MASON - DIXON LION
Annandale Lions Club
PO Box 453, Annandale Virginia 22003
http://www.annandalelions.org
Volume 57, Issue 5
November 2004
Upcoming Events!
Time to take time to give Thanks
• Nov 2 - Regular Dinner mtg.
7:00pm - Peace Poster
• Nov 9 - Board Meeting
7:30pm at the Library
• Nov - 5 &10 Hearing & Vision
Screening at MSNV
• Nov 6 - Manning a table at
the Fairfax Police display in
Heritage Mall
• Inter-Service Council Luncheon, 11:30 - 1:00pm at the
Fire House
• Nov 11 Screening for the Salvation Army Rehabilitation
Center - Rte 236
• Nov 16 - Regular Dinner mtg.
7:00pm - Honorable Vivian
Watts - VA 39th District
• Nov 20 - Fruit Sale
• Dec 7 - Regular Dinner mtg.
7:00 pm
• Dec 14 - Board Meeting
7:30pm at the Library
• Dec 18 - Fruit Sale
• Jan 4 - DG Doug Cross will
make his official visit
It's Thanksgiving time again! And for most of us, this holiday
conjures up memories or anticipation of such traditions as gathering with friends and family, the huge Thanksgiving dinner
with cranberry sauce, someone carving the turkey, and the
fight over who gets to pull the wishbone. The real point of this
holiday is to remind us of the things we each have to be grateful
for (family, friends, this great country, our freedoms, our quality of life, etc). It is fitting that a couple of weeks prior to
Thanksgiving is Veteran’ s Day, when we need to remember
and give thanks to all those members of our Armed Forces that
sacrificed so much so that we can enjoy the freedoms and traditions that are a part of our Thanksgiving celebrations. Have a
safe and happy holiday.
There are many ways to give thanks. But as members on the
Lions, we say thanks throughout the year through our we work
to help those in need. This entails the giving of one of our most
precious resources - our time. With that said. A big thank you
is owed to Mike, Jim, Leon, and his wife Jean for operating the
sight and hearing screening van at the Wakefield Senior Center’s health fair. They had a busy time, screening 57 individuals, most of which had problems. For the hearing tests, they
had 10 abnormal with an additional 13 referrals. For the vision
tests, they had 16 abnormal and an additional 8 referrals. They
also tested 25 people for glaucoma and had 8 referrals. This is a
very high number for this serious condition (leading cause of
preventable blindness). We seldom see more than 1 person in a
year that requires referral to a medical professional.
News from the
Board
2 Ramadan
6
Veteran’s Day
History
3 Peace Poster
7
Sharon, Jim, and Mel also manned a booth at the District’s Fall
Conference to sell cookbooks and Turkey dinner raffle tickets. I
think that we sold over a 100 raffle tickets that day. I am told
that Mel was a supper salesman and could sell ice cube makers
to Eskimo’s.
The story of
Thanksgiving
4 Special Announcements
8
Finally Bill and Pat did a great job on the Peace Posters and we
Inside this issue:
This month in history
(Continued on page 2)
8
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M ASO N - DIX ON L I O N
(Continued from page 1)
will be hosting the winners at our November
2 dinner meeting. I have included some pictures from the display at the Mason District
Government Center on page 7.
Next and not in the order of importance. I
want to welcome our newest member, Jim
Hatch. Our District Governor will be formally
inducting Jim at our January 4 dinner meeting.
As you (hopefully) have noticed, I have tried
to include several non-lions orientated articles in the newsletter especially some of the
history of our holidays. Starting with this edition, I will also be including similar articles
on major religious holidays. I want to apologize in advance if I miss something or make
an error, let me know and I will get a correction in the next edition. Also I am always
looking for articles for the newsletter, just
send me a email or a hard copy and I will try
and get it in.
