Reminders from Our Flag
for Wednesday, January 2, 2019
[ There is no Pre-Pledge Tribute this week. ]
for Wednesday, January 2, 2019
[ There is no Pre-Pledge Tribute this week. ]
Today's Star-Spangled Inspirational Quote
"Make New Year's goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year. This helps you do your part. It is an affirmation that you're interested in fully living life in the year to come."
-Melody Beattie
"Make New Year's goals. Dig within, and discover what you would like to have happen in your life this year. This helps you do your part. It is an affirmation that you're interested in fully living life in the year to come."
-Melody Beattie
Today's Flag Status
Across the USA, the US Flag flies at full staff, except in NY. And, PA has a special State Flag half-staff honoree.
Across the USA, the US Flag flies at full staff, except in NY. And, PA has a special State Flag half-staff honoree.
In NEW YORK, the Governor has ordered the US and State Flags to half-staff in honor of Army PFC Joshua Mikeasky, a Fort Drum soldier who died in Afghanistan on Dec. 13. Army PFC Joshua Mikeasky, 19, was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment of the 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team and was from Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
In PENNSYLVANIA, the Governor has ordered the PA State / Commonwealth Flag to half-staff to honor EMT Robert Kohler Sr., who died while on duty at Station 23, Northeastern Area EMS, Manchester, PA, on Christmas morning. and it will remain at half-staff until the day of his interment (burial / funeral) on Jan. 4th.
In PENNSYLVANIA, the Governor has ordered the PA State / Commonwealth Flag to half-staff to honor EMT Robert Kohler Sr., who died while on duty at Station 23, Northeastern Area EMS, Manchester, PA, on Christmas morning. and it will remain at half-staff until the day of his interment (burial / funeral) on Jan. 4th.
Today's Moment of Reflection and Gratitude
Fellow, Flag Stewards!
THANKS for joining a noble cause ;) and supporting our nonprofit mission: To Make Our Flag and its Ceremonies more Engaging and Meaningful to citizens, especially students. And, thanks for helping me, a Veteran of the US Marine Corps and US Army Reserve many years ago, find a purposeful way to serve again. Three years ago, I set out to help a 6th grade teacher, whose father is a Vietnam Veteran, develop a tech-driven way for her students to honor Veterans. Unfortunately, when I observed her students’ poor conduct during the Pledge of Allegiance, I decided to address that issue first. So, the students and I worked together to develop a short, yet inspiring ceremony to do before the Pledge. The ceremony, enabled by a Bluetooth iBeacon device connected to an app, became the ‘Beacon of Honor - Awakens Our Flag’ project.
Then, during the next two school years I tested and piloted the Beacon of Honor at a few schools. Afterwhich, I determined the iBeacon and its app was not fully capable of delivering the Pre-Pledge Tribute the way I wanted. And, finding school administrators and/or teachers to enable the Pre-Pledge program in their schools / classrooms was proving difficult to do on my own.
So, a year ago, I nearly gave up on this nonprofit project and shutdown Beacon of Honor. Thankfully, instead, while reviewing some insightful Bible plans, I became motivated to give this project one last push by building a new app and service on my own. Ten months ago, I re-branded 'Beacon of Honor' as 'Flag Steward', then 9 months ago, I launched the new 'Flag Steward' website, and finally 7 months ago I released the 'Flag Steward App' for Apple and Android devices.
Within the first couple months of the app’s release, the positive response and usage surpassed the Beacon of Honor’s milestones - all thanks to you, my fellow, Flag Stewards. Your regular use of the Flag Steward app and website have encouraged me to put more effort towards this project’s growth. Additionally, I have some specific Flag Stewards to appreciate. I thank Brian S and Paul W for being our first donor and Interactive American Flag owner respectively ( that weren’t family or friends ;). And, I express gratitude to Shane K and Russell S for volunteering to be ‘Flag Steward Insiders’ ( advisors to me on app issues and testing new functionalities).
Now, it’s time to focus on the year ahead ...
Fellow, Flag Stewards!
THANKS for joining a noble cause ;) and supporting our nonprofit mission: To Make Our Flag and its Ceremonies more Engaging and Meaningful to citizens, especially students. And, thanks for helping me, a Veteran of the US Marine Corps and US Army Reserve many years ago, find a purposeful way to serve again. Three years ago, I set out to help a 6th grade teacher, whose father is a Vietnam Veteran, develop a tech-driven way for her students to honor Veterans. Unfortunately, when I observed her students’ poor conduct during the Pledge of Allegiance, I decided to address that issue first. So, the students and I worked together to develop a short, yet inspiring ceremony to do before the Pledge. The ceremony, enabled by a Bluetooth iBeacon device connected to an app, became the ‘Beacon of Honor - Awakens Our Flag’ project.
