Legacies are important to Presidents. From Taft to Truman, and from Coolidge to Carter, all those to have sat in the big chair in The Oval Office have understood the need to accomplish something significant to immortalise their respective tenures.
In this respect, Ronald Reagan is no different to all those to have served, before and since our 40th Commander in Chief.
The charismatic Californian achieved much during his two terms, although one suspects Reagan’s role in ending the Cold War plays a more prominent part in his memoirs than his hand in bringing Proclamation 5219 into being.
You might have forgotten all about Proclamation 5219, after all, 27 years have passed since President Reagan put his name to a document that passed through Congress courtesy of Senate Joint Resolution 298.
Does this sound at all familiar? Is this ringing a bell?
Don’t tell us you’ve forgotten – that you let the weekend pass without giving Proclamation 5219 a second thought, that you forgot to celebrate.
Come on? Ben? Jerry? Help us out here guys?
Here in Saunderstown, we’ve managed to acquire Proclamation 5219, so rather than explain, we’ll just quote it. Remember as you read, this came from the pen of a powerful President.
“Ice cream is a nutritious and wholesome food, enjoyed by over ninety percent of people in the United States. It enjoys a reputation as the perfect dessert and snack food.
“Over 887 million gallons of ice cream were consumed in the United States in 1983.
“I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim July 1984 as National Ice Cream Month, and July 15, 1984 as National Ice Cream Day, and I call upon the people of the United States to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”
– Proclamation 5219,7/9/1984, Ronald Reagan, Washington DC.
There’s a little more to it than that, but you get the gist. Despite all the demands of running the United States, the Leader of the Free World – a President striving to broker peace with the Soviet Union, don’t forget – found time in his schedule to make July 1984 National Ice Cream Month.
Legacy-wise, we suspect this initiative is well down the list, and that’s despite our passion for a frozen dessert!
The result of all this is that ever since the momentous occasion that was July 15, 1984, the third Sunday in July, the Sunday just passed, has become National Ice Cream Day on an annual basis.
That got us thinking.
Now, if ice cream can have its own National Day, indeed, it’s own month, why can’t our OMs?
You know, we might not have quite the same power as The Oval Office, but we have got Presidential approval of a kind.
President Obama has an OM, after all, we’ve even got the letter to prove it.
So it’s decided then. From this time on and forever more, July 24th will be recognised as National OM Day.
We’ve even written our own Proclamation.
“OMs are whimsical, magical spirits who remind us that we all are one, enjoyed by a growing number of people throughout the United States and beyond.
“OMs are kindred spirits, inspired by people and their stories.
“I, Miquette Bishop, Founder and Creative Director of OM by miquette, do hereby proclaim July, 2011 as National OM Month, and July 24, 2011 as National OM Day, and I call upon the people of the United States to observe these events with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”
– Proclamation 1, 7/19/2011, Miquette Bishop, Saunderstown.
So there you have it: the first National OM Month and the first National OM Day.
We realise that our OMs have found homes all over the planet, but at this point, we don’t want to overstep the mark, and are uncertain of our position, under international law, to proclaim World Days and Months. We’ll keep it local for now – well, national – and ask our legal team to take a look and maybe aim to roll this out on a global scale at a later date.
In the meantime, enjoy OM Day! How are you going to celebrate it?!
Bring out your OMs, celebrate all they stand for, hang the bunting (if you have some), perhaps pop a cork or two.
Take some pictures and send them to us – we’d love to see them – and if you haven’t done so already, tell your friends!
OM Day 2011, July 24!
“I see a 100 million OMs…..and a world where people are connected” S. Paul Carlson
1 Comment
Om my god! National Om Day. I cant wait