Suggestive programs for special day exercises
Suggestive Special Day Programs
PUBLISHED BY
JASON E. HAMMOND,
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
LANSING, MICHIGAN
ROBERT SMITH PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS AND BINDERS
1898
SUGGESTIVE PROGRAMS
FOR
SPECIAL DAY EXERCISES
PUBLISHED BY
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
FOR DISTRICT SCHOOLS
JASON E. HAMMOND
STATE SUPERINTENDENT
LANSING, MICHIGAN
1898
LANSING
ROBERT SMITH PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS AND BINDERS
1898
INTRODUCTION.
Department of Public Instruction,
Lansing, Mich., Feb. 1, 1898.
To the Teachers and Friends of Education:
In preparing and sending out these suggestive programs for Special Day exercises, it is our desire to bring the Department of Education closer to the people, to bring the patrons and teachers closer together in the work of the schools.
Just as, in the palmy days of Rome, broad highways connected the Forum with the capital of every province, so we believe there should be a highway leading directly from this Department to every school house in Michigan.
If we as a people could more often come together for the discussion of the common problems of life, if there could be more opportunity for an interchange of sympathy and good-will, our schools and homes would be the better. The struggle to reach the position of independence we now enjoy is not fully appreciated by this generation, and there still remains the problem of our country’s future destiny which must be worked out in the homes and schools of the nation.
In times past the home and school have been too widely separated, instead of working together as mutually dependent parts of an educational family. It is hoped that the celebration of these special days may result in a better appreciation of the teacher’s work on the part of the patrons, and also afford an opportunity for broader culture. What a splendid chance for the teaching of patriotism is found in the observance of Independence Day and Memorial Day; what beautiful examples of character Lincoln and Washington afford; what a field for literary study is found in the works of Longfellow and Lowell; what an appreciation of the bountiful land in; which we dwell may be inculcated through the Thanksgiving exercises; and last, comes the crowning festival of the year, commemorating the greatest gift of the world, the coming of “ peace on earth, good-will to men.” How the glad Christmas time appeals to us all to remember that only through self-sacrifice has life been made what it is today.
These special days should be made beacon lights in the homes and schools of the State.
Yours with good wishes for the New Year,
Superintendent of Public Instruction.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 3
Lincoln Day:—
Program 4
Flag Salute 4
God Bless Our Native Land 4
Memorable Language of Abraham Lincoln 5
Anecdotes of Lincoln 6
Glimpses of Lincoln's Character 7
Lincoln’s Boyhood 8
Oh! Why should the Spirit of Mortal be Proud? 9
God Speed the Right 10
The Gettysburg Address 11
Education a Growth 11
Justice tempered with Mercy 11
Lincoln—A Song 12
Conclusion of Lincoln’s First Inaugural 12
Your Mission 13
Characteristics of Lincoln 14
WASHINGTON AND LOWELL DAY:—
George Washington: Statesman, Christian Gentleman 15
Ode for Washington’s Birthday 16
Washington: The Brightest Name on History's Page 17
The Glorious Roll of the American Drum 17
Let Washington Sleep 18
Epitaph on Washington 18
Mt. Vernon Bells 19
The First Snow-Fall 19
The Heritage 20
A Wider and Wiser Humanity 20
To the Dandelion 21
Washington’s Birthday 22
The fountain 22
The Washington Elm 23
Longfellow Day:—
Program 24
The Poet and His Songs 24
Subjects for Essay 24
The Children’s Hour 25
The Two Angels 25
The Old Clock on The Stairs 26
The Builders 27
Paul Revere’s Ride 28
From My Arm-Chair 29
The Bridge 30
Quotations 30-32
Nature’s Book 32
Charity 32
The Three Statues of Minerva 32
Arbor Day:—
Program 33
Arbor Day Scripture Reading 33
Arbor Day March 34
The History of Arbor Day 34
Which Tree is Best? 35
What do we plant? 36
We Love the Trees 36
Historic Trees 37-38
Our Mother’s Three 39
What will you be? 39
Arbor Day Song 40
A Wonderful Tree 40
The Tree Planter 40
Planting of the Apple Tree 41
The Poet of Trees 42
Extract from Bryant’s Forest Hymn 42
Forest Trees 43
Prayer for Our State 43
The Grand Old Trees 43
What shall It be? 44
What We owe Trees 44-45
A Few Suggestions 45
The Planting Song 45
Memorial Day:—
Program 46
Tribute to Old Glory. 46
We keep Memorial Day 46
With Tenderness in Our Hearts 47
Scatter the Flowers 47
The Banner of the Union 48
The Soldiers kept in Remembrance 48
What can Children do? 49
A Flag Exercise 49
Memorial Day 50
Emblems of Decoration Day 50
All Hail, Old Glory! 50-51
Long wave Our Flag! 51
Meaning of the Colors 52
How They came back from the War 52-53
Our Loyal Women 53
Mustered Out 54
Cover Them Over 54-56
Patriotic Training in Our Schools 56
Evolution of The Flag 57
Our Nation’s Birthday:—
Program 58
The Flag of Seventy-six 58-59
Bunker Hill 59
The Poets’ Praise of Freedom 60
Grandfather’s Fourth 61
Independence Bell 62
The Revolutionary Rising 63-64
Warren’s Address 64
America 65
How “America” came to be written 66
The Star Spangled Banner 66
Centennial Hymn 67
Labor Day:—
Program 68
Free Labor 68
The Working Man’s Song 68
The Scissors 69
True Nobility 69
Two Little Hands 70
Ho! Bonny Boy 70
The Moral Dignity of Labor 70-71
Tribute to Genius and Labor 71
Working and Shirking 72
Work and Reward 72
Sermon—The Toilers 73
Toil’s Grandeur 74
Act making Labor Day A Legal Holiday 74
The Village Blacksmith 75
Labor 76
Thanksgiving Day:—
Program 77
The Nut Party 77
We Thank Thee 78
Thanksgiving Exercise for Little Ones 78-79
Thanksgiving Hymn 80
The Pumpkin 81
Thanksgiving 82
The Day We Love 83
Pen Picture of the First Thanks-giving 83
Christmas:—
Program 84
Santa Claus Myths 84
Myths of the Mistletoe 85
Christmas Fairies 86-87
A Christmas Gift 88
A Christmas Exercise 89-93
Christmas Day 94
A Christmas Problem 94
Some Christmas Customs 95
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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