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Historic actor, Robert Nicholson, of Rusty Buggy Enterprises, presented as Francis Scott Key at Lipscomb Elementary’s third graders. Francis recounted the reason he was on board a ship in the Chesapeake Bay off the coast of Baltimore, MD while the British military attacked Fort McHenry in 1814. He was asked by President Madison to go with Col. Skinner, the transfer agent, to negotiate the release of Dr. Beans.

Key’s Story

” Now, Dr Beans was being held captive by the British because he had been one of the people who were involved in arresting and jailing British soldiers who were misbehaving in Upper Marlboro. The British had invaded Washington, DC and burned government buildings there and were marching up the coast toward Baltimore in an attempt to capture the city. Baltimore was the second most important city in the young United States during the early 1800’s. They were the industrial center, making all the components needed for fighting the British.”

“We secured his release, but had to wait all night because we knew of the British plans to bombard the fort. The British told us we were to be released the next day, under their flag. We witnessed the attack throughout the long night, with bombs bursting in air and with the only light available when rockets lit the sky with a red glare. We were relieved to see our flag was still there the next morning.”

The Rest of the Story

“I am an amateur poet. As the night went by, I recorded my thoughts and feelings as I watched the bombardment on paper I had in my pocket. When we were released and returned to shore, we went to a tavern. There we ate a hearty meal and got a room to rest. After the meal, I asked the tavern owner for paper, a quill and ink. Before I could rest, I wrote out my thoughts from the fort’s attack into a poem. I titled it “The Defense of Fort McHenry,” fell on the bed and slept without taking off my clothes.”

The next day my brother-in-law saw it and was so impressed, he took it to a printer. He had broadsides made, and shared it all around. The poem was a real hit. Soon someone changed the name of it to The Star Spangled Banner, and the rest is history.”

Lipscomb Elementary

Teacher, Bonnie Shiflett, invited Key to visit her students. She spends each year helping students understand the early history of America. During the session, they read the series of books published by Rush Limbaugh, “Rush Revere and the …”, ending the school year with “Rush Revere and the Star Spangled Banner.”

Historic Presentations

A member of the Pensacola Chapter of Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, Robert Nicholson is available to make presentations at schools and other organizations interested in the details of his Francis Scott Key experiences. Each student receives a pocket copy of the “Constitution” and a “Bill of Responsibilities” compliments of the Freedoms Foundation chapter.

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints function as ministering families to one another. During the Covid-19 pandemic Church shutdown, keeping in touch has been critical, especially for the elderly living alone. Communications have been limited to telephone, internet and distanced visits. Church missionaries are now being allowed out of their apartments to have limited exposure with members and people interested in the Church. 

Robert and Billie Nicholson have been keeping an eye on octogenarian, Frances Roswold. She has been wishing for several months for someone to help clean up her yard and trim back overgrown bushes. On Friday, The Nicholsons included two sister missionaries, Elizabeth Judd and Elaina Eber, in the project, providing service as The Savior taught. Arriving at 7:30 AM, the four worked cleaning out weeds from Frankie’s flower bed, raking up front yard leaves and tackling the trimming of front yard bushes. By 10 AM, about half of one of the front yard azaleas had been trimmed, but the work team was melting in the sweltering Pensacola heat.They agreed to return on Saturday to continue the project. 

Saturday, four young men missionaries joined the work team, thanks to the sisters asking for additional help. What a difference more help made! Elders Palmer, Flinn, Dietze and Webb went to work trimming and raking. 15 yard bags were filled with leaves and debris, the front bushes and better than half of the side yard azalea row was cut and raked. Bush trimmings were lined along the street for city pick up.

“I’m happy to be working,” said Elder Palmer, “Just wish I had a machete.” 

“We’ll be back to finish the job when the temperature cools down a bit,” said Brother Nicholson. “

“That’s alright, replied Frankie, “things look so much better now, I really appreciate what you all have done for me.”

What is Quilling?
Quilling is a paper art form which takes narrow strips of paper, rolls, shapes and glues them into forms to create an image or decorative designs. Quilling, also know as paper filigree, may have begun back in ancient Egypt and received its name from the goose quills which may have been the first tool used. During the Renaissance, quilling was used by French and Italian nuns, who used this art form to decorate relics and holy artwork. It would often be guided or silvered, making them almost indistinguishable from gold or silver filigree work.

Quilling was most popular in the 16th through 19th centuries when it was practiced by affluent women. Working women didn’t have time to quill.

Pensacola’s quilling artist of note is Billie Nicholson. Examples of her quilling images can be seen for the next two weeks at the Wright Place, a part of the First United Methodist Church on Wright Street in Pensacola.

Pensacola Stake Conference, Jan 2020 – Following the Stake business of sustaining all our Church leadership, speakers for Stake Conference blessed our membership with some inspiring words. Here are some highlights:

Melanie Allred – Mission President’s wife

• The Book of Mormon and the “Come, Follow Me Program” changes lives and brings people into the light. 
• The Lord’s hand is in each of our lives.

