Branson Courier

Month: November 2005

  • Eureka Springs Great Passion Play Grounds Light Up For Christmas

    In Eureka Springs, Arkansas, The Great Passion Play lights up for Christmas with thousands of lights, a special “Tour of the Windows”, “Christmas On Ice” performances, appearances by artists Jack Dawson, O. D. Sherrill and Mel Shipley, Victorian street scenes right out of a Charles Dickens’ novel, and a live interactive nativity set in first century Bethlehem. While the centerpiece of The Great Passion Play Christmas Experience is its interactive “Beyond Dickens” show, several additions add to the Christmas festivities.



    New this year is the “Tour of the Windows” – fabulous window displays throughout the grounds. The window displays were created by area businesses and Great Passion Play employees. Visitors can see the Crescent Hotel recreated in all its glory as a Gingerbread Inn, a fanciful Hawaiian Christmas scene presented by Treasures from the Pacific, and a window by Christmas Memories featuring a life-size nutcracker. For those who enjoy the outdoors, Lollipops & Roses Floral Shop offers up a fishing scene to delight any sports minded person and Doris McPherson & Kathy Hanlon have created a winter wonderland of a ski village. Aficionados of Department 56 will delight in the extensive Department 56 Village created by Linn Pyatt and Doris McPherson. A beautiful Victorian arrangement is sponsored by the Eureka Flower Shop; Charlie and Donna Stoll decorated a window with wood crafts, and the Passion Play Gift Shop Staff created heartwarming scenes with dolls, snowmen, a Fontinini nativity, and more. While enjoying this unique “Tour of the Windows”, visitors also delight in the beautiful lighting of the Amphitheater with thousands of lights illuminating the world famous set and tram ride to the giant Christ of the Ozarks to see the decorated grounds of the statue.



    Before entering the “Beyond Dickens” Christmas Experience, visitors also enjoy meeting famous artist Jack Dawson at the Sacred Arts Center, where his painting “The Passion Tree”, as well as other works of art, is displayed. At the Bible Museum a special collection of angels and 1000’s of Bibles are displayed and visitors also travel through time at the Museum of Earth History. As the town of Eureka Springs is celebrating “It’s A Dickens of A Christmas”, The Great Passion Play encourages visitors to go “Beyond Dickens”. This unique Christmas experience takes visitors into the very first Christmas where visitors join the travelers from throughout Judea, the citizens & animals, the Roman soldiers, tax collectors, Shepherds, and Mary & Joseph to create a live interactive nativity scene.



    After leaving the “Beyond Dickens” Christmas Experience, visitors venture inside the Christmas Hall where Christmas nativities from around the world are displayed and a special presentation of “Christmas On Ice…A Stroll Down Memory Lane” completes the evening. A community project produced by a volunteer cast, “Christmas On Ice” is led by Darry and Pam Lisemby.



    In its third season, “Beyond Dickens” is breaking all previous attendance records and attracting more visitors from outside the Northwest Arkansas area. Sponsored by both The Great Passion Play and local Eureka Springs businesses, the “Beyond Dickens” Christmas Experience continues to help expand the tourism season and adds greatly to the local economy.



    “Beyond Dickens” is fast-becoming a must-experience event for the whole family. Family passes for mom, dad, and all the kids 17 and under, are available. “Beyond Dickens” is open through December 10 on Friday and Saturday nights from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM. Adult admission is $10.00, admission for children ages 6 -17 is $5.00, and the family pass is $20.00. For more information, please call 800-882-7529 or visit the website at http://www.greatpassionplay.com/christmas/.

  • Branson and “Christmas on the Trail” a perfect way to start the Christmas Season

    I finally got to make it to Branson just before Thanksgiving and I really enjoyed it! In each of the five shows that I got to see, Christmas was being celebrated! It was so wonderful to celebrate the Savior’s birth before December, when things really get hectic. It was a perfect way to start the holiday season!



    But to my surprise, it wasn’t the big name shows with the famous stars and spacious auditoriums, that I liked the best. My favorite show was in a huge tent and it was called “Christmas on the Trail” with the Trailhands. Moreover, it was a dinner show with wonderful chuck wagon food cooked in big ole pots like the cowboys used to do in the late 1800’s. We had delicious Trail Stew; Sparklin’ Taters; melt-in-your-mouth cornbread; and for dessert, tasty Campfire Cobbler! Yum, Yum!