Finally, we will be having Vivian Watts as
our speaker at the November 16 meeting. Our
membership committee (Leon, Sid, and
Randy) is working to get some potential members to this meeting. Since Vivian’s talk
should be very informative, lets try and get a
good audience for her talk. This would be a
good meeting to invite any of your neighbors
or friends to attend and maybe get them exposed to the club’s activities.
News of the Board
The major item of
discussion at the
Board meeting was
the Turkey dinner
raffle. It was decided to sell 400 tickets at $4.00 per ticket.
Winner to be drawn at the November 16
dinner meeting. Also it was decided not to
have a “special” Christmas Dinner or outside entertainment but to take that funding
V O LU ME 5 7, ISSUE 3
and apply it to a charitable activity. However,
we will collect Toys for Tots at the meeting.
There was also discussion relative to establishing an “honorary” designation rather than
keeping members on privileged or MAL
status. This was deferred to the next meeting.
Finally, the club will pay to have an emergency egress gate installed (in memory of
Lion Steve) in the Merica House complex that
will allow the patients to have a second way
to exit the building
Election Day History
For much of our history, America was a predominantly agrarian society. Law makers
therefore took into account that November
was perhaps the most convenient month for
farmers and rural workers to be able to
travel to the polls.
The fall harvest was over, (remember that
spring was planting time and summer was
taken up with working the fields and tending the crops) but in the majority of the nation the weather was still mild enough to
permit travel over unimproved roads.
Since most residents of rural America had to
travel a significant distance to the county
seat in order to vote, Monday was not considered reasonable since many people would
need to begin travel on Sunday. This would,
of course, have conflicted with Church services and Sunday worship.
Why the first Tuesday after the first Monday? Lawmakers wanted to prevent election
day from falling on the first of November for
two reasons. First, November 1st is All
Saints Day, a Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics. Second, most merchants
were in the habit of doing their books from
the preceding month on the 1st. Apparently,
Congress was worried that the economic success or failure of the previous month might
prove an undue influence on the vote!
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HISTORY OF VETERAN’S DAY
Official recognition of the end of the first modern global conflict -- World War I - - was made
in a concurrent resolution (44 Stat. 1982) enacted by Congress on June 4, 1926, with these
words:
WHEREAS the 11th of November 1918,
marked the cessation of the most destructive,
sanguinary, and far reaching war in human
annals and the resumption by the people of the
United States of peaceful relations with other
nations, which we hope may never again be
severed, and
WHEREAS it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated
with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises
designed to perpetuate peace through good will
and mutual understanding between nations;
and
WHEREAS the legislatures of twenty-seven of
our States have already declared November 11
to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved
by the Senate (the House of Representatives
concurring), That the President of the United
States is requested to issue a proclamation
calling upon the officials to display the flag of
the United States on all Government buildings
on November 11 and inviting the people of the
United States to observe the day in schools and
churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all
other peoples.
An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a)
approved May 13, 1938, and the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday - - a day to
be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to
be hereafter celebrated and known as
“Armistice Day. "
Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to
honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954,
after World War II had required the greatest
mobilization of soldiers, sailors, marines and
airmen in the Nation's history; after American
forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd
Congress, at the urging of
the veterans service organizations, amended the
Act of 1938 by striking
out the word "Armistice"
and inserting in lieu
thereof the word
"Veterans. " With the approval of this legislation
(Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November
11th became a day to honor American veterans
of all wars. In 1968 Congress changed the date
of the holiday to the fourth Monday in October
to give Americans a three-day weekend. But
because of the significance of November 11 to
many people, the traditional date was restored
by law in 1978.
Veterans Day is marked by parades and
speeches and by formal ceremonies at the
Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National
Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. Congress
voted to establish the tomb in 1921, and since
that time unknown soldiers from several wars
in which the United States has taken part have
been buried in it.
In Canada and Britain, November 11 is observed as Remembrance Day. Britain’s king
George V first called for a two-minute silence
at 11 am, a tradition that continues to this day.
