Posted on 05/09/2002 1:52:12 AM PDT by Snow Bunny
The best Cheerleaders in the world!
LouieWolf is often the hot topic of the day. ;-)
. . 
Camp McGovern, Bosnia 7/6/00 During their 41st USO tour, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders perform a show at Camp McGovern, Bosnia, prior to flying by heliocopter to Taszar, Hungary that night. The Cheerleaders have been "Delivering America" to the troops through the USO for more than twenty years.
Sarajevo, Bosnia 7/3/00 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Cindi Alsobrook greets the troups assembled at SFOR HQ in Sarajevo, the first stop on their twelve day USO tour through Eastern Europe and Germany. The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders are bringing a special "Touch Of Home" to the US Troops on their 41st USO Tour entertaining the troups stationed in foreign lands.
Last November, my 6-year-old daughter, Mathilda, joined me in the voting booth. She was fascinated by the secrecy (those curtains!), the solemnity (Something Really Important must be going on), and the suspense (little did I know I wouldn't be able to answer her breathless "Who won?" for weeks). It was a learning experience for me, too: I saw the democratic process through her wide eyes — and realized that with one small act, I was helping her appreciate our unique, amazing country. In this scandal-weary, cynical age, it's especially important to instill a sense of patriotism in our kids. "When we understand our history, we respect each other more and feel like we belong to a community," says Linda Plevyak, assistant professor of early-childhood education at the University of Cincinnati. And there are plenty of fun ways to foster a love of the red, white, and blue. Talk about your past. Discuss why your family came to America: It's galvanizing to know that your forefathers made a choice to settle here. In the second grade, Jane Luer of Coral Gables, FL, did a class project tracing her heritage back to the American Revolution. "She was so proud to tell her classmates about her ancestors who fought for freedom," says her mother, Charlotte. "She really got a sense of the bravery involved" — and of why being an American is such a blessing.
Start a reading ritual. Sneak in some national pride with a captivating book. I can still remember being moved and inspired by Johnny Tremain in elementary school, The Red Badge of Courage in junior high. These stories helped me realize that our nation's principles are worth the highest sacrifice. For kids in grades three through five, Plevyak recommends Jean Fritz's books on early America, including Shh! We're Writing the Constitution, What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?, and Where Do You Think You're Going, Christopher Columbus? Another idea is to designate a special day (the Fourth of July, for example) to read aloud from the Constitution or Declaration of Independence. "It may be hard for young children to understand some of the large vocabulary words," says Plevyak, who advises taking the time to explain the meaning behind the language.
Explore history. You may not even have to leave your town: Fascinating events have taken place all over America — pioneering expeditions, battles, marches for civil rights — in addition to the ones we all know about at such historically significant spots as Washington, DC, and Williamsburg, VA. So check out "Links to the Past" on the National Parks Service site (www.cr.nps.gov). Or visit a place where you can watch "living history" events, in which men and women ditch their nine-to-five attire, don period costumes, and reenact the lives of Civil War generals or French and Indian War-era trappers. Best of all, participants are usually eager to answer kids' questions. Ken and Sue Luther of Chippewa, PA, have gone to Civil War reenactments since their two boys were 8 and 12 years old; the Gettysburg Civil War battlefield was an eye-opener. "Standing on a place where people died made my kids realize what the soldiers went through and why," she says. Track down upcoming events at websites like livinghistorycam.net and www.livinghistoryonline.com.
Host an all-American video night. The violence in The Patriot and Saving Private Ryan is too extreme for young children. But you can stir kids' patriotic feelings with classic films like Yankee Doodle Dandy, the toe-tapping 1942 James Cagney flick, and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Frank Capra's 1939 homage to democracy, starring Jimmy Stewart as an idealistic congressman. Join up. Belonging to a group like the Boy Scouts of America (www .scouting.org) or Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. (www.gsusa.org) can give children immense pride in being American. "My ten-year-old son, Billy, feels tremendous satisfaction from conducting a flag ceremony in the scouts," says Katherine Puschel of Vienna, VA. Other groups that stress good citizenship: 4-H (www.4-h.org) and the Camp Fire Boys and Girls (www.campfire.org).