    Besides the great food, we enjoyed an outstanding show! The music of the Trailhands’ reminded me of “The Sons of the Pioneers”. We got to experience a Christmas night on the prarie where the cowboys were sitting on hay bales, around a “campfire” singing, talking, and playing instruments such as guitars, banjos, a mandolin, a harmonica, two fiddles and a bass. The songs we heard, the cowboy’s prayer, and the Christmas poetry took all of us back in time, so we could share in that experience.



    To my delight, most all of the songs, cowboy poetry, and prayers centered on Jesus, the true reason for the season. For example, I never thought about using a single bright star on the prairie, to remind me of the star that led the wise men to little Jesus. I never thought about snow-capped peaks to remind me of the angels in their glory. I never thought that the angels could just as easily come to a bunch of cowboys to announce the birth of Jesus, if He had been born in the 19th century rather than the first century. To me, Christmas on the Trail, sure put a new perspective on Christmas!



    As one of the cowboys explained, the cowboy’s sanctuary was the sky. His choir was the lowing of the cattle, the sound of a whippoorwill, the coyotes, and the crickets. The places where the cowboy worshipped were made by the Lord Himself.



    Then, there was the cowboy whose prayer touched me deeply. He didn’t get any gifts for Christmas. To him, a gift was a clear day with no wind and he was thankful for that! But most of all, he was thankful for the gift of God’s Son who was sent “on that Christmas morn, laid in a horse stall, wrapped in borrowed clothes.” God’s Son was such a wonderful gift of love, so that we might live!



    Their next to last song was a Christmas prayer and blessing for the audience. Here are some of the words:



    May Santa fill your stockings


    And Jesus fill your hearts


    With peace and joy, this season


    And when the New Year starts.



    May friends and family gather


    To celebrate His birth


    With songs of praise and glory


    And prayers for peace on earth.



    His grace and love will keep us


    If we’ll only believe


    So trust in Him throughout the year


    As well as Christmas Eve.



    After the show, my brother and I stayed behind to buy some CD’s and visit with one of the trail hands. I don’t remember his name, but he said that he was “living a dream” and I couldn’t agree with him more! I sure enjoyed being there to live it with him!



    Written by:Linda Woodrow, Okalahoma City



    Editors Note: This Letter to the Editor is being published as a Guest Writer piece in the Entertainment Section rather than the Letter to the Editor because it is an excellent review of a show that might be of interest to others coming to Branson. It should be noted that the “Christmas on the Trail” show is located at The Shepherd of the Hills,5586 West Highway 76 and it also includes a a journey through The Trail of Lights after the show. In the Ole Seagull’s opinion this is the best drive through animated Christmas Light display in the Branson Area.



    Gary J. Groman a.k.a. The Ole Seagull


    Editor and Publisher



    For on line information about this and other shows or to purchase tickets or lodging on line click here or call 800-590-0155.


  • “Hail Caesar!” the theme for the “new” Branson?

    The Nov. 4 edition of this paper contained a letter to the editor signed by Mayor Louis E. Schaefer expressing concerns about the Ole Seagull’s Sunday Oct. 16 column entitled “A question for Branson’s elected and appointed officials, Would you like to be treated this way?” The style and tenor of the letter was strangely reminiscent of a similar letter on the same topic that was published in the Sep. 29, 2004 edition of this paper. That letter was signed by City Administrator Terry Dody. Oh, and by the way, evidently the answer was “Yes.”



    From the “get go,” let’s be clear on what the issue is. It’s not about a tree being cut down, annexing land, what’s in the minutes of meetings, the city requiring the removal of a “breakfast special sign” from a downtown restaurant that had been in place for years, some one being able to speak at public meetings or how they do it, the manner and way in which the liberty tree was removed, etc. To an Ole Seagull it’s about treating people the right way, the way things are done, and, what he believes is yet another example of how Branson is changing under the leadership of the man who seemingly controls its government in a Caesar like grip.



    Why the Ole Seagull almost expects to see supplicants throwing palm branches down in front of his Suburban SUV as he drives through “his kingdom,” whoops, sorry, a slip of the tongue, “the city of Branson.” Some might say, “But Seagull, the Mayor doesn’t drive a suburban SUV.” Of course they would be right. Would all those who believe that either the Mayor or the board of aldermen actually control Branson’s city government please raise their hands? Hail Caesar!



    Annexation or elections, the city’s new reputation under its current unelected leadership speaks for itself. As that leadership transforms the Branson that used to be into the new “upscale” Branson of the future it sometimes seems that all vestiges of the old, every tree, rock, and, seemingly, the very spirit, personality and “niceness” that used to be Branson, must go. Oh, they’ll talk the talk but when it comes to walking the walk the new Branson appears to be as devoid of the old Branson as the Taneycomo Lakefront is of its trees.



