Photo in public domainSUNDAY, APRIL 15: There’s just something about it.

Headlines worldwide have called it alluring, chilling and enthralling—all at once. The fascinating story that is the RMS Titanic is back on front pages today as the world marks the 100th anniversary of the demise of the “unsinkable” ship. Two cruise ships plan to share the memorial spot of Titanic early this morning, as thousands of passengers bowed their heads during a Christian ceremony. From Australia to India to New York, museums, movie theaters, maritime centers and concert halls host shows and exhibits in honor of Titanic’s fateful journey. (CNN says it all in one of its blogs, “Yes, the ship sinks, but we can’t get enough of Titanic story.”)

When Titanic set sail from Southampton, England, she was the largest moving object ever made by human hands. The world’s elite shared a ship with thousands of poor immigrants (a dramatic contrast that inspired James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster phenomenon), for a total of 2,224 passengers. The British passenger liner was operated by the White Star Line; built as the 401st hull by the Harland and Wolff shipyard. (Read more at Wikipedia.) Despite the most advanced safety features, Titanic struck an iceberg at 11:40 p.m. on April 14, on her maiden voyage, and she sank less than three hours later. When the ship was swallowed by the frigid Atlantic Ocean, at 2:20 a.m. on April 15, more than 1,000 passengers were still aboard; there were only enough lifeboats for 1,178 people.

Life onboard Titanic may have meant luxury for some in 1912, but as the New York Times points out, most cruisers today would be far from impressed. Cruise ships today boast 2-story waterslides, multiple swimming pools, elaborate stage shows, top-deck rock climbing, glittering shops and a wide array of spa services; Titanic’s passengers played cards, read in specialized reading-and-writing rooms and at the library, and puffed in a smoking room. Aside from church services, there was little that a group of passengers could do together on the 1912 liner. Socializing and promenading along the decks were primary means of entertainment for most Victorian-era passengers, and the two Titanic memorial cruises that set sail this year will mimic the slower-paced lifestyle known in the early 20th century. (Attention to detail doesn’t come cheap, though: prices for the Titanic replica cruises vary, per person, between $4,500 and $9,500. The Belfast Telegraph has photos and details.)

After Titanic’s fateful end, major improvements were made in maritime safety regulations. Requests came flooding in from both Britain and the United States, and in 1914, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea was established. The organization continues to oversee maritime safety to this day.

Juliette Gordon Low (center) standing with two Girl Scouts: Robertine McClendon (left) and Helen Ross (right). Image in public domain courtesy Wikimedia Commons.MONDAY, MARCH 12: “Come right over! I’ve got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world, and we’re going to start it tonight!” With that breathless exclamation in a telephone call to her cousin, Juliette Gordon Low kicked off what we know today as the Girl Scouts. Low’s cousin was a noted educator and the two women rushed around various Savannah, Georgia, institutions until they found 18 girls to register the first American group of Girl Guides on March 12, 1912.

Girl Guides!?! Yes, Low got her idea while in Britain, where she met Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell and got so excited about the possibilities in the new Girl Guides that she decided to bring the concept home to the U.S. That’s why Commonwealth nations celebrated a centennial a couple of years ago. The American organization didn’t change its name to Girl Scouts until 1913, but Low’s enthusiasm never dimmed. She continued to work on scouting programs, even after contracting breast cancer, and eventually was buried in her scouting uniform in a Savannah cemetery in 1927.

What about … Camp Fire Girls?

The short answer: They celebrated two years ago. Today, the original Camp Fire Girls of America organization is called Camp Fire USA, following the decision in 1975 to open the membership to boys. Today, Camp Fire’s mission is to serve young people, especially in areas of the country where kids don’t get much exposure to camping experiences. Half of participants now are boys. However, Camp Fire officials proudly point out that their origins pre-dated Girl Scouts. According to Camp Fire’s official history: “Founded in 1910 by Dr. Luther and Charlotte Gulick, Camp Fire Girls was the first non-sectarian organization for girls in the United States. Dr. Gulick chose the name Camp Fire because campfires were the origin and center of early community life.”

GIRL SCOUTS: 3.7 MILLION MEMBERS STRONG

Operation Thin Mint, an annual Girl Scout cookie donation program for the military, which sends more than 100,000 boxes of cookies to men and women serving the U.S. around the world. U.S. Navy photo by Bill Perno, released for public use. The 100th anniversary for the current 3.7 million Girl Scouts will be no small event: Girl Scout achievements will be highlighted in museums and businesses from coast to coast. (Get more info at GirlScouts.org.) Girl Scouts of the USA has created centennial memorabilia; a new cookie is called the Savannah Smiles, in honor of the location of the first Girl Scouts meeting; and Barack Obama signed the “Girl Scouts of the USA Commemorative Coin Act” this year. Even the U.S. Postal Service will be releasing a “Celebrate Scouting Forever” stamp in June. (Check out a picture of the stamp here.)

