Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 31 in 2010). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service.[1] First enacted to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the Civil War), it was expanded after World War I.




History

At the end of the Civil War, communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died. Some of the places creating an early memorial day include Sharpsburg, Maryland, located near Antietam Battlefield; Charleston, South Carolina; Boalsburg, Pennsylvania;; Carbondale, Illinois; Columbus, Mississippi; many communities in Vermont; and some two dozen other cities and towns. These observances coalesced around Decoration Day, honoring the Confederate dead, and the several Confederate Memorial Days.

According to Professor David Blight of the Yale University History Department, the first memorial day was observed by formerly enslaved black people at the Washington Race Course (today the location of Hampton Park) in Charleston, South Carolina. The race course had been used as a temporary Confederate prison camp for captured Union soldiers in 1865, as well as a mass grave for Union soldiers who died there. Immediately after the cessation of hostilities, formerly enslaved people exhumed the bodies from the mass grave and reinterred them properly with individual graves. They built a fence around the graveyard with an entry arch and declared it a Union graveyard. The work was completed in only ten days. On May 1, 1865, the Charleston newspaper reported that a crowd of up to ten thousand, mainly black residents, including 2800 children, proceeded to the location for included sermons, singing, and a picnic on the grounds, thereby creating the first Decoration Day.[2]

The first observance was in Waterloo, New York on May 5, 1866, and each year thereafter. The friendship between General John Murray, a distinguished citizen of Waterloo, and General John A. Logan, who helped bring attention to the event nationwide, was likely a factor in the holiday's growth. On May 5, 1868, in his capacity as commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, a veterans' organization, Logan issued a proclamation that "Decoration Day" be observed nationwide.[3] It was observed for the first time on May 30 of the same year; the date was chosen because it was not the anniversary of a battle. The tombs of fallen Union soldiers were decorated in remembrance.

Many of the states of the U.S. South refused to celebrate Decoration Day, due to lingering hostility towards the Union Army and also because there were relatively few veterans of the Union Army who were buried in the South. A notable exception was Columbus, Mississippi, which on April 25, 1866, at its Decoration Day commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.[4]


Flags flying at Fort Logan National Cemetery during Memorial Day, 2006The alternative name of "Memorial Day" was first used in 1882. It did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967. On June 28, 1968, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The holidays included Washington's Birthday, now celebrated as Presidents' Day; Veterans Day and Memorial Day. The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971.

After some initial confusion and unwillingness to comply, all 50 states adopted the measure within a few years. In 1978, Veterans Day was changed back to its traditional date on November 11. Most corporate businesses no longer close on Veterans Day, Columbus Day or President's Day, with the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and/or New Year's Eve often substituted as more convenient "holidays" for their employees. Memorial Day endures as a holiday which most businesses observe because it marks the beginning of the "summer vacation season." This role is filled in neighboring Canada by Victoria Day, which occurs either on May 24 or the last Monday before that date, placing it exactly one week before Memorial Day.

May National Stroke Month

About National Stroke Awareness Month


National Stroke Awareness Month takes place in May every year. In honor of this special time, National Stroke Association strives to provide everyone with the tools and inspiration to raise public awareness about stroke by hosting awareness events or activities. It doesn't matter if you are an individual or a large corporation, because the more people we reach, the better.



Stroke is the third leading cause of death and a leading cause of disability in America, but many people do not realize how educating themselves and others will help reduce the incidence of stroke. We urge you to specifically educate others about how to:



STOP stroke through risk factor management.
Act F.A.S.T. to increase recognition of and response to stroke symptoms.
Spread HOPE about recovery from stroke.



Are You Ready to Get Involved?


National Stroke Awareness Month is a great opportunity to educate your employees, friends, family and community about stroke. But it does require some planning ahead. We have many helpful resources for you, including a new 25th Anniversary Awareness Event Toolbox recently created in celebration of our 25 years fighting stroke.



To start planning your awareness activity, start thinking about how you can spread awareness. Here are some questions to think about:



What can I do to raise stroke awareness during May?
How can I hold an awareness fundraiser during May?
What can I do in my workplace?
What can I do in my community?
What can I do for my hospital’s stroke team?
What can I do to educate my fellow rehabilitation colleagues?
What can I do for my stroke support group?


Tools and Resources to Spread Awareness

National Stroke Association has tons of easy ideas and free, downloadable resources to help make your awareness activity the best it can be.

For ideas, visit the 2010 Participation Ideas page and our new 25th Anniversary Awareness Event Online Toolbox.
For free downloadable resources, visit the 2010 Awareness Materials page and our new 25th Anniversary Awareness Event Online Toolbox.
For bulk quantities of educational materials and other fun products, visit the Web store or download a catalog. Materials go fast, so place your order today.


http://www.stroke.org/site/PageNavigator/HOME?cvridirect=true

Why is Volunteering Important!