Then, during the next two school years I tested and piloted the Beacon of Honor at a few schools. Afterwhich, I determined the iBeacon and its app was not fully capable of delivering the Pre-Pledge Tribute the way I wanted. And, finding school administrators and/or teachers to enable the Pre-Pledge program in their schools / classrooms was proving difficult to do on my own.
So, a year ago, I nearly gave up on this nonprofit project and shutdown Beacon of Honor. Thankfully, instead, while reviewing some insightful Bible plans, I became motivated to give this project one last push by building a new app and service on my own. Ten months ago, I re-branded 'Beacon of Honor' as 'Flag Steward', then 9 months ago, I launched the new 'Flag Steward' website, and finally 7 months ago I released the 'Flag Steward App' for Apple and Android devices.
Within the first couple months of the app’s release, the positive response and usage surpassed the Beacon of Honor’s milestones - all thanks to you, my fellow, Flag Stewards. Your regular use of the Flag Steward app and website have encouraged me to put more effort towards this project’s growth. Additionally, I have some specific Flag Stewards to appreciate. I thank Brian S and Paul W for being our first donor and Interactive American Flag owner respectively ( that weren’t family or friends ;). And, I express gratitude to Shane K and Russell S for volunteering to be ‘Flag Steward Insiders’ ( advisors to me on app issues and testing new functionalities).
Now, it’s time to focus on the year ahead ...
This Year’s / 2019’s Flag Steward Resolutions
-Within the next week, begin ‘Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA)’ distribution of newly packaged Interactive American Flags
-Put together a team of 7-11 ‘Flag Steward Insiders’ = users to advise me and help steer new Flag Steward features and functionality
-By year’s end, have at least 25 ‘Flag Steward Ambassadors’ help establish at least 100 school classrooms and/or scout units performing weekly Pre-Pledge Tributes
-Giveaway at least 100 Interactive American Flags (Premium) to schools / universities
-Partner with at least 2 Veterans groups to jointly promote and distribute Flag Steward patriotic programs
-Have at least 50 users editing and adding their own Patriot Honor Roll honorees to their Interactive American Flag page in the app...
-Distribute at least 300 Interactive American Flags (Advanced) honoring our Global War on Terror Fallen
-Distribute at least 200 Interactive American Flags (Advanced) honoring our Vietnam War Fallen
-Grow Flag Steward website traffic to at least 50,000 monthly unique users
-Surpass Flag Steward app installs of 10,000 for Google Play and 3,000 for Apple
-Within the next week, begin ‘Fulfillment By Amazon (FBA)’ distribution of newly packaged Interactive American Flags
-Put together a team of 7-11 ‘Flag Steward Insiders’ = users to advise me and help steer new Flag Steward features and functionality
-By year’s end, have at least 25 ‘Flag Steward Ambassadors’ help establish at least 100 school classrooms and/or scout units performing weekly Pre-Pledge Tributes
-Giveaway at least 100 Interactive American Flags (Premium) to schools / universities
-Partner with at least 2 Veterans groups to jointly promote and distribute Flag Steward patriotic programs
-Have at least 50 users editing and adding their own Patriot Honor Roll honorees to their Interactive American Flag page in the app...
-Distribute at least 300 Interactive American Flags (Advanced) honoring our Global War on Terror Fallen
-Distribute at least 200 Interactive American Flags (Advanced) honoring our Vietnam War Fallen
-Grow Flag Steward website traffic to at least 50,000 monthly unique users
-Surpass Flag Steward app installs of 10,000 for Google Play and 3,000 for Apple
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Thanks for reviewing today's 'Reminders for Our Flag'
- a service from the Flag Steward program
Now go 'Be a stud citizen' today by ...
... picking up and disposing of 2 pieces of trash that will help
keep America beautiful !!!
Thanks for reviewing today's 'Reminders for Our Flag'
- a service from the Flag Steward program
Now go 'Be a stud citizen' today by ...
... picking up and disposing of 2 pieces of trash that will help
keep America beautiful !!!
In God We Trust
(Official motto of the United States of America)
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