Lakeland’s Board of Commissioners (BOC) is set to honor a variety of professions this evening at the BOC meeting at City Hall, as well as acknowledging the National Day of Prayer. Commissioner Connie McCarter told Lakeland Currents she is happy to sponsor these resolutions and provided more information about each of the resolutions and why they are important to Lakeland.
From Commissioner Connie McCarter…
National Day of Prayer
Tomorrow and every first Thursday in May is set aside and proclaimed by the President of the United States as The National Day of Prayer on which the people of the United States may turn to God in prayer and meditation at churches, in groups, and as individuals. President Ronald Reagan signed this day into Public Law 100-307 on May 5, 1988. Lakelanders can access the link https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/events/gatherings-by-state/tennessee to identify prayer gatherings in Shelby County and Tennessee. A live broadcast will be available at 7 PM Central time by accessing the link https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/events/2024_broadcast
The theme for 2024 is Lift Up The Word, Light Up The World.
Teacher Appreciation Week
Our Lakeland BOC is proclaiming May 6-10, 2024 as Teacher Appreciation Week in the City of Lakeland, Tennessee. Lakeland is blessed with outstanding teachers and an excellent school system! Our school system has achieved many designations while striving to learn, grow, and lead together. (https://www.lakelandk12.org)
Two of us on the BOC are educators and value education. I, Commissioner McCarter have taught nurses and other healthcare providers for 20 years and Commissioner Dial has taught elementary school for 25 years.
The official history of Teacher Appreciation Week dates back to 1953 when First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded Congress that there needed to be a specific day to recognize teachers. It wasn’t until 1980 when the National Education Association (NES) joined with the Kansas and Indiana State Boards of Education and began to lobby Congress to have the day nationally recognized. The 2024 theme for National Teacher Day is “Teachers are Shining Stars!” May we all thank our Lakeland teachers but also the teachers who taught us and helped shape us into the people we are! (pta.org)
National Nurses Week
National Nurses Week begins each year on May 6th and ends on May 12th, Florence Nightingale’s birthday. As of 1998, May 8 was designated as National Student Nurses Day, to be celebrated annually. And as of 2003, National School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week (May 6-12). In 1972 President Nixon issued a proclamation designating a week as National Nurse Week. In 1982 the US Congress designated May 6 as “National Recognition Day for Nurses” with President Ronald Reagan signing a proclamation “National Recognition Day for Nurses” to be May 6, 1982. In 1990 The American Nurses Association expanded the recognition to a week-long celebration of May 6-12, 1991 as National Nurses Week and in 1993 this week-long celebration was designated to be a permanent celebration beginning in 1994. In 1996 May 6 was acknowledged as National RN Recognition Day.
The theme for National Nurses Week in 2024 is “Nurses Make the Difference”
Truly, nurses make a difference in our city! Nurses work in Lakeland clinics and physician offices. School nurses work in our Lakeland schools to provide for the health concerns of students and staff, managing health problems and injuries when they occur, administer necessary medications, and provide support for the teachers with up-to-date health information and health lessons for the classroom. I am proud to say that I have worked as a Registered Nurse for 45 years, currently working as a certified educator to nurses and other healthcare providers and am the first nurse to serve as a Lakeland Commissioner advocating for the needs of our citizens in Lakeland, Tennessee.
Fire Fighter Appreciation Day (International Firefighter’s Day)
May 4, 2024, The City of Lakeland recognizes the bravery, dedication, and sacrifice of its firefighters who serve to protect the lives and property of our city.
Today, virtually every firefighter in the United States receives medical training as a part of their normal training. Many firefighters are classified as Firefighter/EMT or Firefighter/Paramedic.
Often communities remember human sacrifice through observing a minute’s silence. For International Firefighters’ Day in 2002 the inaugural “Sound Off” was conducted to reflect on the commitment and sacrifices of firefighters’ worldwide in a truly poignant manner for emergency service workers. Due to the amazing support of the Sound Off in 2002, there is now an annual Sound Off on the first Sunday of every May.
On the first Sunday in May at noon local time let us sound off our fire sirens for 30 seconds followed by a minute’s silence in memory of, and respect for, all firefighters who have been lost in the line of duty or passed on before us. https://www.firefightersday.org/