Chad Allred – Mission President  

• Always honor the Sabbath Day; be where you can find and be found
• We are only a prayer away from the God head; a place to find solace, guidance, counsel, and love
• Missionaries are an extension of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; declaring the gospel
• The Book of Mormon
  • Designed by God to testify
  • Appreciate its value; it contains the truth
  • Study it every day to make better decisions in your life
  • Be immunized from evils of the day
  • Don’t leave home without it
  • Always face the light
  • You will stay on the path if you stay deeply immersed in it

John Taylor – Pensacola Stake 1st Counselor

• Marriage is for eternity
• Makes a difference in your marriage – choose a mate that is good on the inside and outside
• Serving others means you are in the service of our God

Blake Fenton – Young Men’s Advisor

• New Youth Program features setting goals in four areas of life
  • Physical
  • Social
  • Intellectual
  • Spiritual
• Become the best of yourself – be aware of the Spirit’s presence 
  • Aim to be perfect as Christ is
  • Serve others
  • Grow your faith
  • Enhance your hope
  • Be humble
  • Develop charity
• Be a tour guide, not a travel agent
  • Feast on the words of Christ
  • Become better people more Christ-like

Cheryl Pettus – Birmingham Temple Matron

• We all strive for perfection
• Agency makes the difference – don’t get to choose the consequences of those decisions
• Make covenants, make sacrifices, access the power of heaven through exercising our faith
• We must be willing to be chastised to be refined
• Strive to not get in our own way of progression
• Although Temples can be near or far – only means anything if we go there
• Striving to help others gives us sweet, tender mercies

Gary Pettus – Birmingham Temple President

• Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God
• The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing
• Nourish your gospel study – it is true

Linwood Harper – Pensacola Stake 2nd Counselor 

• Only he who does the will of the Father will enter heaven
• What is the basis fo your spiritual life?
• Must be worthy before achieving perfection

Kevin Curtis – Pensacola Stake President

• Good conference attendance shows unity within the Stake
• Personal study is important as we get closer to our Heavenly Father
• Believe in God, he is an all powerful creator
• He is pleased when we do good
• Repentance is important; causes your soul joy
• The power God expresses the most is His love

Pensacola Stake one The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrated it’s 50th anniversary in June of 2019.

Oldest Musical Conductor

Frank Emond, 101 yrs., is still actively performing. Pensacola Civic Band Director, Don Snowden, realized that Frank might actually be setting a world’s record. On Memorial Day weekend, May 27, 2019, Frank participated in the annual Memorial Day concert. In addition to telling the story of his early life, which included being on the USS Pennsylvania to play morning “colors” when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Empire of Japan, Frank then walked to the conductor’s stand, picked up the baton and proceeded to direct the band in “Stars and Stripes.” He made a Guinness World Record as the oldest conductor in the world!

In the following days, Don filled out the forms and his stage crew put together a documentary video and sent the information to Guinness.

Guinness World Records, formerly known as The Guinness Book of Records, is the ultimate authority of record breaking achievements. It started out as an idea for a book of facts to solve arguments in pubs. [1] Their purpose is to inspire people to participate in record-breaking – to realize their potential and re-examine the world. Their mission is being the ultimate global authority on record breaking.

On November 9th, the Pensacola Civic Band performed at the Pensacola Saenger Theatre. The first order of business when their performance began was to present Frank Emond with his official Guinness World Record plaque. Just to reinforce his win, Frank again conducted the band as they performed “The Star Spangled Banner.”

Frank also sings in his church choir and spent many hours in volunteer work at the Navy hospital. He retired from the hospital program when he turned in his driver’s license after that 101st birthday.

We never tire of hearing Frank recall the events of December 7, 1941.

An Up-date on the State of Civic Education in American Schools

Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge chapter delegates from across the nation met last week in Valley Forge, PA, to obtain current practices up-dates. While in the area, they visited surrounding historic sites and solidified their dedication to fostering civics education. The Pensacola Chapter received the Chapter of the Year in the Small Chapter Division during the annual awards presentations. 

“The resurgence of national pride,” President Ronald Reagan warned, “won’t count for much, and it won’t last, unless it’s grounded in thoughtfulness and knowledge. But now … well-grounded patriotism is no longer the style. … We’ve got to do a better job of getting across that America is freedom—freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of enterprise. And freedom is special and rare. It’s fragile; it needs protection.So, we’ve got to teach history based not on what’s in fashion but what’s important … If we forget what we did, we won’t know who we are. I’m warning of an eradication of the American memory that could result … in an erosion of the American spirit.”[1]  

National Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge President and CEO, David Harmer, shared President Reagan’s farewell statement in his ‘state of civics education’ presentation. He then asked how were we doing? To help us bring our organizations’s mission in focus, he answered with the following facts from The Nations Report Card. In NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress) tests on civics testing 4th, 8th, and 12th graders, only 27, 23, & 24% of students were proficient in civics. Only 12% of graduating high school seniors were proficient in American history [2] Only ⅓ of American citizens can answer the questions on the American Citizenship test. This test has a passing score of 60%.[3]

“Freedom is jeopardized today more than ever before. There is a current void in worthy disciples of patriotism,” he said. “True friends of freedom always have been few. The need for students to be immersed in history and civics makes it real – and that’s why Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge exists.”

