Show The Herald Journal Logan Utah Tuesday February 10 1987 the George Washington presided at the Constitutional Convention on May 25 1787 Thomas Ferraro By UPI feature writer ' fc! Fifty-fiv- e delegates from 12 founding fathers — Benjamin Franklin Alexander Hamilton and James Madison among them — put their signatures on the “ ' Constitution "We need to look at how the Constitution is functioning and how it is likely to function in' the next UO years" said Richard Morris a history professor emeritus at Columbia University Morris is of Project ’87 a group of historians and political scientists who will hold a forum mi the Constitution in Philadelphia May 24 the eve of the 200th anniversary of the — - WASHINGTON (UPI) — Just months after the highly commercial Statue of Liberty centennial America is ready to celebrate again — this time in honor of the US Constitution which turns 200 years old this summer Organisers want to avoid the Hollywood gilts that showered y Lady Liberty but the salute will still include plenty of pomp and pageantry from Philadephia’s Independence Hall to a Navy aircraft carrier off the coast of Sin Diego Retired Chief Justice Warren Burger chairman of the national commission heading the commemoration the celebration will be dazzling but dignified and hopes constitute a "history and civic lessons for ill of us” Educational activites are being emphasised — essay and oratorical contests conferences and forums and a pilot program to improve classroom instruction on the four-pag-e handwritten framework of American democracy In one echo of the Liberty celebrations the Commission of the Btftpfrnwlal el the United Statea Constitution is aakin from private corporations One project is to distribute 50 mHHan copies of the Constitution in hotels and supei The document begins with this famous paragraph : "We the People of the United States in Order to form a more perfect Union establish Justice insure domestic Tranquility — Mlafi HiU ffwidHuHwi for thf United Btaf of Amwica” Television quiz shows have been ashed by the commission to use constitutional questions during the week of Sept 17 the 200th anniversary of the signing of the document Scores of TV and radio specials documentaries and dramas about the Constitution are also planned Scholars politicians and lawyers hope conduct the biggest of America's political system since the SO an I The celebration is supposed to last five years In 1887 it will focus on the writing of foe Constitution in 1988 on its ratification by the states in 1988 on the formation of the new government and in 1890 and 1981 on the creation of the Bill of Rights A smattering of events began in January but most begin this tpring They foriude — In Philadelphia Sept 17 1987 President Reagan and Burger are to attend "Constitution Day" one of scores across the nation that day — Sept 28 1987 former presidents Richard Nixon Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter are Invited to present essays on the states (all except Rhode Island) participated Constitution at a gala event aboard the aircraft vs w Vinson off the eoast of San Diego 13 carrier Carl E : "'Ratification" Mils are tote held in each of the original states on the anniversary of their approval of the Constitution — In the State of Washington fifth graders are to meet this June to write a constitution for a theoretical colony in space in the 21st Century — in Maryland the celebration actually began last fall with a commemoration of the Annapolis Convention where delegates' from five states in 1786 passed a resolution calling for the fywHhiHwBil fwwwtlmi Last July’s ' Statue of Liberty gala laced with Hollywood —tartsinnuMit gyrating Elvis Presley lookalikes and a bevy of souvenirs emblazoned with likenesses of the statue from ash trays to flashlights was criticised as excessive gaudy even disrespectful “We’re making a serious effort not to have what happened in New York" said Chuck Timanus a commission spokesman "We're looking for a more cerebral celebration But we cant control what a community decides to do We both know there will be plenty of fireworks parades glits" To help protect against excessive commercialisation Congress imposed guidelines on licensing of the logo of the national commission "The logo may be licensed 'but only if it is used in a manner that has historic or commemorative value" said Tait TrusseU the commission’s chief spokesman A car dealership or an appliance store could certainly hold a "US Constitution Bicentennial" clearance sale the First Amendment guarantees them freedom of speech Still an old document has fewer possibilities for exploitation than a mighty statue Local Mds attend Bicentennial party" in the faces of the children — especially when youngsters were chosen from the audience to Chris Williams staff writer By When someone has a birthday it's time to throw a i then a wL 600 cupcakes party That's exactly what happened when hundreds of Wilson Elementary School children filed into their school gymnasium Thursday They knew they were about to celebrate the US Constitution’s 200th birthday and receive a history But the one thing they didn’t know was how much fun it would be Sure they knew from their lessons what the word "Bicentennial” means When it came to pronoundng lt— well that was another story So when Logan High Debate Team members volunteered tohelp explain tte finer poiMs of a Mg word and an evenbixger idea they decided to make sure the children would remember what they saw for a long time Before debaton presented their party adviser Joy Ann Lott fold about what they wanted to try to accomplish "It’s a real community-minde- d thing We are going to try to it down on the kids’ level we are andoTO tobeplaytng games using anatorfes lessons and see what happens It has bora a lot of fun to put together and the team is hoping It goes well'’ It went well indeed debate team took the stage The with enthusiasm and that enthusiasm reflected er participate in the skits Two debate members dressed as "Backroom Boys" Four children were given choices of eating a can of beets biting off heads of grasshoppers or going backstage with the "Backroom Boys" The four needless to say chose the backstage route When they the kids wore shaving cream on their faces and one boy was decked out in a dress The lesson behind foe laughter was of course that if the Constitution dldriH exist we wouldn't have the right to make our own decisions we would have to play by someone else's rules maybe someone like the "Backroom Boys" In another skit debate team president and Stating Scholar hopeful Ralph Wanlass dressed as "The French Cook" Sporting an accent Ml11 "' 11 “ He mixed flour (representing freedom of speech) chocolate (freedom of religion) salt (freedom of the press) water (freedom from unlawful seizure) and shaving cream (the right to vote) Finally the French Code showed how all the Ingredients were important in making the cake "If any ingredient was left out" the French Cook said "it just wouldn’t be the same" Karen Ellis another member of the debate team explained how a metronome works and showed that a person could control how fast or slow it ticks Ellis told the children: "Because of our Constitution we can control our lives it gives us choices and we can make our own decisions If we did not have the Constitution our lives would be Hut the metronome and someone could always have control over what we do" Following the team's performance Lott said she felt everything went well "From the things foati heard” Lott said "and because of the questions and comments of the children afterwards in their classrooms I thought it was very positive “The kids really seemed to be enjoying it as they watched and I think It wu really successful” on-sta- ge Wilson School students prove an enthusiastic audience for LHS performers a u"“’ |