Can 2023 be half over? I’m afraid so. As we enter the second half of this year, we’re seeing shorter hours of daylight, longer lines at our favorite restaurants, more traffic, and crowds everywhere. Welcome to summer in southeastern North Carolina. We shouldn’t be surprised because after all, those large crowds are here for the same reason we are; the beauty and uniqueness of this part of America. So, let’s enjoy the amenities with which we’ve been blessed. Another statistic I’ll get out of the way is that there are 177 shopping days between July 1 and December 25. So, it’s not too early to start making those lists. It will be here faster than we realize. Another important reminder is to make sure you have your hurricane preparedness plans and routes are in place. We’ve had an early start to this year’s season so it’s important to be prepared.
It is very encouraging to see our monthly CFMC activities continue to normalize after three years of Covid-itis. In June we enjoyed a fantastic Belmont “Steaks” event hosted by Deb and Kevin Perham. They made their home available to us and showered us with fantastic food and drink, fun and fellowship. Thanks Deb and Kevin for hosting this enjoyable event. Please make sure to check out this month’s Ragtop Tales for details and photos of the fun. Our Club’s activities will continue in July with a road trip hosted by Peggy and John Harris. Please see specific details and notification information in this month’s newsletter. We still have a few vacant months remaining, so please consider hosting some type of activity for our Club.
Of course, one of the most historic and important national holidays occurs this month: Independence Day on July 4. We celebrate the United States of America’s 247th birthday. The significance of this day and the signing of the Declaration of Independence should be recognized, celebrated, and appreciated by all of us. The USA is the greatest and most illustrious of the world’s democracies because of the ideals outlined in this Declaration and the Constitution of the USA ratified on September 17, 1787.
Please indulge me as I share some interesting American history. What’s known as the Bill of Rights, are the first ten amendments to the Constitution ratified in 1791. What many of us may not know is that on September 25, 1789, the First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution. Of those 12, Articles 3-12 were ratified by three fourths of the state legislatures on December 15, 1791, and became known as the Bill of Rights. Interestingly, Article 2 of the original 12 proposed amendments, related to compensation for Senators and Representatives, and was not ratified until May 7, 1992, as the 27th Amendment. Article 1 of the 1789 original 12 proposed amendments concerned the number of constituents for each Representative. This Article was never ratified. Over 11,000 amendments to the US Constitution have been proposed, but only 27 have been ratified. This fact helps illustrate the permanence, importance, and purpose of this defining document.
As I have in the past, I encourage all members to read the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Constitution during this holiday. Please consider sharing these documents with your children and grandchildren. It is often easy to forget and understand how we’ve existed for 247 years without knowing these parts of our nation’s history that made us the “Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave” and the envy of the World. Happy July 4th!
I hope to see you all real soon on our next Miata event. Zoom-Zoom!
Ron Carmichael