. All of the men
on the expedition were paid, but I was not. My image has appeared on the $1.00 US
coin since 2000. exit the Rocky Mountain map; Jordan returns to risers
the Southwestern Region map enters, carried by Michael S. (Eisenhower) & Bradley
(Oliver North); enter Anne Stewart and Cooper
Anne Stewart (Jim Thorpe): The role of Native Americans is often minimized, or
misrepresented in many histories of this country. The truth is, many Native Americans
contributed greatly to our country. From Chief Massasoit of the Wampanoags at the first
Thanksgiving, to Sacagawea whom you just met, to my subject, Jim Thorpe, we owe a
debt to our Native Americans that we can never repay. Jim Thorpe was born Wa-ThoHuk, which means Bright Path, in his mother’s native tongue. It was the custom of her
tribe to name the child according to something that was happening near the time of
birth. His mother looked out of the window of their home in Oklahoma and saw a ray of
light, and that is how the man dubbed “The World’s Greatest Athlete” got his
name. Thorpe played many sports including college and professional football, field
sports, major league baseball and track. He won 2 Gold medals for the USA in track at
the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. He played 52 games for 6 different teams in the newly
formed NFL from 1920-1928, and was the President of the American Professional
Football Association, the forerunner of the NFL.
Cooper (Carrie Underwood): Fast forward to 2005. Oklahoma native, Carrie
Underwood wins American Idol and her career takes off! The singer, songwriter and
actress graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern State University with a
bachelor’s degree in mass communication with an emphasis in journalism. in 2009 she
wrote the number one hit called “Good Girl” and her song “Blown Away” topped the
country chart in 2012. Carrie and her hockey player husband, Mike Fisher, are
expecting their first child, a boy, this spring. enter Michael B. and Mary Elise; Anne
Stewart and Cooper move to side but remain on stage
Mary Elise (Pat Tillman): Though Pat Tillman was born in California, most associate
him with the state of Arizona. Tillman attended Arizona State University on a football
scholarship. As a junior, he helped his team make it to the Rose Bowl. He graduated
with a degree in marketing after only 3 ½ years with a GPA of 3.85! In 1998, he was
drafted by the Arizona Cardinals. He played for the Cardinals his entire NFL career,
turning down an offer of 9 million dollars to play for the ST. Louis Rams. After the
attacks of September 11, at the conclusion of the 2001 season, Tillman left the NFL and
joined the army along with his brother Kevin. Pat attained the rank of Army Ranger,
after his initial deployment to Iraq, then was redeployed to Afghanistan in 2003 where
he was killed on April 22, 2004 by friendly fire.
Michael B. (Brian Urlacher): Brian Urlacher was born on May 25, 1978 in Pasco,
Washington. His mother raised him and his siblings in Lovington, New Mexico. In high
school, Brian woke up every morning at 5:30 a.m. for weight training, because he knew
he wanted to be a professional football player one day. He led his high school team to
a 14-0 record and won the state championship. He attended the University of New
Mexico. He finished his college career with 442 tackles, which ranked him third all-time
in Lobos’ history. In 2000, Brian was drafted by the Chicago Bears. He has been
compared to 3 other legendary Bear linebackers: Bill George, Dick Butkus, and Mike
Singletary. Urlacher spent his entire 13 year career playing for the Chicago Bears.
enter Kylie, Nicholas T., and Dale; Michael B. and Mary Elise move to side but remain
on stage; Anne Stewart and Cooper return to risers
Kylie (George Strait): Them sure are some mighty big shoes to fill, but, you know what
they say. . .everythings bigger in Texas! That’s the home of the “King of Country”,
George Strait. Strait is one of the most popular performers in country music. He has
had more number #1 hits than any other country singer. In high school, he played in a
rock band, but he entertained his fellow soldiers by playing in a country band at his
army base in Hawaii. Strait served in the army from 1971 to 1975. He then went on to
college, and graduated from Southwest Texas State University. Yep, he’s full blooded
Texan.
Nicholas T. (Jim Bowie): Though Jim Bowie was born in Kentucky, then lived in
Louisiana, he is most often associated with Texas, and the “Bowie knife” which he
popularized. In 1814 when he was 18 years old, he enlisted to fight with the Louisiana
militia. In 1830, he left Louisiana and moved to Texas, at that time, it was a colony of
Mexico. In 1835, the Texas Revolution officially began. Texas wanted to be
independant from Mexico. Bowie fought several of the battles, the most famous being
the Battle of the Alamo, where, sadly, he died.
