How to participate in Freedom Week
Every organization in America can, and should, participate in Freedom
Week. It is designed to focus attention on the human values which
produced the understanding that self-governance means: government
empowered only by the consent of the governed. Freedom
Week is a celebration of the discovery of those principles of
self-governance so eloquently expressed and forever enshrined in the
American Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. No
American can be offended by such a celebration; every American should
enthusiastically participate in it.
Adopt the Freedom Week Proclamation
The Freedom Week Proclamation is a model that expresses the
fundamental values of self-governance we celebrate. The Proclamation
may be embellished to accommodate the needs of participating
organizations as long as the fundamental principles are not
disturbed. Each participating organization will adopt a Freedom Week
Proclamation and register the adoption, either by completing the
"Sign-up Form" on the Freedom Week web
site, or by mailing a copy of the
Proclamation to ECO, Hollow Rock, TN 38342.
Each participating organization is encouraged to get every unit of
local government and every other organization within their sphere of influence to also adopt a
Freedom Week Proclamation, and register each organization's adoption
in our master directory. On our web site, we will accumulate a state-by-state
directory of all participating organizations so all the world can see
how enthusiastically America celebrates its freedom.
State Coordinators
In each state, an organization will be asked to be the "State
Coordinator," and to accept two primary responsibilities: (1) get a
Freedom Week Proclamation adopted by the State Legislature, and (2)
judge, and award prizes in state-wide contests. State Coordinators
will be listed in the web-site Directory of State Activities as the
point of contact for information and coordination of all the
participating organizations within the state. The Directory will
display all of the activities that are planned and underway by all of
the organizations in each state, again, demonstrating to the world
how much Americans value and celebrate their freedom.
Freedom Week Activities
The purpose of all Freedom Week Activities is to provide an incentive
for all people to focus on the values that make America great:
individual freedom; private property; free markets; and national
sovereignty. Fireworks and parades are certainly a part of the
celebration, but Freedom Week should provide opportunities and
incentives to look behind the pomp, and appreciate the circumstance.
Composition Contests
Participating organizations should sponsor a variety of contests in the
schools at all grade levels in every local community. Modest prizes
and recognition at the local level, and the opportunity to win state
and national prizes and recognition, should be ample incentive to
engage a substantial number of students in activities that cause them
to reflect upon the values that must be appreciated, sustained in
America, and shared with the world.
Contests may be structured any way a local participating organization
wishes. To qualify for state and national prizes and recognition, the
following guidelines are offered:
Writing: Written compositions may take the form of an essay,
short story, one-act play, or research paper. A 1000 word maximum
limit should be targeted for all sumissions.
Music: Music entries may include compositions for soloists,
choirs, or ensembles without respect to style or genre. Entries should
include both the written manuscript and a recorded
performance.
Electronic: Electronic entries may include up to six (6) linked
web pages; a 15-minute video tape; or a 15-minute audio
tape.
A national winner will be selected from the winners chosen by the
State Coordinators. National winners will receive a minimum $500 prize
in each category. (The prize value will likely increase as additional
underwriters are identified). State and local sponsors are encouraged
to secure local underwriters to provide money prizes for winners of
local and state contests. Additionally, national winners will see
their work published nationally in a variety of formats made available
by participating organizations. State and local sponsors are
encouraged to provide opportunities for recognition of local and state
winners through local and state-wide media, conferences, and other
events.
Participating organizations may sponsor contests in any or all of the
categories. Sponsorship should include the responsibility of
obtaining permission from local school authorities, promoting the
contests(s) within the local school(s), and securing prizes and
recognition for the winners. Minimum prizes of $100 (school level),
$250 (state level), and $500 (national level) should attract student
participation. Prizes do not have to be uniform, and should reflect
the maximum that can be secured from local and state underwriters.
The words "Prizes provided by..." is wonderful, low-cost advertising
for any business, and can be developed into a significant incentive
for student participation.
Each sponsoring organization is responsible for developing its own
system for judging winners. The overall criteria should be
originality, creativity, and effectiveness in communication. Every
activity undertaken by every participating organization should be
reported for incorporation into the National Directory of Activities.
Churches may sponsor contests within their own congregation. Winners
from a church may be submitted to the State Coordinator for
consideration in the state-wide judging, which automatically qualifies
for participation in the national contest.
Other Activities
Other activities a participating organization might wish to consider
include:
Civic Club Presentation: Every community has a variety of civic
clubs that are constantly in need of speakers. A participating
organization might develop a presentation and/or a speakers bureau and
schedule a series of presentations for all available civic
clubs.
Build a float: Many communities sponsor a Fourth-of-July
Parade. A participating organization might wish to build a Freedom
Week float that depicts some scene from American History that focuses
attention on the values of freedom. (Paul Revere's ride, the Liberty
Bell, Washington crossing the Deleware, etc.)
Community Teach-in: This kind of activity offers outstanding
opportunities to educate and recruit new members and additional
participation. Organizations could schedule a series of "Teach-ins"
around the Freedom Week theme, to be conducted either before, or
during freedom week. The format is unlimited. The events could be as
informal as a picnic in the park, with music and a few speakers on a
planned theme, or it could be a series of structured workshops. It is
an ideal opportunity to relate local issues and current events to the
broader principles celebrated by Freedom Week. The cost of these
activities ranges from zero to minimal; opportunities to educate,
motivate, even inspire, are limited only by available
gumption. (Gumption: the determination to do it).
Churches
Aside from participating in state and national contests as a
sponsoring organization, churches have an outstanding opportunity to
promote Freedom Week activities in a variety of ways.
Freedom Week Services: The Sunday before July 4 would be an
ideal time to present church winners of the various sponsored
contests. The entire service could be constructed around the Freedom
Week theme, using the choir and congregational singing to support
sermons that stress religious freedom as a compelling force in the
creation of America.
Youth Activities: Young people can be recruited to present
special reports on important individuals who are America's "Founding
Fathers" as a part of Sunday School activities. For the month prior
to Freedom Week, or monthly during the year, a class member could
present a character profile of different people who helped create
America. A special worship service could be devoted to sharing these
profiles with the entire congregation.
Study Course-Revival: Church members could benefit greatly from
a week-long series of meetings with a structured curriculum that
focuses on the relationship of religious freedom to the principle of
government power limited by the consent of the governed. Such a
program could be enhanced by reports from missionaries who have worked
in nations where government power is not limited by the consent of the
governed. Such services could inspire greater dedication to religious
commitments as well as to the values Freedom Week
celebrates.
There is no end to the ideas that can make Freedom Week a year-long
celebration of the principles of self-governance on which America was
built. The more people who are involved, the greater the
celebration. And more importantly, participation in the celebration may help
people become aware that these principles are in great jeopardy of
being overwhelmed by a changing paradigm that sees individual
freedom as a reward to be granted, or denied, by government in
exchange for support of government-dictated policies.
Every organization can participate to some degree. Every organization
should participate to whatever degree may be appropriate. The
campaign will begin July 4, 1998. Through the remainder of the year,
participating organizations will be planning their local contests and
other activities for the year, leading to a crescendo of events during
Freedom Week, 1999, which will be the beginning point of planning
activities for Freedom Week, 2000. The event can be an ongoing
celebration of individual freedom and human achievement which can
build upon itself to become a beacon to the rest of the world.
When the program is launched, an enrollment form will be on this web
site to provide an easy way to enroll your organization in the Freedom
Week celebration. Check this site at least weekly to see new
information about Freedom Week!