For the organization, involving volunteers is important because:
-- it demonstrates community endorsement and investment in the organization and its work
-- it can create advocates for the organization who will write letters to the editor saying how great the organization is, will tell their friends, will address government bodies to advocate better support for the organization, etc.
-- it is a way to tap into the viewpoints of people who may feel more free to be critical than paid staff
-- it's a way to reach new demographics that may not be represented among staff or current clients served
-- in some cases, it's part of the organization's mission (for instance, if an organization is focused on helping youth develop job skills, then allowing them to volunteer helps them develop job skills)


Why is Volunteering Important


Volunteering is good for others, the world is not a perfect place, and many people, animals, places, and communities need help. Governments and professionals try to meet everyone’s needs, but it’s impossible for them to do it all. And really should they be doing it (meaning) government well my answer is NO! And really should the professionals be doing this well if they want to join as a volunteer great, we should all help and lean on each other as a community we should want to help our neighbor out! Remember you never no you maybe the one who needs the help one day!

BE KIND TO OTHERS!

What is government?

A government is the organization, machinery, or agency through which a political unit exercises its authority, controls and administers public policy, and directs and controls the actions of its members or subjects[1].

Typically, the term "government" refers to a civil government or sovereign state which can be either local, national, or international. However, commercial, academic, religious, or other formal organizations are also governed by internal bodies. Such bodies may be called boards of directors, managers, or governors or they may be known as the administration (as in schools) or councils of elders (as in forest). The size of governments can vary by region or purpose.

Growth of an organization advances the complexity of its government, therefore small towns or small-to-medium privately-operated enterprises will have fewer officials than typically larger organizations such as multinational corporations which tend to have multiple interlocking, hierarchical layers of administration and governance. As complexity increases and the nature of governance becomes more complicated, so does the need for formal policies and procedures.

What are professionals?

ADJECTIVE:

Of, relating to, engaged in, or suitable for a profession: lawyers, doctors, and other professional people.
Conforming to the standards of a profession: professional behavior.
Engaging in a given activity as a source of livelihood or as a career: a professional writer.
Performed by persons receiving pay: professional football.
Having or showing great skill; expert: a professional repair job.

NOUN:

A person following a profession, especially a learned profession.
One who earns a living in a given or implied occupation: hired a professional to decorate the house.
A skilled practitioner; an expert.



This is why people become volunteers: because they can make a difference where someone or something needs help. If people never help each other and only care about themselves, the world becomes a crueler, sadder place. But when we volunteer our time, money, or talents, we help make our planet a better, happier home where people work together to make life easier for all.

Volunteers and volunteer groups can:

Bring food to hungry people
Find homes or clothes for those who need them
Make neighborhoods safer and more beautiful
Protect wildlife and natural areas
Help care for pets and other animals
Bring comfort and happiness to lonely people
Care for people who are sick, or help find cures for diseases
Help people learn to read or do better in school

Need another reason? How about this one:

Volunteering is good for YOU
Are you thinking, “What’s in it for me?” The answer is, plenty! Here are some of the things you might get in return for your giving:

Making new friends
Gaining important skills and experience that will help you later in life
Making connections that can lead to a job or career
Seeing more of your community and world
Building confidence and self-esteem
Exploring what you want to do with your life
Feeling needed and important
Feeling satisfaction at getting things done and helping others
Meeting people who could be role models
Using your mind, body, and creativity
Getting active and healthier
Relieving stress
Fighting boredom
Spending time doing what you really care about
Gaining an edge on getting into college
Feeling like you’re part of a community
Having fun!

Hey...it looks like being a volunteer gives as much good stuff to you as it does to the people, places, or animals you’re trying to help! That’s the secret of volunteering. People who become volunteers usually lead richer, happier, and more satisfying lives than those who don’t volunteer.

May Is For Miracles

Find out which organizations are supporting the May is for Miracles Campaign. ... Look for the red and yellow Children's Miracle Network balloon and make a donation. ...


http://www.mayisformiracles.org/

Celebrate May Pet Month

Pedigree® Brand and Winn-Dixie have teamed up to help our military service men and women who have been deployed and need someone to foster their pet while serving our great country.

They have also joined forces with Someone Cares Rescue and Placement Inc. to match the military pets with loving foster families to care for the service members pet while they are deployed.

The mission of this program is to provide a safe and secure temporary foster home for the pets of deploying military personnel until they return home.


http://www.fostermilitarypets.com/

Letter Carriers - May 8, 2010

Letter Carriers’
Stamp Out Hunger
Food Drive

May 8, 2010

The Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive is a nationwide event that takes place annually on the second Saturday in May. For general information about the Food Drive and to learn about its national impact, visit the web site of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) at www.nalc.org/commun/foodrive

How does it work?
On Saturday, May 8, letter carriers and numerous volunteers pick up donations of food that people have set out by their mailboxes. These donations are brought back to the Post Office where they are sorted while waiting for additional donations to arrive. As sorting containers become full, they are loaded unto trucks provided by local food pantries. By having volunteers assist with picking up the food, and doing the sorting as it comes in, the donations will be ready for use as soon as they arrive at the food pantry.

The Great First Coast Hang Up

At First Coast News, we've heard from you, our viewers, about your concerns regarding dangerous driving in Northeast Florida. In particular, distracted driving caused by cell phone use. We have seen too many stories about serious accidents that happen because someone is texting while driving. Texting while driving is dangerous, even deadly.