Dale (George W. Bush): George W. Bush here, 43rd President of these United
States. As a kid in Texas, I wasn’t the best behaved child. Once, I got caught painting
my face with a marker during music class! My father, George H. W. Bush, and I are
actually the second father and son in US history to be elected as presidents. While I
was running for President, at a debate, I was asked: “What political philosopher do you
identify most with, and why?” I answered without hesitation: “Christ, because he
changed my heart.” The audience was shocked silent. Yes, Texas has certainly
produced its share of heroes. (saluting) President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lieutenant
Colonel Oliver North, we Americans thank you for your service. MIchael and Bradley
return the salute, then exit;
Kylie, Nicholas T., and Dale; Michael B. and Mary Elise return to risers
SONG: “The Yellow Rose of Texas”
the Pacific Region map enters, carried by Kayley (FDR) & Ragan (George Washington
Carver); enter Rachel and Ayden
Rachel (Bethany Hamilton): Christian athlete, surfer Bethany Hamilton, is truly an
inspiration. Bethany went surfing almost every day and began entering surf
competitions at a very young age. She survived a tiger shark attack in 2003 in which
she lost her left arm. She returned to, and was victorious in professional surfing. In
2004, she received an ESPY award for “Best Comeback Athlete” from ESPN.
Ayden (Bill Gates): Bill Gates was born in Seattle, Washington in 1955. He is the cofounder of Microsoft and one of the best known entrepreneurs of the personal computer
revolution. He and his wife Melinda donate large amounts of money to various
charitable organizations. enter Katelyn, Emma, Collins and Lauren M.; Rachel and
Ayden move to the side but remain on stage
Katelyn (Kristi Yamaguchi): Figure skater, Kristi Yamaguchi was born in Haywood,
California in 1971. She was born with club feet and had to wear casts to straighten
them out. Her mother thought ice skating would be good exercise for her legs and feet,
so she had her take lessons twice a week. She entered her first skating contest when
she was eight. During one Olympic competition, she fell, but skated so well, she ended
up winning a gold medal anyway! In 2005 Kristi was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall
of Fame.
Emma (Alex Morgan): Alex Morgan attended the University of California at Berkeley
and took her team, the Golden Bears, to the NCAA Tournament four years in a row. In
2009, Morgan became the youngest player on the US Womens National Soccer
Team. She was given the nickname “Baby Horse” by her team mates because of her
age and her galloping style of running. She has written a three book series hoping to
inspire young girls. In her 9 year soccer career, Morgan has scored 200 goals!
Lauren M. (Shirley Temple): Shirley Jane Temple was born on April 23, 1928 in Santa
Monica, California. When she was three years old, her mother enrolled her into
Meglin’s Dance School. She went on to become Hollywood’s number one box office
star from 1935 -1938 - quite an accomplishment for a 7 year old girl! Shirley Temple
went on to have a career in politics, foreign service, as well. She served as the US
Ambassador to Ghana, 1974-1976 and to Czechoslovakia 1989-1992. As well as
several other appointments. She died of natural causes at her home in California on
February 10, 2014. enter Noah; Katelyn, Emma, Collins and Lauren M. move to the
side but remain on stage; Rachel and Ayden return to risers
Noah (Steve Jobs): I Phones, I Pads, PC’s. . . Many of us in this room have one or
more of these. We can thank Mr. Steve Jobs. Jobs was born in San Francisco,
California on February 24, 1955. He attended Homestead High School in Cupertino,
Californina. It was here that he connected with Stephen Wozinak through a friend of a
friend. Jobs learned a lot about computers when he and Wozniak joined the
“Homebrewed Computer Club”. Steve Jobs graduated high school in 1972 and enrolled
at Reed College. He never received his degree, but he did receive an education. Jobs
couldn’t pay for college, but the Dean allowed him to live in the dorms and attend
classes. He just wouldn’t get a degree. In 1976, Jobs and Wozniak formed the “Apple
Computer Company” in the Jobs’ family garage! They chose the name Apple in
memory of a summer Jobs spent as an apple picker. And the rest, as they say, is
history! Noah, Katelyn, Emma, Collins and Lauren M. return to risers
SONG: “My Country ‘tis of Thee”
We’d like to leave
you today with some scripture, a caution and a word of prayer. Isaiah 25: 1
says “O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your
Closing Prayer and invitation to “Taste of America” (Caleb):
name; For You have worked wonders, plans formed long ago, with perfect
faithfulness.” Let us not forget, that our Lord, He is sovereign. He has a
perfect plan, and He is in complete control. But remember, our God is a
jealous God. Time and again scripture warns us: “Do not turn to idols, or
make for yourselves idols.” Be careful not to make any of the wonderful
inventions, or people, we shared with you today into an idol! Father, I pray
that all those here today will trust in Your plan for their lives. Friends, I pray
that we will all be sensitive to the Lord’s leading. Thank you Lord, for giving
us such good news to share. May we continue to shine for our Lord, Jesus
Christ. For it is in his precious name we pray, Amen.