Arcanum News for the week of March 14, 2022
By Vickie Rhodehamel
Arcanum High School’s ninth annual Serve Arcanum is quickly approaching! The event is set for May 6, 2022. They are seeking out opportunities for our students to complete service activities throughout the Arcanum-Butler Local School District. If you, a loved one, a neighbor, a church, organization, or a business is in need of some help, the students of Arcanum High School are ready to step up to make a difference. Please contact HS Principal Jason Stephan at 937-692-5174 or you can email your request to him [email protected]. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact the high school office. They look forward to serving our community!
SAVE THE DATE! Immanuel Baptist Church will be having a Tea Party — It’s Christmas in July! More details to come, but put July 23 on your calendar, ladies! Refreshments, devotions, a photo booth, and special music are on the agenda for that day! Come on and join the fun!
Is your church having any special Easter services or an Egg Hunt? I am looking for information for my column — if your church is in the Arcanum or FM school district, please send me your info. Thanks in advance.
Here’s a great idea for a Family Day trip? Have you ever been to the Carillon Historic Park? Did you know that the oldest American-made locomotive still in existence is there in Dayton, Ohio? The John Quincy Adams steam locomotive was built in 1835 and operated on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad in that rail line’s earliest years. This famous locomotive is one of over three million treasures owned and cared for by Dayton History! Plan to visit soon and learn why you can have fun in Dayton, Ohio. Hours for Carillon Historical Park are: Monday – Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday: 12 noon to 5 p.m. Tickets are: $12 for Adults (18-59); $10 for seniors (60+); $8 for children (3-17); and under 3 are FREE. Admission is FREE to Dayton History Members. For Admission tickets: https://shop.daytonhistory.org/Events.aspx?display=ga or Memberships: https://shop.daytonhistory.org/Memberships.aspx.
The Council for the Village of Arcanum is seeking an individual who would be interested in serving as a council member for a four (4) year term commencing immediately upon appointment and expiring on Dec. 31, 2025. Interested parties should submit a letter of interest by March 25, 2022. Letters of interest can be emailed to [email protected] or dropped off at the Administration Building and should be marked “Council Member Appointment.”
Need a part-time job? The Arcanum Village Pool is looking to hire qualified lifeguards for the summer of 2022. Applications are available at the Village offices and should be submitted to Julie Miller by April 8. For more details, please check out www.villageofarcanum.com for an application or more details.
Are you ready for the invasion of leprechauns? Yes, it will be St. Patrick’s Day later this week. Do you remember as a kid how awful it was to forget to wear green on the holiday and you got pinched all day at school? I wonder if that still happens? Did you ever wonder where the holiday comes from? What is the true history of St Patrick’s Day? The March 17 celebration started in 1631 when the Church established a Feast Day honoring St. Patrick. He had been Patron Saint of Ireland who had died around the fifth century — a whopping 12 centuries before the modern version of the holiday was first observed. Why do we celebrate St Patrick’s Day? The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general. Celebrations generally involve public parades and festivals, céilís (A cèilidh or céilí is a traditional Scottish or Irish social gathering. In its most basic form, it simply means a social visit. In contemporary usage, it usually involves dancing and playing Gaelic folk music, either at a house party or a larger concert at a social hall or other community gathering place.), and the wearing of green attire or shamrocks.
One icon of the Irish holiday is the Leprechaun. The original Irish name for these figures of folklore is “lobaircin,” meaning “small-bodied fellow.” Belief in leprechauns probably stems from Celtic belief in fairies, tiny men and women who could use their magical powers to serve good or evil. Most Leprechaun legends can be traced back to the 8th century tales of water spirits which were known as ‘luchorpán’ which means ‘small body.’ It is said that these spirits merged with a household fairy and developed a penchant for heavy drinking so no cellar was safe!
Who is St. Patrick? St. Patrick lived during the 5th century A.D. and was the patron saint of Ireland and its national apostle. He was born in Roman Britain, was kidnapped and brought to Ireland as a slave at the age of 16. He later escaped, but returned to Ireland and was credited with bringing Christianity to its people. In the centuries following Patrick’s death (believe to have been on March 17, 461), the mythology surrounding his life became ever more ingrained in the Irish Culture. Perhaps, the most well-known legend of St. Patrick is that he explained the Holy Spirit (Father Son, and Holy Spirit) using the three leaves of a native Irish clover, the shamrock.
When was St. Patrick’s Day first celebrated? About five centuries later, around the 10th century, people in Ireland began observing the Roman Catholic feast day of St. Patrick on March 17. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade took place not in Ireland, but in America. Records shows that a St. Patrick’s Day parade was held on March 17, 1601, in a Spanish colony in what now is St. Augustine, Fla. The parade, and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration a year earlier were organized by the Spanish Colony’s Irish vicar, Ricardo Artur.
Vickie Rhodehamel is a volunteer citizen columnist, who serves The Daily Advocate readers weekly with her Arcanum community column. She can be reached by calling 937-423-3763, by email at [email protected]. Viewpoints expressed in the article are the work of the author. The Daily Advocate does not endorse these viewpoints or the independent activities of the author.