That's why First Coast News is proud to present The Great First Coast Hang Up, presented by Shands Jacksonville - Trauma One.

Here is what we would like you to do: Make a pledge to stop texting while driving. Or take it a step further to pledge to do your best not to use your cell phone at all while driving. Making a pledge could save your life or someone else's. It's easy. http://www.firstcoastnews.com/feature/hangup/ You can sign it and keep it in your car as a reminder. Ask your family, coworkers, congregation and clubs to do the same.

We encourage everyone - teens, schools, moms, dads, organizations and businesses throughout our community - to join the movement. Be part of The Great First Coast Hang Up!

And after you've joined The Great First Coast Hang Up, share your story with us about why you made the pledge.


Shands Jacksonville - TraumaOne want you to be part of The Great First Coast Hang Up
The region's only Level I trauma center, TraumaOne sees more patients from car crashes than from any other reasons combined. And with the rise in cell phone use and texting while driving, the number of accident victims passing through our doors is also rising. Distracted driving is dangerous?and sometimes deadly. Studies by government agencies, universities and other organizations have the facts to back it up:


Using a cell phone while driving can delay a person's reactions as much as having a blood alcohol concentration at the legal limit of .08 percent.

Nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving a distracted or inattentive driver, and more than half a million were injured.

Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times as likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.

Driving while using a cell phone reduces the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent.

Eighty percent of all crashes and 65 percent of near crashes involve some type of distraction.

Texting and Driving PSA Contest

Local students have created Public Service Announcements about distracted driving. Watch the videos and vote for your favorite at http://www.firstcoastteens.com

10 ways to Effective Volunteer Management

Volunteer Management can often seem very difficult when trying to develop effective volunteer recruitment and volunteer recognition plans. To help you, here are 10 of my best tips to ensure the success of your recruiting, retention and recognition programs.

1. START WITH BITE-SIZE PIECES

Here is how to stop yourself feeling overwhelmed at the thought of developing your recruitment, recognition or retention plan. Use a series of mini-plans for tackling one thing at a time? Break down every one of your programs into smaller bite-size pieces. An example, would be to place your recruitment message on all paper that leaves your office. On your letters, brochures and business cards. Then move to the next idea. Always aim to begin with bite-size pieces.

2. THINK IN TERMS OF MINI-PLANS

Still a further example of a mini-plan is to concentrate on recruiting just one more volunteer to undertake a specific job. Brainstorm a number of ways to explore to fill the position. For instance, to recruit a receptionist, what about targeting work experience students, secretarial colleges, job retraining schemes or recent retirees from similar positions?

3. MAKE SURE TO KEEP SCORE

For every mini-plan, design a system to assist you evaluate which strategies are the most effective. You need to keep score. Rate the time and effort involved, the responses and costs to decide on the overall effectiveness for all mini-plans. Keep using what rates well and remove the rest, as your time is better used on methods that give you the results.

4. MAKE SURE TO SEE THE OVERALL VISION

Even when you have a series of mini-plans, you must keep your overall goals and vision in mind. See all mini-plans as a vital part in your complete recruitment, recognition or retention plan. It is about designing a jigsaw puzzle where each piece adds to creating a final beautiful picture.

5. ROAD TEST AS YOU GO

Smart businesses select a small market to test a new product before committing more resources and time. If you have got a wonderful recruitment or recognition idea, road test it first before rolling it out on a large scale. For example, say you wish to focus on a large corporation to recruit more volunteers, then you could start with a department in the corporation to focus on and test. Making sure to road test all your recruiting and recognition ideas can help you save money, time and resources. You will learn if you are heading down the right track before launching a large-scale campaign.

6. TRY AND TEST DIFFERENT IDEAS

Do not be scared to include new approaches in your programs. Just because it has not been tried before doesn't mean that it will not work. Be innovative and creative. Take risks and then test their value.

7. SEE HOW YOU ARE DOING

Develop a strategy to visually depict how you are progressing at a glance. For instance, draw a large graph to visually show your progress towards your target number of new recruits in your recruitment campaign. As new recruits join up, start filling in the graph. This will keep your motivation going as you move closer to your goals.

8. EVALUATE AND REFINE YOUR PLAN

Continue to evaluate all your recruiting, retention and recognition plans to make sure you are on track. Continually look at ways to refine each evolving mini-plan. Ask yourself: how can we simplify this? How can we do this better? What do we need to change? Improve on your plan as you learn from the experience.

9. HAVE PATIENCE

Even your best designed recruitment plans will not always immediately mean that volunteers will come flocking through the door. Even the best thought out retention and recognition plans often take time to show results. Do be realistic about what you can achieve. Continue to tweak and test your ideas and be patient.

10. HAVE FAITH TO REACH YOUR GOALS

Do not be disappointed with setbacks to your plans, they are all part of learning. It is how you deal with and learn from those setbacks that is most vital. There are still a limitless number of people just waiting to be recruited and retained by you.