Thrifty Scissors

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

The Four Seasons Index

The four periods into which the year is divided by the ever-changing position of the earth in relation to the sun. As the earth revolves about the sun in nearly circular obit, its axis at all times points toward the Pole Star and is inclined to the plane of its orbit 23 1/2 degrees. Therefore different parts of its surface are at different times of the year exposed to the vertical rays of the sun. Astronomically speaking, in the northern hemisphere spring extends from March 21, the time of the vernal equinox, to the summer solstice, June 21; summer from June 21 to September 21, the time of the autumnal equinox; autumn to December 21, and winter from that date to the beginning of spring. In the southern hemisphere the seasons are reversed, and spring begins September 21. In the torrid zone the changes in the seasons are not marked by differences in temperature, but by wet and dry periods.
Artifacts included here come from several of my blogs featuring the holidays and/or weather related content.

For All Seasons:

Songs of The Seasons

Woven tree art project may be used to incorporate any
season: Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter, depending
on the landscape and colors used in the selection of
yarns as well.

Autumn Artifacts & Art for Enhancing Lesson Plans: Search Both The Halloween & Thanksgiving Artifacts at Thrifty Scissors

Winter Artifacts & Art for Enhancing Lesson Plans: Search Christmas Artifacts at Thrifty Scissors and Then Children's Christmas Arts & Crafts From The Belsnickle Blog

Spring Artifacts & Art for Enhancing Lesson Plans: Search Easter Artifacts at Thrifty Scissors and Then Easter Related Crafts at The Easter Egg Crafts Blog

Summer Artifacts & Art for Enhancing Lesson Plans:

Check out more weather related artifacts from popular collections across the web...

Additional Four Seasons Crafts:

Index last updated on January 19, 2025

Weave Some Yarn Trees!

Use a fast drying paint for the first half of this art assignment so that the paper plates will not warp.

This weaving project is accomplished in two parts. Above is the first part of the assignment. Teachers review or teach for the first time what a landscape is in art. Then students paint their own version of a landscape using acrylic or tempera paints, whichever is available in their classroom, on the inside of a paper plate. Make sure they include a foreground and a background. Above you can see that there is a nice variety of landscapes represented by these students: a green park-like setting, a couple of deserts including cactus and a glimmering lake with a rainbow above it. Below a student painted a lush green and blue mountain landscape with a white fluffy cloud hovering above.

The worp of the tree branches is strung around the notches above and tied off at the bottom.

For the second half of this art lesson, students will need yarn and scissors to notch the edges of their paper plate. These notches do not need to be exactly placed. In fact if the notches are a bit off, the result can be quite charming. Wrap the worf of the tree in and out of the notches as shown above.

The simple process of wrapping a yarn tree trunk.

At the bottom of the plate, where there are only two notches, students will need to wrap a smaller length of yarn to form the trunk of their tree. they should make this trunk approximately one to two inches in length.

A colorful assortment of woven trees from these second and third grade students.

Next, student weavers may pull yarn lengths in and out of the worp forming what is called the weft of the weave. They may choose to make a striped pattern to represent the leaves of their trees if they wish. All in all this makes quite a striking art exercise when completed!

Part 1 of the weaving project from Cassie Stephens.

This is a snow scene.

More Woven Trees:

Sunday, October 8, 2017

Quick & Easy Bulletin Board!

Sometimes, teachers over think things like bulletin boards. Tack up a bright butcher paper to cover an old cork bulletin board and then let your students do the rest! I contributed a few scissors and glue bottles while everyone else laughed and scribbled.

Young students should be allowed to feel they have a say in how their everyday spaces look. This bulletin board was decorated by kids in an after school kid care program. I hung up their paper puppets, drawings, and coloring sheets in just a few minutes. This old cafeteria never looked so colorful! I think they did a great job!

On the upper left hand corner of the bulletin board I stapled the "visual" directions of how to assemble the turtle puppet. 1. color, 2. cut, 3. paste. The bulletin board was then filled in with the children's crafts. It got even fuller than what is depicted above over the following weeks.

Saturday, October 7, 2017

The Paper Town Hall from Cut-Out Town

Directions for the Town Hall. Cut around the outlines. Fold on dotted lines,
tuck tabs inside and where shown paste together as drawn in the above "model" sketch.

Well, just when I thought that I had found all of these little village templates, out crops another one! Searching newspapers is a tedious process, even for an archivist! But here is the Town Hall; better late than never. I think it is the last of the series? I've cleaned it up, folks. Don't forget to enlarge it as much as possible before printing it out.

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Paper Village Index

Samples of paper village buildings and dolls in this index.

In this index, young visitors will find all sorts of paper playthings that will keep them preoccupied for hours or perhaps even days. There are paper people and animals to color, little art lessons including paper doll crafts and lots of templates for crafting paper buildings. Enjoy and don't forget to check back for new additions!

