Saturday, July 25, 2015

Wally Goes to Washington - Senator Arrival Day

Hey all. Wally Koalie here. Today was a very exciting day here at ALA Girls Nation. The senators finally arrived at the 4-H Center! They came from EVERYWHERE!! They all had different looks, different accents, and different ALA Girls State t-shirts from back home. I took pictures with them, helped them get their name badges and carried in their heavy luggage for them. I haven’t met all of them yet, but definitely looking forward to doing so. 

I learned more interesting info today. Do you know what a poppy is? They are pretty! But they also have a great history. I found out that a lady named Moina Belle Michael, a schoolteacher from Georgia, started this tradition. When American soldiers fought in World War I, Moina worked hard to make the red poppy the symbol that honors and remembers veterans. The American Legion Auxiliary has been connecting the visual image of the poppy with the sacrifice made by our veterans since 1921. I also discovered that the four petals represent dedication, sacrifice, responsibility and compassion. The red petals are for the bloodshed, the black stem symbolic of mud and darkness of battle, and the green stem is courage and determination of our fallen warriors. American Legion Auxiliary members distribute poppies to remind us that freedom comes at a dear price. We got to place poppies into a wreath and it sure looked beautiful!

The girls were officially sworn in as ALA Girls Nation Senators, the Junior Counselors illustrated how to properly act, and of course, we ate more ice cream.

I look forward to visiting Arlington National Cemetery tomorrow, starting our first senate session and sharing more fun facts and adventures with you. A JC told me that the wreath we all made together would be used for something special tomorrow. That makes me super excited for our adventure! I best get some sleep so I am ready!


XO
~Wally


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