    Dody’s letter of a year ago, the current letter, and the city’s handling of the tree situation from day one are but manifestations of what businesses and citizens alike can expect in the new Branson. What is the chance that three business owners simply woke up one morning and said, “We’ve got nothing else to do today so let’s cut down a city owned tree?” An Ole Seagull would suggest that they are about the same as the city of Branson accepting any responsibility for what happened to the tree.



    What bodes ominously for the future of Branson however is the manner in which Branson’s uncontrolled unelected leadership is transitioning Branson from the old to the new. One prime example from the mayor’s letter illustrates the point. It said, “The opinion column incorrectly states that after issuing a ticket the ‘city took no further action to pursue the case until the sisters recently filed a motion to have the case dismissed.’”



    In fact, the column didn’t even contain the words “issuing” or “ticket” or any word close to them. Further, the sentence preceding the sentence that the writer of the letter quoted from stated, “After the charges were filed in the Branson Municipal Court, the sisters requested, for obvious reasons, a change of venue into the Taney County Court system.”



    Even omitting that wasn’t enough of a distortion for the writer of the letter. The first part of the sentence that the writer selectively quoted contained the words “The request was granted and” immediately prior to the words “the city took no further action to pursue the case until the sisters recently filed a motion to have the case dismissed.” The integrity of someone who would intentionally mislead in this manner is as obvious as the motivation prompting the action.



    Although the Ole Seagull would relish the opportunity to continue through the letter and deal with each issue on a similar basis what would it accomplish? To the Ole Seagull, this issue has never been about the commission of a crime. It has been about the responsiveness of government, effectively communicating with people, and treating them the way that they would like to be treated. He believes but for the actions of the city itself, the tree would still be standing.



    At the end of the day however, what an Ole Seagull believes matters not; what matters is that Branson’s Caesar will still be Caesar and he will still rule supreme. Hail Caesar!

  • U.S. Highway 65 improvements progress

    Continuing rapid progress of highway and bridge improvements were the major points of discussion at a Partners In Progress meeting held at Hollister Town Hall Thursday afternoon.



    “Hollister City Administrator Rick Ziegenfuss chaired the meeting and discussed progress of the U.S. 65 improvement project inside Hollister city limits, the new U.S. 65 bridge over Lake Taneycomo, the future widening of U.S. 65 to the Arkansas border and the proposed East West Corridor project.



    “All of the construction going on is moving ahead nicely and we want to strongly stress to the public that safety is of the utmost concern in all of these projects,” Ziegenfuss said. “We are enforcing the new


    construction zone speed limits with all law enforcement agencies as we insist on safety for both the public and the workers.



    “Law enforcement officials from Missouri State Highway Patrol, Taney County Sheriff’s Department, Branson Police Department and our Hollister Police Department have met together and determined that they will all enforce the construction speed limits,” Ziegenfuss said. “Some minimal delays can be expected, but we ask everyone to remain patient as these projects will give us a better system of roadways when they are completed.”



    Construction of the new bridge has also progressed quickly with a lot of work being done on both the access areas to the new bridge and with the bridge supports under Lake Taneycomo. “We have made progress on the new bridge, but there will be time next week when we will have to work from the existing bridge during evening hours and we will once again appreciate a law enforcement presence,” APAC-Missouri Superintendent Gene Havens said. “We have been pleased with boaters taking it easy around our work area also as we are very safety conscious with our workers and the public.”



    Improvements to U.S. 65 to the Arkansas border are progressing with 95 percent of the right-of-way lands being procured and the contract will be awarded on May 19, 2006. Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) designers are currently working on final designs for the project.



    The East West Corridor is something the City of Hollister has deemed necessary to help with traffic flow in and out of the city and also ease access to and egress from U.S. 65. “We are going to take this issue up with Taney County Commissioners on Dec. 1,” Ziegenfuss said. “The first $4 million of the road is included in our proposed Tax Increment Finance District and we want their approval of the idea.


    “We believe that the east-west corridor is critical for Hollister and county commissioners agree with us on that issue,”



    Ziegenfuss said. “There is a lot of work to be done on the design and exact location of the


    projected road “The City of Hollister has worked very hard with MoDOT and the contractors


    to get these projects completed as it has previously been very difficult to move north and south on U.S. 65 through Hollister,” Ziegenfuss said. “People can now see that things are definitely going to get a lot better in the near future.”