Paper Village and Paper Doll Artifacts:

Illustrations of a box apartment, it's windows, walls and a basic floor plan.

How To Make A Box Apartment For Your Paper Dolls

Girls and boys who are fond of paper toys might enjoy making an apartment for their paper characters similar to the one pictured above. There is are also patterns for paper furnishings in the list above if they should choose to furnish their paper accommodations as well.

To make the apartment all that is necessary is a sturdy box 24 inches deep. These dimensions are the best for the size furniture that is published above, but if your box is an inch or two longer or shorter or wider or narrower it won't matter very much. If you can not secure a box that is at all near this size it is best to get a larger box and cut it down. A box may also be made of scrap cardboard of the proper dimensions.

The box is divided by a straight partition which goes down the center and two crosswise partitions, which divide the box into six rooms of equal size.

One long side of the box is taken off, as the apartment is to be entirely open across the front, and this sidepiece is used for the long partition which goes down the middle of the box. Before putting the partition in place you should make the doors which lead from one room to another and which are shown in the picture above. Also paper or color the partition with paints to suit the different rooms. In order to do this first decide what color you with for the walls in the rooms to be or if you would prefer; select a fancy scrap paper to paste on top of the walls instead. Divide the long partition into three equal parts by making slits which reach from the bottom half way up the side. Then cut the crosswise partitions long enough to span the box plus four inches deep. These may be cut from the box lid. Each of these crosswise pieces is divided in the middle by a slit which reaches from the top half way to the bottom. Fasten these cross partitions on the long partition at the places where it is cut and then place the partition unit inside the box temporarily to see where each section of wall comes. Then with a pencil mark on each side of the walls of every room which room it is, so that when you disassemble the partitions to paper or color the walls you will understand where everything should go. Paper or color the remaining wall sections inside the box to correspond appropriately.

Next cut the doors in the two partitions. There is a drawing of how these door frames could be finished in the illustration above. There are likewise window types drawn above that could be used as either templates for cutting or ideas for drawing directly on top of the walls of your apartment rooms.

Thursday, September 28, 2017

The Circus Procession

The Circus Procession

by Evaleen Stein

Oh, hurry! hurry! here they come,
The band in front with the big bass drum
And blaring bugles, — there they are,
On golden thrones in a golden car,
Tooting and fluting, oh, how grand I
Hi diddle, diddle!
The fife and the fiddle!
Hurrah , hurrah for the circus band!

And the red-plumed horses, oh, see them
prance
And daintily lift their hoofs and dance,
While beautiful ladies with golden curls
Are jingling their bridles of gold and pearls,
And close behind
Come every kind
Of animal cages great and small,
O how I wonder what’s in them all!
Here’s one that’s open and glaring there
Is the shaggiest snow-white polar bear I
Woof! but I wonder what we’d do
If his bars broke loose right now, don't you?
And O dear me!
Just look and see

That pink-cheeked lady in skirts of gauze
And the great big lion with folded paws!
O me I O my!
I’m glad that I
Am not in that lion’s cage, because
Suppose he'd open his horrible jaws !
— But look ! the clown is coming ! Of course
Facing the tail of a spotted horse
And shouting out things to make folks
laugh,
And grinning up at the tall giraffe
That placidly paces along and looks
Just like giraffes in the picture-books!
And there are the elephants, two and two,
Lumbering on as they always do!
The men who lead them look so small
I wonder the elephants mind at all
As they wag their queer
Long trunks, and peer
Through their beady eyes, — folks say they
know
No end of things, and I’m sure it’s so!
And you never must do a thing that’s bad
Or that possibly might make an elephant
mad,
For he’ll never forgive you, it appears,
And will punish you sure, if it takes him
years !
So do not stare
But take good care
To mind your manners, and always try
To smile politely as they go by!
But the camels don’t care if you laugh at
them
With their bumpy humps like a capital M,
They lurch and sway
And seem to say,
As they wrinkle their noses, long and gray,
“ This swaggering stride is quite the plan,
It’s the way we walked in the caravan!”
And now more cages come rumbling by
With glittering people throned on high;
So many spangles and precious things,
They surely must all be queens and kings!
They look so proud
Above the crowd,

O my, how fine it must feel to ride

On golden wagons that hide inside

Strange animals caught in cannibal isles

And brought in ships for a million miles!

But hark ! it's near

The end, for hear

That sudden screeching in piercing key!

The steaming, screaming cal-li-o-pe!

Just plain pianos sound terribly tame

Beside this one with the wonderful name,

And wouldn’t you love some day to sit

In a circus wagon and play on it?

May-Baskets

May-Baskets

by Evaleen Stein

Let us take our baskets early

To the meadows green,

While the wild-flowers still are pearly

With the dewdrops' sheen.

Fill them full of blossoms rosy,

Violets and gay

Cowslips, every pretty posy

Welcoming the May.

