A Little History of Father's Day
In 1909, Mrs. John Dobb (Sonora Smart Dodd) of Spokane Washington
originated the idea of Father's Day. She and her 5 brothers and
sisters were raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after their
mother died. She wanted to honor him. Because his birthday was on
June 19th and she chose this date for Father's Day.
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national
Father's Day.
In 1926, a National Father's Day Committee was formed in New York
City.
In 1956, Father's Day was recognized by a Joint Resolution of
Congress.
In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation
declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.
In 1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national
observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of June.
For many women, the fathers on their gift lists present the
biggest gift giving challenges. If you are having trouble knowing
what to get dear old Dad for Father’s Day this year, look over the
following list of gift ideas that fall into the category of simple,
yet meaningful tokens of your appreciation and love.
* The Gift of Laughter – Is there some old comedian or sitcom
that always makes him chuckle? Use your VCR to make a tape of as
many episodes as you can record. When you give your gift, include a
note instructing him to watch it anytime he needs a good laugh.
* Dad’s Own Webpage – Use your scanner and computer skills to
create a homepage devoted to all Dad’s many interests. Include
pictures of his children, hobbies and accomplishments. Tell how
proud you are of him and how grateful you feel to have him as your
father. After you’ve uploaded the site with the help of your
Internet Service Provider, include the URL in a card telling Dad to
visit that webpage for a special surprise.
* The Gift of a Clean House – If your dad lives alone,
housecleaning may not be high on his list of priorities. If
possible, surprise him by giving his home a good, thorough cleaning
while he is away for a few days. Even if you can’t surprise him, he
is sure to enjoy the results when you finish.
* The Gift of Encouragement – Find a special quote or Bible verse
that is particularly meaningful. If you are handy with a needle and
embroidery floss, create a cross-stitch sampler featuring those
words. If not, use your calligraphy skills and put the verse in an
attractive frame to sit proudly on his desk at work.
* A Subscription to His Hometown Newspaper – This gift may cost a
little more but is sure to be a winner. If he no longer lives in the
small town where he grew up, purchase a gift subscription to that
town’s local newspaper. This gift will help him keep up with the
happenings in the place he used to call home.
Several of these ideas are ones that worked well with my own
hard-to-gift father. Of course, they can be modified for any other
family member—male or female—who presents a gift-buying challenge.
BYLINE: Excerpt from Nancy's book, "Celebrate Simply: Your Guide
to Simpler, More Meaningful Holidays and Special Occasions" (www.celebratesimply.com).
To receive the free report, “10 Easy Ways to Give from the Heart,
Not the Pocketbook,” send a blank email message to: 10easyways@GetResponse.com
Nancy Twigg may be contacted at
http://www.countingthecost.comnancy@countingthecost.com.
Click here to view more of their articles.
Nancy Twigg is the editor of Counting the Cost, a free email
newsletter about simple and frugal living. She is also the author of
the new book, Celebrate Simply: Your Guide to Simpler, More
Meaningful Holidays and Special Occasions. To learn more about
living simply or celebrating simply, visit Nancy online at
www.countingthecost.com
Copyright 2006 A#1
Greeting Cards. All Rights Reserved.
