A man doesn't have to agree with his government to be a patriot, does he? It takes a true patriot to dissent, to say he loves his country more than he cares for his own place in the social order.
If patriotism were defined, not as blind obedience to government, nor as submissive worship to flags and anthems, but rather as love of one's country, one's fellow citizens (all over the world), as loyalty to the principles of justice and democracy, then patriotism would require us to disobey our government, when it violated those principles. - HOWARD ZINN, Declarations of Independence: Cross-Examining American Ideology
True patriotism springs from a belief in the dignity of the individual, freedom and equality not only for Americans but for all people on earth, universal brotherhood and good will, and a constant and earnest striving toward the principles and ideals on which this country was founded. - ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, Book of Common Sense Etiquette
Next week I head to St. Louis for Alpha Chi Omega Convention. In case you're interested in how I'll be spending my time, the schedule and highlights follow. I'm excited to see sisters and enjoy the great programming that's been scheduled!
Thursday, July 12
meetings, dinner, NPC Team gathering
Friday, July 13
Training session, lunch, training session Delegate Meeting
Welcome Dinner
Saturday, July 14
National Chapter Meeting
Foundation Luncheon
Afternoon Educational Sessions and General Session featuring Pete Smithhisler
Official Convention Photo
Reunion Night Dinner
Sunday, July 15
National Chapter Meeting Housing Luncheon, featuring Food Network's Melissa d'Arabian As the host of her own successful TV show and a busy mom of four young daughters, Melissa D’Arabian knows firsthand how overwhelming it can be to juggle a busy lifestyle. Melissa will be featured during the Housing Luncheon and will discuss the challenges of parenting, making the most of your resources, offer guerrilla money-saving tactics (not just for in the kitchen) and help with shortcuts that do not sacrifice quality and nutrition.Afternoon Educational Sessions and General Session featuring Jan Langbein Violence Against Women: Let’s End This Epidemic For more than 20 years, Jan Langbein has been an activist in efforts to end violence against women. Since 1991, she has served as Executive Director of Genesis Women’s Shelter in Dallas and is committed to raising the level of awareness regarding the prevalence and effects of domestic violence. Under Jan’s leadership, Genesis has grown from a seven-room emergency shelter to a full-service response for domestic violence survivors complete with expanded shelter services, transitional housing, daycare, on-site school, access to civil legal representation, jobs readiness, ESL education and Advocacy and Counseling at their residential and nonresidential facilities, without government funding. Jan will share startling statistics about this worldwide epidemic and moving information about how to end this epidemic.
Domestic Violence Awareness Walk (1.7 mile route around the Arch)
Late dinner on own
Monday, July 16
Morning Educational Sessions and General Session featuring Dr. Carolyn Heldman The documentary Miss Representation exposes how Americans are being sold the concept that women and girls’ value lies in their youth, beauty and sexuality. MissRepresentation.org believes all people should be equally represented in our media, that our voices should be heard and that we should all be valued for our talents, capacity as leaders, and ability to contribute to the world at large. Dr. Carolyn Heldman is an associate professor at Occidental College in Los Angeles who specializes in the presidency and systems of power in U.S. politics and is featured throughout Miss Representation. Join Carolyn for a fascinating conversation on how we can empower women across the country to change the conversation and create lasting cultural change.
Film Screening: Miss Representation. See the film that started the movement. Miss Representation first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and has gone on to airing on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and in communities across the country. This screening includes the 90-minute documentary followed by a discussion about how Alpha Chi Omega can help change the national conversation. Dr. Carolyn Heldman will help facilitate the post-film discussion.
Olympian Luncheon (includes 50-, 60- and 75-year Ceremonies) with Panhellenic guests
Afternoon Educational Sessions and General Session featuring Laura Schwartz Empowerment through Service. Laura Schwartz, author of the acclaimed book Eat, Drink & Succeed and the White House Director of Events for the Clinton Administration, communicates a message of service, commitment, motivation and community. In this fast-paced, high-energy session Laura will help you learn how to rally, refresh, re-energize and re-involve your sisters (both collegians and alumnae) in Alpha Chi Omega and how serving our organization will also serve their own personal and professional communities.
Inspirations from The Happiness Project. The Happiness Project is a memoir that test-drives the wisdom of the ages, current scientific studies and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier … and who couldn’t use a little more happiness in her life? In this session you’ll learn the principles from The Happiness Project and make a plan for adding a little more happiness to your life.