Then our lovely loads we'll carry

Down the village street,

On each door, with laughter merry,

Hang a basket sweet.

Hey-a-day-day! It is spring now,

Lazy folks, awake!

See the pretty things we bring now

For the May-day's sake!

Hallowe'en by John Kendrick Bangs

HALLOWE'EN

by John Kendrick Bangs

BRING forth the raisins and the nuts -

To-night All-Hallow's Spectre struts

Along the moonlit way.

No time is this for tear or sob,

Or other woes our joys to rob,

But night for pippin and for bob.

And Jack-o'-Lantern gay.

Come forth ye lass and trousered kid,

From prisoned Mischief raise the lid.

And lift it good and high.

Leave grave old Wisdom in the lurch,

Set Folly on a lofty perch,

Nor fear the awesome rod of birch

When dawn illumes the sky.

'Tis night for revel, set apart

To reillume the darkened heart.

And rout the hosts of dole.

'Tis night when Goblin, Elf, and Fay,

Come dancing in their best array,

To prank and royster on their way.

And ease the troubled soul.

The ghosts of all things past parade.

Emerging from the mist and shade

That hid them from our gaze;

And full of song, and ringing mirth,

In one glad moment of rebirth,

Again they walk the ways of earth

As in the ancient days.

The beacon light shines on the hill,

The will-o'-wisps the forests fill

With flashes filched from noon;

And witches on their broom-sticks spry

Speed here and yonder in the sky,

And lift their strident voices high

Unto the Hunter's Moon.

The air resounds with tuneful notes

From myriads of straining throats.

All hailing Folly Queen;

So join the swelling choral throng,

Forget your sorrow, and your wrong,

In one glad hour of joyous song

To honor Hallowe'en!

Friday, September 22, 2017

Indigenous Peoples Index

Samples of lessons and crafts about Indigenous peoples.

Indigenous peoples or Natives (formerly Indians) held undisputed possession of the wilds of the Americas before the European invasion of those continents. Once masters of the fairest regions on the globe, the natives represented many degrees of civilization. They ranged from nomadic tribes, wandering the grasslands freely in order to hunt the buffalo to survive to those native peoples whose architectural achievements in the tropical rain forests of South America made their conquerors marvel.

Search the Native American coloring pages at Crayon Palace

Indigenous Peoples' Artifacts & Art for Enhancing Lesson Plans:

Craft a paper war bonnet
Gobble Up Over 100 Turkeys!
Cut and Paste Paper Pueblos
Picture Puzzle: Find the hidden potter
Molas Characterized by Kuna Legends, Real Animals, Politics or Geometric Shapes
Squanto, The Native American Hero of Thanksgiving
Weave Indian Corn for Autumn Fun!
The Hiawatha Paper Cuts Restored
Patterns for a Plains Indian village - canoe with paper dolls and teepee/tipi template

My Indigenous People's Art Lessons & Crafts from Art Education Daily:

Indigenous Artifact Clip Art Drawn by Kathy Grimm:

Specialized Collections About Native Americans:

Visit the Museum of The American Indian

The Life of President George Washington

Gilbert Stuart's unfinished 1796 painting of
George Washington is also known as
The Athenaeum, his most celebrated
and famous work.

George Washington(1732-1799), an American soldier and statesman, the hero of American independence, and the first President of the nation which he helped to establish. There are two Americans of the generations now past who have won the undying love and reverence of their countrymen - Washington and Lincoln.

Though they are equally honored, the one as founder and the other as preserver of the American nation, they are thought of as totally different types. Lincoln, so much nearer our own time, is by far the more human figure. His humanity, his rugged appearance, his humor and his kindliness are remembered as the characteristics of a very real man. Washington is more or less of a mythical personage. The idealized portrait painted by Charles Stuart, reproduced right, is in a way symbolic of the impression that Americans cherish of the "Father of His Country." He seems to them a lofty figure somewhat detached from everyday life; a great man, but one aloof from his fellowmen; a strong man, but without fire and vigor. The complete record of his life refutes these ideas. There is every reason to believe that if he were alive to-day he would be a virile and influential figure in American political affairs, a personality as vivid as in his own time.

