Americanism: Loyalty, Commitment, Education

Americanism: Loyalty, Commitment, Education

The following quotes about patriotism are some of my favorites.

• “Patriotism not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” – Adlai E. Stevenson II
• “Freedom lies in being bold.” – Robert Frost
• “America without her soldiers would be like God without his angels.” – Claudia Pemberton
• “We’re blessed with the opportunity to stand for something—for liberty and freedom and fairness. And these are things worth fighting for, worth devoting out lives to.” – Ronald Reagan

It is 2020 and the time is now. We must be ready and willing to teach and promote patriotism. Our nation needs us to step up, be leaders and teach our youth and all Americans how to be a patriot and a proud American. Not sure how to get started? Check out a few ideas listed below:

• Spend an hour in a preschool, early childhood or lower elementary classroom. Teach children and then have them recite the Pledge of Allegiance. You can also hand out the Flag Education for Kids information sheet. It explains the dos and don’ts of Flag etiquette in a way that kids will understand.
  • Reward children by printing off the Pledge bookmarks that are available on the VFW Auxiliary website. You can also provide stickers, pencils and other small items.
  • Through the VFW Store, you can purchase the Young American Awardfor learning the Pledge and a neat little coloring book title “I Pledge Allegiance to the Flag.” It is great for youth groups, Cub Scouts, Daisy and Brownie Girl Scouts, and Veterans in the Classroom!
• Teach the meaning behind the 13 folds of the Flag and what the colors and number of starts and stripes of the Flag signifies. Don’t have enough members to help in a school setting? Ask the Boy Scouts or organizations like the Sea Cadets to help you when visiting schools. It may help some students connect better as they are able to relate to someone their age.
• For older students, pass out the Our Flag: Things You Should Knowbrochure or the Etiquette of the Stars and Stripes brochure also available from the VFW Store. Teach them how to properly fly it, salute it and dispose of it.
• Patriotic Appreciation Citation: Present this citation to anyone displaying Patriotism in his or her community.
• Ever go to a youth sporting event and witness parents or coaches displaying proper respect for the Flag in front of our youth. Thank them with a Respect for Flag Citation Option 1 – Sports. Present it to them in front of the crowd and explain why their display of patriotism and leadership are appreciated.

Awards

• Americanism Award for Auxiliaries No. 1 – Criteria and Entry Form

The Department Chairman is to send this form with one Auxiliary video entry from their Department to National Americanism Ambassador Jason Estell by April 30, 2020 for judging. The National winner will be announced and shown at the 2020 National Convention in Reno, Nevada.

AND

The Department Chairman is to send a copy of this form only (not the video) to National Headquarters by April 30, 2020 for a citation to be mailed directly to the Auxiliary President. Mail form to: VFW Auxiliary National Headquarters 406 W. 34th Street, 10th Floor Kansas City, MO 64111 ATTN: Program Awards OR email form to: info@vfwauxiliary.org ATTN: Program Awards

• Americanism Award for Departments No. 2 – Criteria and Entry Form

The Department Chairman is to send this form with a photo collage of a Family Freedom Festival to National Americanism Ambassador Jason Estell by April 30, 2020 for judging. The National winner will be announced and shown at the 2020 National Convention in Reno, Nevada.

All of this information is available online at vfwauxiliary.org/resources.

While you are out in the community talking and educating, take pictures and videos of your encounters. This will help you with your video promoting patriotism involving community. You can edit clips from different videos that you take all year long to make one good 1:30 second video. Your Auxiliary could win a citation and $50 dollars if it has the most outstanding video.

• Grab the camera and host a Pledge of Allegiance contest for kids. Provide a small trinket (pencil, piece of candy, pinwheel, etc.) teach child who recites the Pledge of Allegiance. All children who recite the Pledge are entered to win a Patriotic Prize Pack with red, white and blue items of your choice.
• Record a video of Auxiliary members performing a skit on Flag etiquette and share it on social media and/or show it at your local school.

Make a Video

Making a video is nothing to be scared of! There are many apps to help you make a video. This is a good time to reach out to tech-savvy members who can maneuver the internet faster and have the knowledge of how these applications work.

Some Free Apps that can help you make a video

• Video Maker with Music Editor
• SlideShow Maker Photo to Video
• VivaVideo
• Make Movies with Video Clips & more
• YouTube
• Facebook Live

Throughout the history of the United States of America, our citizens have laid down their lives for our freedoms, liberties and pursuit of happiness. Thank you all for everything you do as a member to make sure we do the right thing and teach all of American citizens the traditions we cherish every day. Remember to take care of our veterans as we serve them with Aloha!