We spent an evening downtown, checking out the new Horseshoe Casino and taking in an Indians game. [Yes, it's true, Ohio legalized gambling last year - Horseshoe is likely the first of many.] Located in the old Higbee's building on Public Square, adjacent to the Terminal Tower, the casino is beautiful. I have to tell you, though, it's a little unsettling to walk through the doors to what used to be a department store and see slot machines and gambling tables where the clothing racks and cosmetic counters once were!
Horseshoe is not an inexpensive place to hang out. Minimum bet at the roulette table is $15. For comparison, in Vegas, minimums are usually $5 and sometimes as low as $3. We saw a couple of average looking people spend a lot of money. A young guy sat down next to us and bought $600 in chips with cash! The staff was a mixed bag - some were professional and courteous, other perhaps not ready for prime time. The facility is smoke-free (yay!) and Ohio law requires you to pay for your own drinks. In the forty-five minutes we spent there, no one offered to sell us one so I can't comment on their quality or price.
The gaming floor is on the street level.
We didn't get a chance to explore but I hear the food court and buffet on the second floor are pretty good and feature local chefs. We didn't eat there because, thanks to friends, our tickets to the Tribe game were in all-you-can-eat seats. Turns out there are two types of all-inclusive seats: in one area, hotdogs, popcorn, peanuts and sodas are included; in the Club seats, where we sat, the food choices were much more expansive. In the Club itself, there is a buffet line (which featured pulled pork and buffalo-style macaroni cheese the night we were there) as well as stations for subs and salads and other goodies. Outside, near the seats were all the traditional baseball foods, enhanced. The hotdog cart also had a variety of sausages and all the toppings. There are carts with pizza and with nachos (including three types of salsas - cucumber fennel, anyone?) and ice cream; popcorn, peanuts and snow cones, with a fun dispenser so you can pick your own syrup(s).
The seats are great too - on the right field side in the infield, between the lower deck and upper deck, straight across from the giant screen over the bleacher seats. What a great game, too. It was all offense, all night - the final score was Indians 10, Reds 9. Go Tribe!
Shelley and me. We had such a good time with her and Mike - thanks friends!!
We ran into my cousins John and Pat - it's definitely a small world.
Saw this video on facebook and loved it. If you haven't visited the area lately, here's what you're missing:
Or Happy Dominion Day (as my Mom still says). Ever since spending the day leading up to and Canada Day at Niagara Falls, Ontario, in 2008, we remember July 1 as the day Canada celebrates its creation. July 1, 1867, three colonies united to begin a common kingdom, though the nation was not completely independent from Great Britain until 1982.
When we were at Mom's for her big bash, her brother, Ted, mentioned that he thought one of our ancestors was from Switzerland. Since Ted is the one who sent me all his family history documents, and I thought I had read them all (as best as I can, since some are not in English and google translate only goes so far), I wondered where he got the idea of Switzerland.
After much thought, this is my best bet.
My second great grandfather's birth certificate from Bas Rhin, France
(click to see full size) (see more about him here, here and he's on the far right in this photo)
Loose translation:
Town Hall of Sundhausen, Neighborhood of Schlestadt
The 20th day of the month of November 1842
Birth certificate of Schuller, Jean Jacques of Sundhausen the 19th of November 1842 at 8 o'clock in the evening, the legitimate son of Schuller Georges, age 42 years, profession of laborer, living in Sundhausen and of Busch Marie Elizabeth, age 33, living in Sundhausen, his wife in legitimate marriage.
The child was presented to us, was recognized to be male.
First witness: Beyer Philippe, age 22 years, profession of weaver,
living in Sundhausen department of Bas-Rhin
Second Witness: Schuller Jacques, age 57 years, profession of weaver,
living in Sundhausen department of Bas-Rhin.
The statement was made by the father of the infant and after reading this have signed (signatures of witnesses at bottom of page)
Signed by the civil servant etc.
Is this the culprit?
Both witnesses listed this as their profession - tisserand - which translates to weaver - but looks enough like Switzerland to catch your eye, especially with de in front giving the impression of 'from' or 'of'
What do you think?
In the meantime, I'll keep looking for Swiss relatives, because as you can see on this map it is near enough to be a serious possibility
The pink section (marked with A) is Bas-Rhin, France. To the east
and north of the border is Germany (this area has been much disputed).
If you can see the light red boundaries within Bas-Rhin, I believe the