Artifacts About President George Washington:

More Online Resources:

White House biography
United States Congress. "George Washington (id: W000178)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
George Washington's Mount Vernon
American President: George Washington (1732–1799) at the Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia
George Washington: A Resource Guide at the Library of Congress
George Washington Resources at the University of Virginia Library
Original Digitized Letters of George Washington Shapell Manuscript Foundation
The Papers of George Washington at the Avalon Project
The Papers of George Washington, subset of Founders Online from the National Archives
George Washington Birthplace National Monument, Virginia from the National Park Service
Copies of the wills of General George Washington: the first president of the United States and of Martha Washington, his wife (1904), edited by E. R. Holbrook
"What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader?". EDSITEment: Lesson Plans. National Endowment for the Humanities.
Works by George Washington at Project Gutenberg
George Washington Personal Manuscripts

The End of Washington's Story

Washington declined a third election, delivered his famous farewell address and retired to Mount Vernon in 1797. Thereafter he devoted himself to agriculture, though in 1798, at the prospect of the war with France, he was chosen commander in chief of the United States army and accepted, though he was not called into the field. He died in December, 1799, from illness brought on by long exposure in the saddle. The news caused almost as widespread mourning in Europe as in America. The greatest statesmen and soldiers of every nation united in paying him tribute as a man, general, statesman and friend of humanity. The words of his old friend and companion, "Lighthorse Harry" Lee, "First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen," were without question literally true. He had avoided the snares of factional and partisan politics, had generously overlooked the harshest criticisms and had respected and used the abilities of his severest critics and opponents. Though a slave-holder at his death, he was in favor of the gradual abolition of slavery by legislation, and by his will he arranged that his one hundred twenty-five slaves should be emancipated at the death of his wife, so that the negroes of the two estates who had intermarried might not be separated." Washington's body and that of his wife, who survived him nearly three years, rest in the family vault at Mount Vernon.

President Washington's Second Term

During this term international affairs for a time overshadowed domestic issues. A war between France and England vastly aroused the sympathies of a group friendly to France, and there were some extremists who demanded that the nation go to its assistance. Another faction as vehemently urged neutrality or support for England. Washington, who saw clearly that the United States was too weak and insecure to be implicated in European quarrels, issued a proclamation of neutrality and refused to take sides. An unfortunate incident of this affair was the activity of Edmon, or "Citizen," Genet, a Frenchman whose defiance of the proclamation caused the government considerable anxiety. The French sympathizers were also greatly exercised over the acceptance of the Jay Treaty (1794) with England. This treaty was not so favorable to America as its sponsors wished, but it was the best that could be obtained, and it served the purpose of averting war with England, which Washington felt would be a national calamity.

The power of the Federal government was vigorously exercised in this administration. In Pennsylvania in 1794 there occurred an insurrection in protest against the excise tax, to quell which Washington ordered out 15,000 militia. Trouble with the Indians was settled by Anthony Wayne's victory over them at Fallen Timbers in 1794, and by the negotiation of treaties. Other events include the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney; the erection of the first woolen mill in Massachusetts; the admission of Tennessee into the Union, and the development of two great political parties, by followers of Hamilton and Jefferson, respectively.

The Constitution and First Administration

Five years after the signing of the peace treaty a new crisis called Washington again into public life. Under the Articles of Confederation affairs were steadily growing more chaotic, and in May, 1787, a convention was called to meet in Philadelphia to prepare a new form of union. To this body Washington was sent as head of the Virginia delegation; on its organization he was unanimously elected its president. In September the convention completed a new Constitution and gave it to the states for ratification. The influence that Washington exercised in the consummation of this great achievement is ably summarized in Woodrow Wilson's History of the American People:

"It gave the convention great dignity that Washington had presided over its counsels and was heart and soul for the adoption of the measures it proposed. His name and quiet force had steadied the convention on many an anxious day when disagreement threatened hopeless breach. His fame and Influence infinitely strengthened also the measures proposed, now that they were completed. He supported them because they were thorough-going and courageous and cut to the root of the difficulties under which the country was laboring. Issue had been joined now, as he had wished to see it joined, between government or no government, and the country was to know at last where it stood in the most essential matters of its life."

It is not surprising that when the votes of the first Electoral College were counted it was found that Washington was the unanimous choice for President of the United States, John Adams was honored with the Vice-Presidency. Washington was inaugurated in New York, - which was then the national seat of government. Standing on the balcony in front of the old Federal Hall, whose site is now occupied by the imposing Subtreasury, he took the oath of office on April 30, 1789, though the legal day for the ceremony was March 4. Difficulties in setting the new machinery in motion were responsible for the delay.

From the first he displayed in civil affairs the same equalities of leadership and invariable good judgment which he had shown during his military career. He set about informing himself concerning all that had happened during the period of the Confederation - the relations of the new government to foreign nations, and the questions of internal administration and finance, which were soon to become pressing issues. He also chose a remarkably strong Cabinet, including Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton, who, though directly opposite in their political opinions, were acknowledged leaders in the political life of the country.

The selection of Alexander Hamilton as head of the Treasury Department was momentous in its results, for through his farseeing statesmanship the country was put on a sound financial basis. In accordance with Hamilton's program the national government assumed the debts of the states incurred during the war; a national bank and a mint were established; and a national income was provided for by duties on imports and a system of internal revenue.