    During the different phases of construction, road information will be broadcast on MoDOT radio 1610 AM, City of Hollister website at cityofhollister.com and the MoDOT website at modot.state.mo.us.



    Courtesy of Branson Daily Independent

  • Gatlin Brothers/Lennon Sisters show – a special Christmas Blessing for Branson

    At the outset an Ole Seagull must admit that he can’t read a note of music and doesn’t know a “beet” from a “beat,” but even he knew that he was listening to something special as he listened to the Gatlin Brothers and Lennon Sisters present their Christmas Show at the Welk Theatre in Branson, Missouri on the afternoon of Nov. 19, 2005. On their own, each group has that unique special blend of natural singing ability and harmony that God blesses very few families with. But when the two groups combine to present the Christmas portion of the show that blessing is multiplied exponentially, creating a synergy and spirit that fills ones heart with the true meaning of Christmas even as they realize that they are participating in a very special entertainment experience.

    The first half of the show features the Gatlin Brothers, Larry, Steve, and Rudy “on doing all the hits they are famous for, “Houston,” “She’s a Broken Lady,” “All the Gold in California” as only they can do them with Larry and Steve providing just the right amount of comedic and audience interaction. How does “Boogers and Snot” fit into the great scheme of life, well wonder no more because Larry and, through video, his granddaughter, Parker, will make it all clear.

    Ever since a 15 year old boy came in from hunting and walked through the door of his uncles house in 1956 and saw the Lennon Sisters for the first time and realized that there was more to life than hunting and fishing he has been a Lennon Sisters fan. That is mentioned simply because, as they sang their portion of the first half, that boy, who is now 64 years old and back to fishing, took a few pictures and simply, for the most part, sat there mesmerized by the beautiful elegance of their music and harmony rather than writing down what it was they were singing. One highlight, from a performance filled with “highlights,” would be their beautiful rendition of “Somewhere” from the musical “Westside Story.”

    What is really special about this show is that it is the raw skill of the entertainer’s not production and special effects. Oh, sure there are sets and decorations but, at the end of the day, it is the obvious skill of the performers involved who make it the special experience that it is. The seamless subtle way that the extremely talented band, composed of Steve Smith, who has been playing guitar for the Gatlins for years, George Perilli on percussion, Galen Butler on the keyboard, and the addition of Mike Cathcart on guitar, with the Lennon Sisters, blends in with the performers voices accentuating and highlighting the beauty and harmony of their voices rather than overpowering them.

    The Christmas portion covers the entire second half of the show and, let there be no doubt about it, although “Happy Holidays” might be the theme at Walmart, in this show there is no doubt that the holiday being celebrated is Christmas. From the opening number to the grand finale, it is one traditional Christmas favorite after another with a couple of surprises thrown in. The Gatlin’s rendition of the “The 12 Days of Christmas” is a real crowd pleaser and adds the Gatlin’s own special meaning to the phrase “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

    The main highlight was when the Lennon Sisters and the Gatlins sang a medley of Christmas carols accompanied only by Steve Smith and Mike Cathcart on the guitar. The blending of their voices and harmonies with the beautiful guitar playing of Steve and Mike results in a simple elegant expression of the Christmas spirit. Or was it the Lennon Sisters rendition “Ave Maria,” or the number where two of Janet’s “angel” grand daughters, Lia, 6, and Ana 4, stood watch over the baby Jesus as their grandmother and her sisters sang His praises. Maybe it was the combined voices and the power and conviction of the grand finale.

    Whatever the highlight might be, the Gatlin Brothers and Lennon Sisters Christmas Show is not only a poignant musical definition of the true meaning of Christmas it is a unique one of a kind opportunity to experience the synergy of two of America’s favorite singing groups as they join their voices and harmonies together in a beautiful, powerful, and moving musical experience that is without parallel. These folks need to make an album of inspirational songs together!

    Originally Published In the Branson Courier on Nov. 22, 2005.

  • Branson’s 57th Adoration Parade has new parade route

    When the first of over 50 marching bands, drum and bugle teams, parade floats, and other units steps off in the 57th Branson Adoration Parade shortly after the Nativity Scene on Mt. Branson is lit at 5:00 p.m. on December 4, 2005, it will be on a new parade route through historic downtown Branson. The changes are necessary because of the construction of the Branson Landing redevelopment project scheduled to open in the spring of 2006 and its new convention center scheduled to open in 2007.



