Happy Mother’s Day
Sunday is a special day for moms all across the country. Mother’s Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, most commonly in the months of March or May. It complements similar celebrations honoring family members, such as Father’s Day, Siblings Day, and Grandparents Day. In the United States, celebration of Mother’s Day began in the early 20th century.
The modern holiday of Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother at St Andrew’s Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. In 1908, the U.S. Congress rejected a proposal to make Mother’s Day an official holiday, joking that they would also have to proclaim a “Mother-in-law’s Day”. However, owing to the efforts of Anna Jarvis, by 1911 all U.S. states observed the holiday.
In most countries, Mother’s Day is an observance derived from the holiday as it has evolved in the United States. In some cases, countries already had existing celebrations honoring motherhood, and their celebrations then adopted several external characteristics from the US holiday, such as giving carnations and other presents to one’s mother. However you celebrate this special day, enjoy time with family and friends!
Summer Camps for Kids
My office often receives phone calls from individuals seeking summer activities for their children. I am directly involved in the planning and implementation of three separate camps, targeting various ages groups. Below is a listing of opportunities:
- Kids’ Camp: Fun, Food, Fitness: This will be the 8th annual 3-week day camp for Sulphur Springs students who will be finishing grades 1 thru 4 at the end of the current school year. Dates are Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, June 11, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 25, 27, and 29, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. We will be meeting at Sulphur Springs Middle School in the auxiliary gym. Activities will include team games, Walk Across Texas, nutrition & hands-on food preparation, fire safety clowns, water safety, sun/weather safety, stranger danger, and simple money management on Mondays and Wednesdays. Friday sessions will be led by our Hopkins County Master Gardeners. Prizes, snacks, and incentive items will be given out each day. Registration forms are available at each of the Sulphur Springs primary campuses and Sulphur Springs Elementary School, or you may pick up a registration form at the Extension Office. Cost is $10 per child for the entire camp, or $20 family maximum if more than two children from the same family wish to attend. Deadline to sign up is May 31. This camp is sponsored by the Hopkins County Community Health Wellness Alliance.
- Multi-County 4-H Camp: This is a popular camp among our Hopkins County 4-H members! However, you do not have to be a member of 4-H to attend. This camp is open to students who will be completing grades 3-12 at the end of the current school year. Dates are July 9-11, at Lakeview Baptist Conference Center in Lone Star, Texas. Cost is $115, which includes lodging, meals, workshops, and all amenities of the camp (swimming pool, lake, canoeing, kayaking, ping pong, gift shop, and more). Workshops will include archery, healthy lifestyles (team games), real life skills, nature, re-Use Derby, and Ropes course. For those wishing to attend, we will meet at the Extension Office on Monday, July 9 to carpool to the camp. Registration forms and a list of things to bring are available at the Extension Office. The registration deadline is May 31st. Hopkins County typically has the largest attendance at this camp, so let’s make this the largest attendance yet!
- Life Skills Camp: This will be the 4th annual day camp, targeted toward Sulphur Springs students who will have completed grades 5 and 6 at the end of the current school year. As the title implies, this camp will teach skills that participants can use as a hobby, or perhaps even as an introduction to a career. The dates are Monday thru Thursday, July 16 thru 19, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Each session, with the exception of one, will take place at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office in Sulphur Springs. Sessions will include: Monday – woodworking, led by Harold Bryant and Dennis Sink, upcycling led by camp staff; Tuesday – photography, led by Isabel Reyna; Wednesday – ceramics, led by Melba Crain (we will meet at the ROC on this day, so participants will need to be taken there instead of the Extension Office); Thursday – outdoor cooking, led by Johnny Ross. Cost of this camp is $15. Registration forms are available at Douglas Intermediate and Sulphur Springs Middle School and also available at the Extension Office. They are due by June 22. This camp is sponsored by the Hopkins County Community Health/Wellness Alliance.
Closing Thought
We should worry less about who we might offend and worry more about who we might inspire – Mike Baxter, “Last Man Standing”
Johanna Hicks
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
Family & Consumer Sciences
1200-B W. Houston
P.O.Box 518
Sulphur springs, TX 75483
903-885-3443 – phone
903-439-4909 – Fax
[email protected]