Other important events of the first four years under the Federal Constitution were the organization of the United States Supreme Court, the admission of Vermont (1791) and Kentucky (1792) as states, the adoption of a decimal system of coinage, and the incorporation into the Constitution of the first ten amendments. So profoundly impressed were the people with the results of Washington's first term that there was a spontaneous demand that he serve again. Against his personal wishes he consented, and was unanimously reelected, being inaugurated in Philadelphia on March 4, 1793. The city of Washington did not become the national capital until 1800.

The Revolutionary War

On June 15, 1775, two months after the Battle' of Lexington, Washington was unanimously chosen by Congress to be commander in chief of the Continental forces. Addressing the assembly the following day, he modestly accepted the honor, and assured the delegates that he would expect no remuneration except for his own expenses. He then departed on horseback for Boston, and on July 3, 1775, took command of the Continental army, in Cambridge. The old elm under which this ceremony took place is still preserved as a cherished relic.

Under The Washington Elm, Cambridge

The military events of the long struggle which the colonies waged for independence are told in these volumes in the article on the Revolutionary War. The personal share of Washington in the hard-won victory cannot be overestimated; from the perspective of a century and a half it seems almost incredible that he did succeed. Difficulties beset him that would have broken the courage of a weaker man. His little army of barely 14,000 was lacking in arms, supplies, discipline and organization. There was no uniform policy among the colonies on any matters essential to the prosecution of the war, and authority was vested in too many officials and organizations to bring about any semblance of unity. There were bickerings, quarrels and plots. Yet, somehow, Washington overrode all obstacles. For one thing, he was loved and trusted by his men, and because of that trust they endured terrible hardships to uphold him.

When the army went into winter quarters at Valley Forge, in December, 1777, Washington informed Congress that he had 2,898 men unfit for duty because they were "bare- footed and otherwise naked." It is a matter of record that blood in the snow marked the path of those unshod troops as they marched into camp.

As a military leader Washington was superior to any of the field commanders sent over by England. In fact his tactics in the movements on the Delaware River were characterized by Frederick the Great as the "most brilliant achievements recorded in military annals." Years later the old Prussian soldier sent his portrait to Washington, with this message: "From the oldest general in Europe to the greatest general in the world."

Coupled with his genius as a soldier was an abiding faith in the justice and ultimate triumph of the American cause. Toward the close of the stiniggle a movement was started to have Washington assume the title of king, but his repudiation of such a course was voiced in language as vigorous as he could make it. His great popularity never undermined his modest sense of his own worth or his deep-rooted conviction that the American nation was destined to be a democracy in which kings could have no part. On November 2, 1783, he took final leave of his faithful army, and the following December appeared before Congress to resign the commission tendered him over seven years before. He said:

"Having now finished the work assigned me, I retire from the great theatre of action, and, bidding an affectionate farewell to this august body, under whose orders I have long acted, I here offer my commission, and take my leave of all employments of public life." "You retire," replied the president of Congress," from the theatre of action with the blessings of your fellow-citizens; but the glory of your virtues will not terminate with your military command: it will continue to animate remotest ages."

On Christmas Eve Washington arrived at Mount Vernon, where, during the interval before the organization of the government under the Constitution, he enjoyed once more the life of plantation owner and private citizen.

"The Shot Heard 'Round the World" by Liberty's Kids

At Mount Vernon

Washington's Home in Mount Vernon.

The period between the close of the French and Indian War and the outbreak of the Revolution brought to Washington some of the happiest years of his life. In January, 1759, he married Mrs. Martha Custis, an attractive and wealthy young widow with two children, John and Martha Parke Custis. The management of his own and his wife's property provided an outlet for his business instincts, and he entered whole-heartedly into the public affairs of Virginia colony as a delegate to the House of Burgesses, to which he had been elected before his marriage. These duties, with those of a good churchman and a hospitable colonial gentleman, rounded out a life completely wholesome and happy. The Mount Vernon mansion was always filled to over- flowing during the hunting season, but none of its inmates enjoyed the pleasures of the chase more than the master himself.

As relations grew strained between the colonies and the mother country, Washington for a long time hoped that an agreement might be reached without resort to war, and he was very guarded in his utterances. In 1769, however, he drew up a nonimportation agreement which was adopted by the House of Burgesses, and from that time on he refused to permit any of the banned articles to be brought into his house.

As a member of the provincial convention, held in August, 1774, at Williamsburg, he vigorously upheld the right of the colonies to govern themselves, and, moved by reports about the effects of the Boston Port Bill, exclaimed in an impassioned speech, "I will raise a thousand men and march with them, at their head, for the relief of Boston." Virginia sent him as one of its six delegates to the First Continental Congress, and in this and the succeeding Congress, held in 1775, he was clearly one of the commanding figures, though he let others make the speeches.

Washington's Grave in Mount Vernon.