Church services are held in Britain on the Sunday nearest November 11, known as Remembrance Sunday, in honor of those who died
fighting for their country. France observes the
Fête de l’armistice on November 11.
In the weeks before Remembrance Day in Britain and Canada, volunteers sell artificial red
poppies. The poppies recall the poppy fields of
Flanders, a historic region that now forms
parts of Belgium, France, and The Netherlands. Many soldiers died in battles fought in
Flanders during World War I. John McCrae, a
Canadian physician and poet, eulogized them
in a poem titled “In Flanders Fields.”
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The Thanksgiving Story
The Pilgrims who sailed to this country aboard the Mayflower were originally members of the
English Separatist Church (a Puritan sect). They had earlier fled their home in England and
sailed to Holland (The Netherlands) to escape religious persecution. There, they enjoyed more
religious tolerance, but they eventually became disenchanted with the Dutch way of life, thinking it ungodly. Seeking a better life, the Separatists negotiated with a London stock company to
finance a pilgrimage to America. Most of those making the trip aboard the Mayflower were nonSeparatists, but were hired to protect the company's interests. Only about one-third of the original colonists were Separatists.
The Pilgrims set ground at Plymouth Rock on December 11, 1620. Their first winter was devastating. At the beginning of the following fall, they had lost 46 of the original 102 who sailed on
the Mayflower. But the harvest of 1621 was a bountiful one. And the remaining colonists decided to celebrate with a feast -- including 91 Indians who had helped the Pilgrims survive their
first year. It is believed that the Pilgrims would not have made it through the year without the
help of the natives. The feast was more of a traditional English harvest festival than a true
"thanksgiving" observance. It lasted three days.
Governor William Bradford sent "four men fowling" after wild ducks and
geese. It is not certain that wild turkey was part of their feast. However,
it is certain that they had venison. The term "turkey" was used by the Pilgrims to mean any sort of wild fowl.
Another modern staple at almost every Thanksgiving table is pumpkin
pie. But it is unlikely that the first feast included that treat. The supply of
flour had been long diminished, so there was no bread or pastries of any
kind. However, they did eat boiled pumpkin, and they produced a type of
fried bread from their corn crop. There was also no milk, cider, potatoes,
or butter. There was no domestic cattle for dairy products, and the newly-discovered potato was
still considered by many Europeans to be poisonous. But the feast did include fish, berries, watercress, lobster, dried fruit, clams, venison, and plums.
This "thanksgiving" feast was not repeated the following year. But in 1623, during a severe
drought, the pilgrims gathered in a prayer service, praying for rain. When a long, steady rain
followed the very next day, Governor Bradford proclaimed another day of Thanksgiving, again
inviting their Indian friends. It wasn't until June of 1676 that another Day of Thanksgiving
was proclaimed.
On June 20, 1676, the governing council of Charlestown, Massachusetts, held a meeting to determine how best to express thanks for the good fortune that had seen their community securely established. By unanimous vote they instructed Edward Rawson, the clerk, to proclaim
June 29 as a day of thanksgiving. It is notable that this thanksgiving celebration probably did
not include the Indians, as the celebration was meant partly to be in recognition of the colonists' recent victory over the "heathen natives."
October of 1777 marked the first time that all 13 colonies joined in a thanksgiving celebration.
It also commemorated the patriotic victory over the British at Saratoga. But it was a one-time
affair.
George Washington proclaimed a National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789, although some were
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PAGE 5
opposed to it. There was discord among the colonies, many feeling the hardships of a few Pilgrims
did not warrant a national holiday. And later, President Thomas Jefferson scoffed at the idea of
having a day of thanksgiving.
