Fathers Day History

With Father's Day coming soon I thought you might enjoy learning a bit about how this holiday actually got its start. Ok, some people think that Father's Day was invented as an afterthought to Mother's Day… You know, everyone felt sorry for dads since moms had their special day in May, so… along came Father's Day in June! Not true!

The creation of a national day for Dads began back in the 1900s and owes its start to a young widower by the name of William Smart. A civil war veteran, William raised his six children single-handedly on a rural farm in eastern Washington State. When Sonora Louise Smart Dodd, one of Mr. Smart's children, was grown she wanted to show her appreciation for her father. So, in 1909, she proposed a day to honor her father in June, the month of her father's birth (see, it wasn't an afterthought to Mother's Day!).

The very first Fathers' Day followed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane, Washington. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge showed support of this becoming a national holiday. But it was President Lyndon Johnson who actually proclaimed it a national holiday in 1966, to be celebrated on the 3rd Sunday of June.

In case you're wondering what to do for your dad this year, (or you need some ideas to suggest to your own kids) here are a few things that are guaranteed to please!

Tickets to his favorite sports event.

Take your dad to the amusement park.

Have a picnic! For families with young children, this is a perfect Father's Day activity.

Dig out all the home movies and watch them with the family. Thank him for all those special childhood memories.

Dinner coupons and movie tickets for a "Guys' Night Out."

A gift certificate to his favorite hardware store (think power tools).

A family-created coupon book of honey-do's in reverse! Here's how it works - coupons are redeemed by family members who will take out the trash, mow the lawn, provide a massage, wash the car - throughout the year! It's the gift that keeps on giving!

Have a blessed day,

Jim Barricks

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	Tickets to his favorite sports event.
	Take your dad to the amusement park.
	Have a picnic! For families with young children, this is a perfect Father's Day activity.
	Dig out all the home movies and watch them with the family. Thank him for all those special childhood memories.
	Dinner coupons and movie tickets for a "Guys' Night Out."
	A gift certificate to his favorite hardware store (think power tools).
	A family-created coupon book of honey-do's in reverse! Here's how it works - coupons are redeemed by family members who will take out the trash, mow the lawn, provide a massage, wash the car - throughout the year! It's the gift that keeps on giving!