President Washington's Receptions

The Early Military Career of Washington

Not long before he died Lawrence Washington had used his influence to have his brother appointed an adjutant-general over one of the several military districts into which Virginia colony was divided. This division was rendered necessary by the threatened encroachments of the Indians and of the French, who were establishing posts along the Ohio. Washington's eager pursuit of the study of military tactics was interrupted by the trip to the West Indies, but he resumed his duties as adjutant general after his return, and late in 1753 was requested by Governor Dinwiddle to carry a message of warning to the French forces in the Ohio Valley. It was a hazardous mission for a young man of twenty-one, and the selection reflects favorably upon Washington's reputation for reliability and good judgment. In November, accompanied by an experienced frontiersman, he started on his 600-mile journey After many narrow escapes from the Indians and the perils of the wilderness, he completed his mission and reported to Governor Dinwiddle on January 16, 1754, at Williamsburg, the capital of Virginia. Shortly afterwards he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the Virginia regiment.

A skirmish with the French in the summer of 1754, which was not decisive, was followed by a reorganization of the Virginia, troops and Washington's temporary retirement from things military. Early in 1755, however. General Braddock arrived from England with two regiments of British regulars, and offered the young colonial a place on his staff, with the rank of colonel. Promptly accepting, Washington entered eagerly into the preparation of the campaign, and on July 9 took part in the disastrous fight at Fort Duquesne. How the English regulars were mowed down by bullets fired from behind trees, and how the Virginians under Washington saved the little army from annihilation by fighting under cover, as did the French and Indians, is known to every American school boy. The troops succeeded in withdrawing from the field, but Braddock was fatally wounded, and died four days later. Washington later reorganized the colonial troops and was their chief commander until 1758, when he retired to Mount Vernon to rest. It was with great satisfaction, however, that, in November, 1758, he accompanied the British forces to the smoking ruins of Fort Duquesne, which was renamed Fort Pitt in honor of England's great Prime Minister.

Ancestry and Youth of George Washington

The family of the first President came of a line of well-born Englishmen. They were the Washingtons of Sulgiave Manor, in Northamptonshire, who traced their ancestry to a Nonnan knight of the twelfth century. About the year 1657 John and Lawrence Washington, brothers, emigrated to America, and shortly afterwards purchased estates in Westmoreland County, Virginia. The eldest son of John was Lawrence Washington, the grandfather of the future President. His second son, Augustine, manned Mary Ball as his second wife, and the first child of this marriage, George, was born on February 22, 1732, on the family estate at Bridges Creek, in Westmoreland County. When George was three years old his parents removed to an estate on the Rappahannock River, in Stafford County, and there the boy's first school days were spent. He went to his classes in an old-fashioned school house where the sexton of the parish acted as teacher.

At the age of eleven George lost his father, and his widowed mother sent him to the old homestead at Bridges Creek to live with his half brother, Augustine. There he attended school until he was nearly sixteen, geometry and surveying being included in his studies. While he was not an apt classical student, he made excellent progress in surveying, and throughout this school period he cultivated robust health by outdoor exercise, such as horseback riding and athletic games. It was when he was thirteen that he wrote the rules of good behavior now so well known.

Soon after he left school George went to live with his eldest half brother, Lawrence, who was occupying that portion of the estate known as Mount Vernon. Lawrence Washington had married the daughter of William Fairfax, who was the manager of the great estate of his cousin. Lord Fairfax, the head of the family. Lord Fairfax conceived a great liking for young Washington, and presently entrusted to him the task of marking out the boundaries of the Fairfax estate. George began his duties in 1748, when he was but a few days past sixteen, and for many months he endured the hardships of a surveyor in the wilderness. His work was so well done that he was subsequently appointed public surveyor of Culpeper County, and his surveys were considered admirable examples of thoroughness and accuracy.

In 1751 George accompanied his brother Lawrence on a trip to the West Indies. The journey was undertaken in the hope of restoring the elder brother's health, undermined by service in the British navy. In 1752, a few months after the brothers returned to Virginia, Lawrence died, and George found

himself the guardian of his niece and one of the executors of the estate. The death of this niece a few years later made him master of the mansion and the beautiful grounds about it - the Mount Vernon that is today a sacred place to all loyal Americans.

George Washington's "Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior In Company and Conversation"

Patriot Sons

A boy scout at a 4th July parade in 1940.

PATRIOT SONS

by Samuel F. Smith

The bright-eyed boys who crowd our schools.

The knights of book and pen.

Weary of childish games and moods.

Will soon be stalwart men -

The leaders in the race of life,

The men to win applause;

The great minds born to guide the state.

The wise to make the laws.

Teach them to guard with jealous care

The land that gave them birth -

As patriot sons of patriot sires.

The dearest spot on earth;

Teach them the sacred trust to keep,

Like true men, pure and brave.

And o'er them thru the ages bid

Freedom's fair banner wave.

True Heroism

TRUE HEROISM

Let others write of battles fought

On bloody, ghastly fields,

Where honors greet the man who wins.

And death the man who yields;

But I will write of him who fights

And vanquishes his sins.