It was Sarah Josepha Hale, a magazine editor, whose efforts eventually led to what we recognize
as Thanksgiving. Hale wrote many editorials championing her cause in her Boston Ladies' Magazine, and later, in Godey's Lady's Book. Finally, after a 40-year campaign of writing editorials
and letters to governors and presidents, Hale's obsession became a reality when, in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving was proclaimed by every president after Lincoln. The date was changed a couple of
times, most recently by Franklin Roosevelt, who set it up one week to the next-to-last Thursday
in order to create a longer Christmas shopping season. Public uproar against this decision caused
the president to move Thanksgiving back to its original date two years later. And in 1941,
Thanksgiving was finally sanctioned by Congress as a legal holiday, as the fourth Thursday in
November.
George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Proclamation
Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His
will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas
both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging
with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an
opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"
Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of
this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great
degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our
safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to
confer upon us.
And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the
great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative
duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people
by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully
executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have
shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote
the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them
and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He
alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.
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Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic Lunar
calendar and the holiest of the four holy months. It
begins with the sighting of the new moon after
which all physically mature and healthy Muslims
are obliged to abstain from all food, drink, gum
chewing, any kind of tobacco use, and any kind of
sexual contact between dawn and sunset. However,
that is merely the physical component of the fast;
the spiritual aspects of the fast include refraining
from gossiping, lying, slandering and all traits of
bad character. All obscene and irreligious sights
and sounds are to be avoided. Purity of thought
and action is paramount. Ordained in the Quran,
the fast is an exacting act of deeply personal worship in which Muslims seek a raised level of Godconsciousness. The act of fasting redirects the
hearts away from worldly activities, towards The
Divine.
The month of Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, prayer, doing good deeds and spending
time with family and friends. The fasting is intended to help teach Muslims self-discipline, selfrestraint and generosity. It also reminds them of
the suffering of the poor, who may rarely get to eat
well. It is common to have one meal (known as the
Suhoor), just before sunrise and another (known as
the Iftar), directly after sunset. This meal will commonly consist of dates, following the example of the
Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him. Because
Ramadan is a time to spend with friends and family, the fast will often be broken by different Muslim families coming together to share in an evening
meal.
Ramadan derives from the Arabic root: ramida or
ar-ramad, meaning scorching heat or dryness.
Since Muslims are commanded to fast during the
month of Ramadan, it is believed that the month's
name may refer to the heat of thirst and hunger, or
because fasting burns away one's past sins. Muslims believe that God began revealing the Qur'an to
the Prophet Muhammad during Ramadan (in the
year 610 C.E.). The Qur'an commands: "O ye who
believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) selfrestraint...Ramadan is the (month) in which was
sent down the Qur'an, as a guide to mankind, also
clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between
right and wrong). So every one of you who is pre-
sent (at his home) during that month should spend
it in fasting..." Fasting during Ramadan did not
become an obligation for Muslims until 624 C.E., at
which point it became the third of the Five Pillars
of Islam. The others are faith (Shahadah); prayer
(Salah); charitable giving (Zakah); and the pilgrimage to Makkah (Hajj).
Another aspect of Ramadan is that it is believed
that one of the last few odd-numbered nights of the
month is the Laylat ul-Qadr, the "Night of Power"
or "Night of Destiny." It is the holiest night of the
holiest month; it is believed to be the night on
which God first began revealing the Qur'an to the
Prophet Muhammad through the angel Jibril
(Gabriel). This is a time for especially fervent and
devoted prayer, and the rewards and blessings associated with such are manifold. Muslims are told
in the Qur'an that praying throughout this one
night is better than a thousand months of prayer.
No one knows exactly which night it is; it is one of
God's mysteries. Additionally, Muslims are urged
to read the entire Qur'an during the month of
Ramadan, and its 114 chapters have been divided
into 30 equal parts for this purpose.
When the first crescent of the new moon has been
officially sighted by a reliable source, the month of
Ramadan is declared over, and the month of Shawwal begins. The end of Ramadan is marked by a
three-day period known as Eid ul-Fitr, the
"Festival of Fast-breaking." It is a joyous time beginning with a special prayer, and accompanied by
celebration, socializing, festive meals and sometimes very modest gift-giving, especially to children. When Ramadan ends, Muslims give charity
in a locally prescribed amount, calculated to feed
one poor person in that region for one day. This is
known as fitra, and is meant as another reminder
of the suffering endured by many.