Play it patriotic. Instilling a love of country doesn't have to feel like homework. Instead, try a game. Chris Crytzer, a mother of two in Pittsburgh, says she's amazed at how much her 6-year-old son, Justin, has learned from — and how often he loves to noodle around with — his presidential flash cards ($8; www.aristoplay.com). Play Discover America ($35; www.discoveramer .com), which is loaded with history and geography questions — as well as a strong element of luck, so younger children won't get discouraged. Or get the whole family involved in building a jigsaw puzzle map of the United States.
Hang out with a veteran. Ask a relative who has served in the military to discuss his experiences with your kid. (Or try contacting your local Veterans Affairs Office.) A good icebreaker? "Have your child make a card, thanking the veteran for serving our country," suggests Michael Gormalley, Veterans of Foreign Wars national director of citizenship education and community service. Luer recently took her four kids to a local veterans' hospital. "At first, my youngest son was a bit scared of the men who were missing legs, but it turned out to be a good opportunity to talk about American heroes," she says. "Afterward, he said, 'I'm glad that we don't have any wars where I live. Those soldiers must have been really strong.'" Prepare your youngster with a list of open-ended questions, like "Why did you join the military?" — and make sure he avoids potentially painful ones, such as "Did you shoot anyone?"
Don't dis the cops. You may not be aware of the words that fly out of your mouth when you get a traffic ticket, but they have an impact on your passengers: A child's first concept of law and order comes from watching parents react to authority, says Kate Kelly, a mother of three and author of Election Day: An American Holiday, an American History. "Show children that you respect the system," she says. "Instead of being angry, say, 'She was just doing her job, and she thought I made a mistake.'" If you disagree, tell your kids that you'll have a chance to explain your side in court.
Show them the world. Sometimes we forget to tell our kids how good we Americans have it — democracy, freedom of speech, a high standard of living. That's why Sara Morrone of Poughkeepsie, NY, helped her 5-year-old daughter, Sophie, put together aid boxes for children in third-world nations as a school project. "We talked about the differences between the U.S. and other countries," says Morrone. "I wanted to help her realize that not everyone in the world has as much."
Party on. There's more to celebrating our country than barbecuing on the Fourth of July. Kids will appreciate the significance of Flag Day, Memorial Day, and Veteran's Day if you crank up the festivities. "I find poems about the meaning of each holiday at the library and share them with my kids," says Crytzer. "On Flag Day, we talk about what the stars and stripes stand for." Crytzer also serves a fruit-and-veggie flag (with star fruit and blueberries for the stars and blue background, cherry tomatoes and cauliflower for the stripes). Heighten the drama by logging on to view some of the virtual firework displays at www.holidays .net and www.kidsdomain.com.
Get involved. Even as adults, we tend to take our everyday freedoms for granted. Talking about how the government works is a great way to help our kids — and to remind us — to appreciate our rights. My daughter's trip to the voting booth, for instance, spurred a series of conversations about the election process and what candidates stand for. And you can take the hands-on approach a step further. When residents of her Larchmont, NY, community railed against a big developer, Kelly took her 11-year-old daughter, Callie, to the protest. "She saw democracy in action," Kelly says. "It was very polite and organized. Callie was absolutely amazed when the developer backed off." Her daughter, she says, learned firsthand that every American has a voice — and is free to use it. And that may be the best patriotic lesson of all.
When did we change our name from the Canteen Cheerleaders to the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders :-) Isn't that a picture of us Canteen Gals?
And deservedly so. LOL
Hi fuzzy, bye fuzzy....gotta run. Later. : )
Be as quick as you can!
Don't want you giving us wolves a bad rep. Might have to boot you out of the pack. LOL
Think a little highly of yourself, do ya' LouieWolf? LOL!
Hey, you won't get an argument out of this bear. :-)
Hi fuzzy, bye fuzzy....gotta run. Later. : )
Bye Louie.
It is amazing that how you and I wield our God-like powers with such wisdom and kindness here and elsewhere. I envy us. Regards!
You want meat? Meat you shall have!
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