Who struggles on through weary years

Against himself and wins.

He is a hero, staunch and brave.

Who fights an unseen foe,

And puts at last beneath his feet

His passions base and low;

Who stands erect in manhood's might.

Undaunted, undismayed;

The bravest man that drew a sword

In foray or in raid.

It calls for something more than brawn

Or muscle to overcome

An enemy who marcheth not

With banner, plume and drum -

A foe forever lurking nigh,

With silent, stealthy tread,

Forever near your board by day.

At night beside your bed.

All honor, then, to that brave heart,

Though poor or rich he be.

Who struggles with his baser part -

Who conquers and is free!

He may not wear a hero's crown,

Nor fill a hero's grave.

But truth will place his name among

The bravest of the brave.

Under The Washington Elm, Cambridge

UNDER THE WASHINGTON ELM, CAMBRIDGE

Eighty years have passed, and more,
Since under the brave old tree
Our fathers gathered in arms, and swore
They would follow the sign their banners bore,
And fight until the land was free.

Half of their work was done.
Half is left to do -
Cambridge and Concord and Lexington!
When the battle is fought and won.
What shall be told of you?

Hark! 'tis the south wind moans -
Who are the martyrs down?
Ah, the marrow was true in your children's bones.
That sprinkled with blood the cursed stones
Of the murder-haunted town!

What if the storm-clouds blow?
What if the green leaves fall?
Better the crashing tempest's throe
Than the army of worms that gnawed below;
Trample them one and all!

Then when the battle is won

And the land from traitors free,

Our children shall tell of the strife begun

When Liberty's second April sun

Was bright on our brave old tree!

The Twenty-Second of February by Webster

Gentlemen, a most auspicious omen salutes and cheers us, this day. This day is the anniversary of the birth of Washington. Washington's birthday is celebrated from one end of the land to the other. The whole atmosphere of the country is the day redolent of his principles, - the hills, the rocks, the groves, the vales, and the rivers, shout their praises, and resound with his fame. All the good whether learned or unlearned, high or low, rich or poor, feel this day that is one treasure common to them all; and that is the fame of Washington. They all recount his deeds, ponder over his principles and teaching, and resolve to be more and more guided by them in the future.

To the old and young, to all born in this land, and to all whose preferences have led them to make it the home of their adoption, Washington is an exhilarating theme. Americans are proud of his character; all exiles from foreign shores are eager to participate in admiration of him; and it is true that he is, this day, here, everywhere, all over the world, more an object of regard than on any former day since his birth.

Gentlemen, by his example, and under the guidance of his precepts, will we and our children uphold the Constitution. Under his military leadership, our fathers conquered their ancient enemies; and, under the out-spread banner of his political and constitutional principles, will we conquer now. To that standard we shall adhere, and uphold it, through evil report and good report. We will sustain it, and meet death itself; if it comes, we will ever encounter and defeat error, by day and by night, in light or in darkness - thick darkness if it come, till:

"Danger's troubled night is o'er,

And the star of peace return."

Our Presidents

OUR PRESIDENTS

(To the tune of "Yankee Doodle.")

George Washington is number one,

With whom begins the story;

John Adams then doth follow on

To share him in the glory.

Thomas Jefferson comes next,

A good old man was he.

James Madison is number four.

Twice President to be.

Chorus:

Our Presidents, hurrah! hurrah!
We'll give them three times three,
And may their memories ever live
In our hearts so brave and free.

Dear James Monroe was next in line.

Twice also did he rule us,

John Quincey Adams served us next.

And not once did he fool us.

Then Andrew Jackson came along,

So famous as a soldier,

Martin Van Buren took his place

To act as office holder.

And William Henry Harrison

Came next in the procession.

He died, and then John Tyler came,

Of the chair to take possession.

James K. Polk is on the roll,

He was an upright man.

Zachary Taylor followed him,

A dozen now we scan.

Millard Fillmore then was called

To rule o'er all our nation:

And after him one Franklin Pierce

Was called to fill the station.

James Buchanan was the next

Our President to be;

Then came Abe Lincoln, brave and true,

A mighty man was he.

Andrew Johnson's name is next

In the song which we are singing;

Then comes the name of U. S. Grant,

Let's set the rafters ringing;

And now we've got to R. B. Hayes,

The nineteenth name of all;

And James A. Garfield is the next

To answer to the call.

Chester Allen Arthur then

Comes forth to take his place;

And Grover Cleveland follows him.

The next one in the race.

Harrison in eighty-eight

Was called to fill the chair.

And Cleveland then again was called

To rule our Country fair.