    The new parade route this year will “will go north on Business 65 and Commercial St. from E. Long, ending at Oklahoma.” For maps or further information on the route contact the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB 1-417-334-4084 or 800-214-3661.



    Branson’s Adoration Parade is a non commercial event honoring the true meaning of CHRISTmas and celebrating the lighting of the giant Nativity Scene high above Historic Downtown Branson on Mount Branson. It’s combination of non commercialism, the theme of “Keeping Christ in Christmas,” and the time of day it is held make it one of the most unique parades in America, if not the world.It is one of Americas few night time parades and every float must carry their own self contained lighting system.Many of the marching units have miniature lighting systems on their uniforms and instruments.



    The Adoration Parade and Nativity Scene lighting has been an Ozarks tradition for well over half a century, long before the Branson became a popular Christmas destination.It is first and foremost, a way for those privileged enough to live in these blessed Ozark hills to have an opportunity to celebrate the birth of the One for whom Christmas is named, the Christ Child, and the hope, love, and peace that He offers.

  • Thanksgiving is all about to whom the “Thanks” is “given!”

    Common sense tells an Ole Seagull that something celebrated as “Thanksgiving Day” should be a day of “giving thanks.”Generally speaking, who among us says “thank you” to “no one?” Generally, when thanks is given it is for something and is “given” to the person or entity believed to have provided that something.



    Yet, even as some would take “CHRIST” out of CHRISTmas they would take the “Giving” out of Thanksgiving. To whom are we giving thanks? From Coronado’s 1541 Thanksgiving in Palo Duro Canyon, in what is now West Texas, through the 1600 Puritan Thanksgivings in New England, history testifies to the fact that our modern day Thanksgiving is rooted on giving thanks to God for blessings bestowed.



    The true meaning of “Thanksgiving,” and its involvement with the very foundation of our Nation can be readily gleaned from the Proclamations establishing it and history itself. One of the “First Thanksgiving Proclamations,” issued in 1676, by the Governing Council of Charlestown, Massachusetts proclaimed, “a day of Solemn Thanksgiving and praise to God for such his Goodness and Favor.”



    On December 18, 1777, after the victory over the British at Saratoga, the Congress recommended, “That at one time, and with one voice, the good people may express the grateful feelings of their hearts, and consecrate themselves to the service of their divine benefactor; and that, together with their sincere acknowledgements and offerings they may join the penitent confession of their sins; and supplications for such further blessings as they stand in need of.”



    On November 16, 1789, the First President of the United States, George Washington, issued a Thanksgiving Proclamation stating, “Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor, and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint committee requested me to ‘recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanks-giving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many single favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.’”



    Perhaps Abraham Lincoln, in his 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation said it best. “No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things.They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People.I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.”



    Particularly at this time in our Nations history, it would seem appropriate, during our Thanksgiving celebrations, to stop and give “thanks” to Almighty God for the many blessings he has bestowed upon this Nation and its people.As Lincoln so beautifully said, “No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things.They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God.”

  • New for 2006 – Silver Dollar City’s The Grand Exposition

    In the tradition of the magnificent expositions showcasing the technological wonders of the late 19th Century, Silver Dollar City presents an all-new development for 2006 – the Grand Exposition! An $8 million expansion in a new region of the theme park, the Grand Exposition recreates the pageantry of a triumphant American tour of discovery, including 10 new family rides that soar, whirl and fly.



    As the traveling expositions of the 1880s drew people from hundreds of miles around to marvel at the latest mechanical innovations and American ingenuity, the Grand Exposition is a streetmosphere of excitement. The area will be a colorful destination where exposition-goers experience the collaboration of imagination, technology and entertainment. From elaborate gardens and dancing fountains to the grandiose calliope and the high-sailing ship Galleon, the Grand Exposition is a collection of attractions and technological wonders.



    “The Grand Exposition opens a whole new region of the park encompassing two acres, with ten new family rides, where guests are transported back in time to experience the golden era of discovery and excitement of the World’s Fairs and Expositions in the late 1800s,” said Brad Thomas, Silver Dollar City General Manager. “In keeping with our hallmark of bringing the past to life, we’ve chosen the theme of a very grand and exciting era, one which evokes the elements of the St. Louis World’s Fair and P.T. Barnum’s Traveling Expositions, which came through Missouri in the late 1800s.”



