SOLON & BEYOND: Solon elementary school Civil Rights Team gets underway

by Marilyn Rogers-Bull & Percy
grams29@tds.net
Solon, Maine 04979

Good morning, my friends, Don’t worry, Be happy!

Thank – you to our veterans! The Solon Civil Rights Team has begun its work in our school this fall. Part of the Maine Civil Rights Team Project, its mission is to teach our students the negative effects of biased behaviors.

The team advisers are Mrs. Stevens and Mrs. Jillson. The team is made up of students in grades 4 – 5 who will organize activities for the school. These are the members this year: Kaylynn Clark, Katelyn DeLeonardis, Kaitlin Dellarma, David Dixon, Gavyn Easler, Emmy Golden, Cody James, Elijah Katz, Ella McKinnon, Aiden McLaughlin, Joseph McLaughlin, Riley Pelkey, Macie Plourde, Jillian Robinson and William Rogers.

The Civil Rights Team is already hard at work! They ran a Halloween Dime Raffle in which they raised money to be used for T-shirts and for other team activities. They are sponsoring a Thanksgiving Food Drive from November 5-16 to benefit the Solon Food Cupboard. On November 13, members of the group will attend the annual Civil Rights Team Conference at the University of Maine at Farmington. In addition to a Civil Rights Team, we have a Kind Kids Club made up of K-2 students and run by Mrs. LaChance. All of the K-2 students do activities to show kindness to their classmates, school staff members, their families, and community members.

On October 18 and 23 Solon students and staff participated in the Walking School Bus Program. This activity is part of our school wellness plan.

Students, staff and parents met at the Solon Thrift Shop each of those mornings by 7:20 a.m. and walked to school to promote exercise and fitness. When they got to school, our cook, Mrs. Lawrence, served everyone a delicious breakfast.

We hope to hold some more Walking School Bus activities in the spring.

Linda French has told me there will be more information about the move of the Solon Thrift Shop in the near future to share with you. But since I don’t have it yet, I’m going to write some long ago facts about the old Solon Methodist Church where it was located.

The Methodist Church building was built in 1859. It has some very heavy timbers in its construction and is representative of fine workmanship. It is said that some of the timbers were originally intended for buildings on French Hill, but Capt. Moses French saw the building of the church might be delayed and so did not hesitate to contribute timbers intended for his own purposes, and so made possible the completion of the church in 1859. The church was dedicated in 1860. This act of Capt. Moses French is one among a great many in which he so often manifested his great love of the church and its interests.

When Linda and I went upstairs that day I wrote about, we took especial time to look at the beautiful old memorial windows in that church. This information I am sharing with you today, came from information I found at the Solon Historical building. I found information on the memorial windows, there isn’t any date on the following: Memorial Windows In M. E. Church: “In Memoriam” Asa Fletcher, Elizabeth Fletcher, Jotham Williams and Augusta Colby Williams by their children. David Whipple 1861, Jacob Lowell 1845, Mercy J. Whipple 1870, Grace McFadden Lowell 1854, Heman Whipple 1898, Jane Lowell Whipple 1904 and Eleaser Whipple1858. Another one tells of In Memory of Sarah Kidder French, wife of Capt. Moses French, 1825- 1900. Capt. Moses French, Co. K, Second Maine Cavalry War, for the Union 1861-1865, By His Comrades.

And now for Percy’s memoirs, If Just One Soul: If just one soul has been enriched Because you trod this earth, Or if one doubting heart can trust And realize its worth, And turn to Christ Because you shared Your joy To ease his pain . You’ll know beyond doubt, You’ll not have lived in vain!

My hope is that all of you will have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with family and friends.