Goals of Freedoms Foundation

Throughout the school year, Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge brings students from around the country to our 75-acre campus for immersive, intensive, multi-day educational experiences. They include history, ideals, and continuing relevance of the American Founding. Throughout the summer we do the same for teachers. We provide college-accredited, graduate-level, professional-development courses exploring the founding ideals as manifest throughout American history.

This year, 440 teachers will be not merely informed, but transformed. They will return to their classrooms reinvigorated with a profound appreciation of American history, entrepreneurship, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. They will also better understand the link between character and freedom.

Pensacola Chapter

The Pensacola Chapter of Freedoms Foundation provides scholarships for local high school junior and sophomore American history students to attend the annual Spirit of America Youth Leadership Conference. The organization also helps underwrite teachers’ participation in continuing education programs and honors local citizens for their civic activities. 

Spirit of America is a four-day residential program for high school students interested in cultivating a better understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship. Deadline for student applications is December 20, 2019. For additional information visit FreedomsFoundationPensacola.org. 

Our mission is to inspire informed patriotism and responsible citizenship in the next generation.

[1] https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/011189i
[2]https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/
[3] https://woodrow.org/news/national-survey-finds-just-1-in-3-americans-would-pass-citizenship-test/

A group of Pensacola women, members and friends from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, have been working for many months to create sleeping mats for the homeless. Meeting together weekly, they cut recycled grocery bags into sections, linked them together, forming plarn, and then crocheted the plarn into 6 feet by 3 feet sleeping mats. It takes about 700 grocery bags for each mat and many hours to complete each mat. Over the past six months, they created 12 sleeping mats to contribute to a worthy cause.

The Gulf Coast Veterans Advocacy Group (GCVAC) sponsored Homeless Veterans Stand Down, September 20, 2019, was a perfect opportunity to distribute those sleeping mats. The Salvation Army facility at 1501 N. Q Street was a busy place as volunteers from many organizations set up to distribute hygiene kits, Hepatitis A vaccinations, socks, blankets, as well as those special sleeping mats.

90 Works has a program assisting veterans with self-sufficiency. Their 90-day self-sufficiency program has a 90% success rate helping homeless veterans become self-sufficient. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs featured the Veterans Crisis Line. Several health care programs offered medical treatment plans and information on accessible healthcare.

The Florida Highway and Motor Safety’s Florida Licensing on Wheels bus set up to help veterans update driver’s licenses, and get photo identification cards. 

Many Vets had a chance to get hair cuts offered by the Pensacola School of Cosmetology. What a self esteem boost!

GCVAC Director, Joseph Herring reported that 160 veterans attended the event.

“Everything went off flawlessly. It was a great success. Each fall, GCVAC sponsors a veterans stand down in Pensacola and in the Mississippi delta town of Greenville. We’ll be heading there next. We are thankful to all those who provided services, information and products,” he said.

Members of the Pensacola Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints celebrated the 50th Anniversary in June 2019. Missionaries and new members came to live in the area in the 1930’s. Church membership started with 3 families and grew for about 30 years. At that time, in 1969, Church Authorities organized the local churches ranging from Mobile and Atmore, AL east to Ft. Walton Beach into the Pensacola Stake.

Took a Walk Through Local Church History

Over 250 members gathered at the current Stake Center on Fox Run Road, June 29th. They took a walk through history to refresh memories and energize their missionary activities to spread the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Family members of two now deceased stake presidents shared memories of their dad’s experiences as Church leaders and fathers. Past Stake President, Carl McArthur traveled from Arizona to share highlights of his tenure. Other Stake presidents unable to attend were represented by members of their council. All shared the message of love for the members and The Lord that these leaders had expressed during their times of service.

Talks were interspersed with musical talent from the Primary choir, adult Stake Choir, Seminary (high school aged) singers, and violinist, Ingrid Roberts, from Ft. Walton Beach. The Institute (young adult) group provided a swing dance demonstration.

Current Stake President, Kevin Curtis, then concluded the event by reminding us that The Church’s growth continues as we do small and simple things. Home-based prayer and scripture study builds strong homes where family members can feel save and inspired to work together. From this base, members reach out to serve others in their communities, sharing their love of family and Jesus Christ, whom they strive to emulate.

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