    The new rides are being manufactured and styled in Italy specifically for Silver Dollar City, and will have a capacity of 5,000 passengers per hour. Rides include the five-story Wave Swinger for high-flying adventure; the ship-themed Galleon which sends riders nearly 60 feet in the air; the multi-dimensional Spinning Disk ride which travels 55 feet in the air as it spins, the twirling Tea Cups with a center control for interactive fun, the fast-paced Regetta, and a family roller coaster. Several rides with nature themes offer excitement for smaller kids.



    The Grand Exposition will open in Spring, 2006. Dollar City opens for select days in March, then opens for the regular season with World-Fest on April 6. For festival and ticket information, call 1-800-831-4FUN. For season passes, call 1-800-888-PASS. Information is also available at http://www.silverdollarcity.com/.

  • Branson Area Festival of Lights new interactive experience for 2005

    Construction in the Branson Hills Parkway area, where the Branson Area Festival of Lights (BAFOL) massed holiday drive through light displays used to be, has lead to an exciting change for visitors to Branson’s 2005 Ozarks Mountain Christmas. Instead of all the displays being located in one place, the majority of them have been relocated to different locations around Branson. The result is an exciting interactive holiday driving experience as visitors drive from one to another using the “Branson Area Festival of Lights (BAFOL) Holiday Driving Tour Map.”


    The integration of the displays into mainstream Branson and the BAFOL Holiday Driving Tour Map provides Branson visitors with a unique opportunity to experience BAFOL at their own pace, in their own time, and in a manner that is convenient to them. The maps are available on line, at the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and CVB Visitor Centers, or by calling 800-214-3661.


    One of the favorite light displays, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is part of an interactive experience that could lead to a free return trip to BransonFest April 4-8, 2006 with lodging at the Hotel Grand Victorian. Using the map, simply find the “12 Days of Christmas! Fill in the blanks,” on the form located on the right had side of the map, “with the name of each business where one of the 12 Days of Christmas displays is located.” Then return the completed form to Branson Chamber of Commerce, 269 State Hwy 248, Branson, MO in person or mail it to the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 1897, Branson, MO 65616, ATTN: 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS by December 31, 2005.


    For further information on BAFOL or “The Twelve Days of Christmas” promotion please call the Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce at 800-214-3661.


    [Download Branson Area Festival of Lights (BAFOL) Holiday Driving Tour Map Here.]

  • Even so citizenship, if it has no works, is dead, being but a word

    The character trait for November for the FirstPLACE character education program, taking place in the schools of Branson and Taney County, for the month of November is “Citizenship – being loyal to your country.” What exactly does it mean to be “loyal?”



    In general terms, a loyal person is one who is faithful to a person, a cause, obligation, duty, or has a steadfast allegiance to their country. How exactly does one show their loyalty to their country?



    In reflecting on that question, the Ole Seagull is reminded of the verse of scripture saying, “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” In terms of citizenship, the Ole Seagull would suggest that “Citizenship without works is meaningless, being but a word.”



    The works of citizenship are generally performed out of a sense of duty to ones country.


    Duty, in general is “an act or a course of action that is required of one by position, social custom, law, or religion.” Loyalty to anything, friend, family, God or country, entails duty and, without the performance of that duty, is basically meaningless.



    Of what value would the Declaration of Independence be today if after saying “we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor” and signing it, its signers had sent it to England and done nothing else? From the “shot heard around the world, fired April 19, 1775 from Lexington Square, to the next patrol in Iraq, where would our nation be without the sacrifices of those who do their duty on her behalf?



    Some of the duties of citizenship are not as dramatic or demanding. They are the simple things like respecting our flag, our laws, each other, our history, and those in authority. Things like taking the responsibility to pay taxes, follow laws, participate in government and its processes, keeping abreast of local and national issues, and, perhaps as important as anything, voting based on your knowledge of the issues and what would be best for ones “country” rather than just themselves.



    “Citizenship – loyalty to ones country” is not simply a national thing. It starts with individuals, families and homes and spreads into local, state, and national governments. A nation’s citizenship is but a reflection of that nation’s individual, family, and local citizenship.



    As the final curtain was falling on one of the most distinguished military careers in the history of our nation, General Douglas MacArthur spoke to a joint session of the congress on April 19, 1951. To an Ole Seagull, the last nineteen words of that speech embody the very essence of what citizenship is when he described himself as “An old soldier who tried to do his duty as God gave him the light to see that duty.”



    An Ole Seagull’s prayer would be that our great nation would be served, starting in our homes and going into the halls of government, at all levels, by those doing their duty as God has given them the light to see that duty.”