Celebrating Independence Day ~ 4th of July
The Birthday of
our Country is a time for flags and fireworks, family and friends, food and
fun.
Here
are my suggestions for Girls Scouts and their families to CELEBRATE, and to
keep the SPIRIT of the HOLIDAY intertwined with the festivities. Remember,
holidays, like Independence Day, are a great reason to get your Girl Scout
Troop together… not that any reason is needed to get together with your Girl
Scout friends.
First thing on Thursday
morning, July 4, be sure to fly an
American flag in recognition of the holiday. Since July 4 is so close to
the weekend this year, many people will be “making a weekend of it” by celebrating
from Thursday thru Sunday. It's fine to fly your flag each day; just be sure to
observe the rules of "Flag etiquette."
Include our American
history into your barbeque, picnic or pool party. Read aloud the Declaration
of Independence. You can have one
person read the whole thing... or you can divide it up among the group. For
a more kid-friendly version, try this website. Adults will enjoy this
version, too! It helps to tell the story
of how and why the Colonial citizens felt the need to declare independence, and
it recognizes that there was still work to be done in order to ensure that ALL were included in the freedom that we sought!
Let’s put on a
play! Every great
summer event will benefit from outdoor theatre!
Transform your deck, porch or patio into a stage to perform a skit about
Independence Day, the American Revolution or another aspect of our great
American heritage. Click
for some skit ideas. You can find other skits online and at the library, or make up
your own way to tell the story. -- Your skit or play might include reading the
Declaration of Independence!
Listen to patriotic
music and sing a few patriotic songs! My
favorite is the concert from Washington, DC titled The Concert/A Capitol
Fourth (one year I was even
there in person). Everyone can enjoy it
on one of our local PBS stations from 8:00 to 9:30pm ET or listen to this concert on
NPR Radio (93.9 FM in the New York area; check www.wnyc.org for scheduling on that date).
For
festive foods and crafts, visit Girl Scouts of Nassau County's
Pinterest page "Tis the Season" to see great ideas for
eating and decorating with Red, White and Blue.
There
is also a number of fireworks celebrations on Long Island in
the coming days.
Always
remember to BE SAFE and HAVE FUN! Keep our Girl Scout Promise and Law in the
front of your brain and your heart ... We Girl Scouts promise to do many things
that relate to this holiday ... Serve our country ... respect authority ...
use resources wisely. And leave the Fireworks
for the professionals!
Don’t
forget to share with us how you and your Girl Scout Troop spend this special
holiday! You can post photos and stories
to the GSNC Facebook page or send us a Tweet.
We'd especially like to hear how you combine community service with
summer fun on July 4th and throughout the summer.
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