Leading in the Right Direction
President’s Corner
May 28, 2023
We Shall Never Forget
Memorial Day is a day that we remember all those who have died in service to our country. It was originally called Decoration Day, from the early tradition of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags and because it did not commemorate any one particular battle. It was first observed on May 30, 1868 to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former Union soldiers and sailors.
During that first national commemoration, former Union General and then Congressman from Ohio, James Garfield, made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped decorate the graves of over 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers who were buried there.
This national event galvanized efforts to honor and remember fallen soldiers, that had begun with local observances at burial grounds in towns throughout the United States, after the end of the Civil War. In 1873, New York was the first state to designate Memorial Day as a legal holiday. By the late 1800’s many more cities and communities observed Memorial Day, and several states declared it a legal holiday.
After World War I, it became an occasion for honoring those who died in all of America’s wars and then became more widely established as a national holiday throughout the country.
In 1915, inspired by the poem “In Flanders Fields,” Moina Michael wrote the following poem: “We cherish too, the Poppy red That grows on fields where valor led, it seems to signal to the skies That blood of heroes never dies.” She conceived the idea of wearing red poppies on Memorial Day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. This tradition later caught on and spread to other countries.
Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans’ organization to sell poppies nationally. Two years later their “Buddy” Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans.
In 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and established that Memorial Day was to be commemorated on the last Monday in May.
Memorial Day is commemorated at Arlington National Cemetery each year with a ceremony in which a small flag is placed on each grave. Traditionally, the President or Vice President lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
In December of 2000, a resolution passed in Congress called the “National Moment of Remembrance”, which asked that at 3 p.m. local time, for all Americans “To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to ‘Taps.”
On this Memorial Day, let us do the same, and remember those who gave their all so that we may live free.
“We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country, they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”
– James A. Garfield, May 30, 1868, Arlington National Cemetery **
Patricia Moore
** Excerpted from PBS.org and U.S. Memorial Day.org
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pcrc Membership
PebbleCreek Republican Club (PCRC) membership is open to all PebbleCreek residents. Individual dues are only $15/year, and they are payable on January 1. Occasionally, the Executive Board may extend an honorary membership to someone who does not reside in PebbleCreek.
The club has more than 600 members! We enthusiastically welcome new members. The club does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.
The club meets monthly from January through May. There are no scheduled meetings in June, July, or August except during an election year. Meetings resume from September through December.
The meetings are held in the Tuscany Falls Ballroom on the first Thursday of the month. Social time begins at 6:30 PM with a no-host bar available, and the meeting starts at 7:00 PM, with complimentary refreshments provided. Members and guests are encouraged to stay after the meeting for further conversation.
Membership year begins January 1st and ends December 31st.
Dues are payable January 1 and are delinquent at the adjournment of the PCRC March Membership Meeting. Non-payment by March 31 will result in a suspension notice.
Click here or scroll down to APPLY for membership.
Click here or scroll down to RENEW your membership
Men's Breakfast Club
The "Men's Breakfast Club" meets at 8:30 AM on the 2nd Tuesday of the month in the Eagle's Nest Dining Room Alcove.
If you are interested in a lively, morning conversation about political events and your first cup of coffee, please attend this breakfast. This is a real opportunity for some "like-minded" discussion.
If you plan to attend, RSVP to Chuck Streeter at streeter@greencafe.com
PCRC Women's Luncheon
If you are looking for an informative and lively conversation among "like-minded" women and the opportunity to "talk Republican," here is your chance!
The luncheons are held on the second Wednesday of the month at 11:30 AM in the Eagle's Nest Dining Room Alcove.
If you plan to attend, RSVP to Vicki Streeter at streeter@greencafe.com
Republican Men's Golf Group
An invitation to play golf on Tuesdays with like-minded golfers, interested in fun, golf, fellowship, and 19th-hole, friendly conversation.
Contact Stanley Bloch at (908) 202-6854 or stanleypbloch@gmail.com