Welcome to Lafayette by Edward Everett

Welcome, friend of our fathers, to our shores. Happy are our eyes that behold those venerable features. Enjoy a triumph such as never conqueror or monarch enjoyed - the assurance that, throughout America, there is not a bosom that does not beat with joy and gratitude at the sound of your name. You have already met and saluted, or will soon meet, the few that remain of the ardent patriots, prudent counselors, and brave warriors, with whom you were associated in achieving our liberties. But you have looked around in vain for the faces of many who would have lived years of pleasure on a day like this, with their old companion in arms and brother in peril.

Lincoln and Greene and Knox and Hamilton are gone! The heroes of Saratoga and Yorktown have fallen before the only foe they could not meet! Above all, the first of heroes and of men, the friend of your youth, the more than friend of his country, rests in the bosom of the soil he has redeemed. On the banks of the Potomac, he lies in glory and in peace. You will revisit the hospitable shades of Mount Vernon; but him whom you venerated, as we did, you will not meet at its door. His voice of consolation, which reached you in the Austrian dungeons, can not now break its silence to bid you welcome to his own roof.

But the grateful children of America will bid you welcome in his name. Welcome, thrice welcome, to our shores; and whithersoever, throughout the limits of the continent, your course shall take you, the ear that hears you shall bless you; the eye that sees you shall bear witness to you; and every tongue exclaim with heartfelt joy: ''Welcome, welcome, Lafayette!"

Questions and Answers About George Washington

1. Tell something of Washington's ancestors.

He was descended from an ancient family in Cheshire, of which a branch had been established in Virginia. His English ancestors were allied to those of the highest rank. His mother belonged to the most ancient Saxon family of Fairfax, of Towcester in Northumberland.

2. Where was Washington born?

Near the banks of the beautiful Potomac, in Westmoreland County, Va. It was a very small place called Bridge's Creek.

3. How old was he when his father died?

Ten years old.

4. How did he always treat his mother?

With the greatest respect and attention : and as you follow him through life you will find him "Speaking what is just and true. Doing what is right to do Unto one and all."

5. "Hail, patriot, chief, all hail! Historic fame
In purest gold hath traced thy glorious name!
Earth has Niagara, the sky its sun.
And proud mankind its only Washington."

6. Why do they call him ''Historic Fame?"

" I thought he was the ''Father of his Country." Because he never spared himself in any way and was

always first in "battle. The bullets often razed his hair and riddled his cloak, but he would tell his soldiers, "Stand fast and receive the enemy."

7. When did the Revolutionary War begin?

April 19, 1775.

8. What cry was repeated everywhere?

War has begun! To arms! To arms! Liberty or death!

9. What was needed at once?

A commander-in-chief.

10. Who was appointed to fill this place?

George Washington.

11. How did he influence the soldiers?

He inspired them with reverence and enthusiasm. His height was six feet two, and he seemed born to

command.

12. When did the British finally leave Boston?

March 17, 1776, in seventy-eight ships and transports.

13. After the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, what did Washington do?

He went to see his mother at Fredericksburg, for he had not seen her in six years.

14. Who went with him?

Lafayette. And they found her at work in her garden. Lafayette began to tell her of the world-wide love bestowed upon her son, but she interrupted him by saying, ''I am not surprised at what George has done, for he was always a good boy."

15. Tell us something about Washington after he resigned command of the army.

He went to Mount Vernon to live, and, as he had spent so much of his own money during the war, he was obliged to practice very close economy; but he would accept nothing from Congress, for he had served his country from love alone.

16. What was his especial delight?

He took especial delight in beautifying the grounds about his house. Dinner at Mount Vernon was at half-past two, and if there was no company he would write until dark. He loved his wife's children as well as if they were his own, and always found time for his family; but the quiet of his house was soon to be disturbed.

17. In what way?

The unanimous choice of the nation was that he should fill the presidential chair, and he was forced to

accept.

18. When and where did the inauguration take place?

April 30, 1789, in New York City.

19. What did the people do in 1789 when he took the oath of office?

All the bells in the city were rung, the people cheered and there was a thundering of artillery. Then

they went to St. Paul's Church on foot, where services were held. Brilliant illuminations and fireworks con- cluded the day.

20. Why did Washington accept a second term of office if he was so anxious for a quiet home life?

The people would have no one else, and he was obliged to accept to keep peace in the country he loved so well; but it was with a heartfelt sense of relief that he left the seat of government in 1797 and entered once more upon the quiet home life at Mount Vernon.

21. How did he spend the remaining years of his life?

In repairing houses that were fast going to ruin, making and selling a little flour each year, and amusing himself in agricultural and rural pursuits. He died in December, 1799, and his last words were, " 'Tis well, 'tis well." - From "How to Celebrate Washington's birthday," published by E. L. Kellogg & Co.

'Twas not in vain the deluge came,

And systems crumbled in the gloom,

And not in vain have sword and flame

Robbed home and heart of life and bloom;

The mourner's cross, the martyr's blood.

Shall crown the world with holier rights.

And slavery's storm, and slavery's flood

Leave Freedom's ark on loftier heights.

- James Q. Clark

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