At the beginning of Ramadan, it is appropriate to
wish Muslims "Ramadan Mubarak" which means
"Blessed Ramadan." At its conclusion, you may say
"Eid Mubarak.
This year Ramadan started on Oct 15 and will end
on Nov 12. The Islamic lunar calendar, being 11 to
12 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, migrates throughout the seasons. A full cycle will
take about 35 years
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PAGE 7
ANNANDALE LIONS CLUB
PO BOX 453, ANNANDALE VIRGINIA 22003
HTTP://WWW.ANNANDALELIONS.ORG
President: John Landers
Secretary : Jim Hopson
Editor: John Landers
Special Announcements
PAGE 8
MSNV Pre-school screening
We will also be doing hearing and sight screenings at
the MSNV on Pacific Ave in Annandale. Probably will
be starting around 8:am each day (5 & 10 Nov.)
1. Michelangelo’s paintings on ceiling of
Sistine Chapel, 1st exhibited (1512)
Inter-Service Council Luncheon
1.Stamp Act went into effect in the British colonies (1765)
1. United States Weather Bureau begins operation (1870)
2. Howard Hughes flies the Spruce
Goose, on its first and only flight (1947)
3. 1st class mail raised to $.03 (1917)
3. The USSR sends the 1st animal into
space - a dog named Laika (1957)
8. Louvre opens (1793)
11. 41 pilgrims land in Massachusetts,
sign Mayflower Compact (1620)
11. Massachusetts passes 1st US compulsory school attendance law (1647)
15. Articles of Confederation adopted by
Continental Congress (1777)
17. The United States Congress convenes for the first time in Washington,
DC (1800)
18. Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse debuts
in NY in "Steamboat Willie" (1928)
18. William Tell shoots an apple off his
son's head. (1307)
19. Lincoln delivers his Gettysburg Address (1863)
22. New Jersey becomes the first state
to ratify the Bill of Rights (1789)
22. English pirate Edward Teach
(Blackbeard) killed off the coast of Virginia (1718)
26. Alice in Wonderland published
(1865)
The luncheon which is arranged by the Chamber of
Commerce is a meeting of all the service organizations in Annandale. The luncheon will be on Wednesday , November 10 at Ossian Hall (behind the Fire
Department). Virginia Attorney General Jerry Kilgore
will be the speaker The cost of the luncheon is
$15.00. We will need to let the Chamber know how
many, are coming by Friday, November 5.
Salvation Army Screening
We will be doing a Sight & Hearing screening for the
Salvation Army Rehabilitation Center on Little River
Turnpike (near Jerry’s Ford) on November 11
(Veteran ‘s Day). We will start around 3:30pm and
end about 6:30.
Fruit Sale - November 20
Parking lot of the Annandale Swim and Tennis Club
at 7530 Little River Turnpike, between Wendy's and
McDonald's . Fruit sorting begins at 8:00am.
Toys for Tots
We will be again collecting toys for the Toys for Tots
program at our December meeting. Please bring a toy
or two (unwrapped) and Rudy will take them to the
USMCR
Fruit Sale - December 18
Parking lot of the Annandale Swim and Tennis Club
at 7530 Little River Turnpike, between Wendy's and
McDonald's. Fruit sorting begins at 8:00am.
Woodbridge / Mason Neck Lions
Shrimp Sale
Fresh Jumbo Shrimp are $11.00 per pound (about 22
– 26 shrimp) without heads. There are two sales remaining; order by 11/12 for pick up 11/20 and order by
12/10 to pick up 12/18.. To place orders contact either
PDG Phil Schrack 703-369-5908 ([email protected])
or Tom Nally 703-451-5358 ([email protected])