Religious and racial freedoms have long been integrated into the Girl Scout fabric, and by the 1950s, the organization was working hard to desegregate troops. Even civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. called the Girl Scouts “a force for desegregation.” (Read more Girl Scout history in a Washington Post article.) Although part of the Girl Scout Promise is still the phrase “to serve God,” individuals can substitute another phrase when reciting the Promise, such as “to serve Allah” or “to serve the Creator.” Girl Scout policy remains neutral and flexible in other ways, too, as it does not prohibit nor require prayer at meetings.

“Going green” takes on a meaning beyond the Girl Scout official color this year, as members take on the 100th Anniversary Take Action Project: Girl Scouts Forever Green. Through April, Girl Scouts will be pledging and carrying out efforts to protect the environment and protect natural resources.

FAMOUS FORMER GIRL SCOUTS?

Too many to list in one article! Among them are Lucille Ball, Katie Couric, Elizabeth Dole and Dakota Fanning, plus top figures in fields of law, politics and science—including NASA astronauts. In fact, the first American woman to walk in space was former Girl Scout Kathryn Sullivan.

On my honor … Do you know the words? Here’s one of the centennial videos produced by Girl Scouts that features scouts today (and pictures of scouts of the past) as we recall the words as they are voiced by millions of young women today: On my honor …

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.

Screenshots of the new Friendship 7 App, available via Apple to mark the John Glenn annniversary.MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20: Along with the arrival of the Beatles, Martin Luther King’s speech in Washington and Woodstock—the flight of John Glenn 50 years ago ranks as one of the top feel-good moments in 1960s American culture. After all, the ‘60s was the height of the Cold War and the Soviets already had beaten “us” into outer space. For the record, John Glenn was the fifth human in space—and the third American to reach that height. But there was something triumphant in Glenn’s triple circle of the planet in just under 5 hours. His flight proved that “we” could win this global contest through what author Tom Wolfe later would call “the Right Stuff.”

In his book about the early space program, Wolfe describes the frenzy of press coverage of the astronauts who were vying for a shot at orbit. Wolfe writes: “John Glenn came out of it as tops among seven very fair-haired boys. He had the hottest record as a pilot, he was the most quotable, the most photogenic, and the lone Marine.”

In a profile of Glenn, today at age 90, the New York Times asked him about Wolfe’s book. The Times reports: “His response was a kind of dismissive aw shucks. ‘Hero’ is an elastic word, after all, stretchable to fit a favorite ballplayer or a great conqueror in war or discovery—almost anyone admirable. “I don’t think of myself that way,” Mr. Glenn said. “I get up each day and have the same problems others have at my age. As far as trying to analyze all the attention I received, I will leave that to others.”

And that sincere modesty also was a part of Glenn’s charm. He marks the anniversary by gathering with other colleagues from the 1960s-era space program. To this day, the Times reports, Glenn continues to maintain an office at Ohio State University, home of the John Glenn School of Public Affairs. Although he is largely retired from public life—including four terms as a U.S. Senator from Ohio—Glenn continues to teach occasionally.

AN APP TO REMEMBER JOHN GLENN & FRIENDSHIP 7

Like most milestones these days—there’s an App to remember the flight of Friendship 7. Visit the iTunes store or the  website of the App’s creators, SpaceCraft Apps, to learn more about this $6.99 multi-media App.  If you’re a true Glenn fan or a space-science geek, the price is worth it. ReadTheSpirit tested the App, which requires a WiFi connection to work. The best moments are the archival videos of milestones like the initial press conference in April 1959, when the world met the Mercury astronauts. “Which of these men will be the first to orbit the earth? I cannot tell you,” the world was told that spring. Today, of course, we know who finally got the top honor—and his own chapter in American history.

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.

Charles Darwin photograph by the famous American photographer Julia Margaret Cameron. Now in public domain, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.SATURDAY & SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11 & 12:
Faith and science aren’t enemies, more than 13,000 religious leaders have declared in recent years. That nationwide campaign against Fundamentalist approaches to understanding the opening passages of the Bible is focused, each year, around Charles Darwin’s birthday: February 12, 1809.

ReadTheSpirit provides an Educational Resources page on the so-called Science vs. Religion issue. Wikipedia has a detailed history of Darwin Day, plus a closely related history of the Clergy Letter Project, which is focused around Evolution Weekend.

The best 2012 news coverage of Darwin Day and Evolution Weekend we’ve spotted comes from the Mother Nature Network (MNN). Want to find out about a “Phylum Feast” or a “Primordial Soup,” which are creative ideas for marking this weekend? MNN explains them. Best of all, MNN dug out a 10-minute YoutTube clip of a classic Carl Sagan presentation on evolution.

The coolest new Darwin website we found for 2012 is the American Museum of Natural History’s new portal to a huge range of Darwin’s papers. The manuscripts collection is a little intimidating at first. There’s even a lengthy user agreement that readers need to affirm before digging deeper. But the search is worth it. Within a few clicks, readers can examine pages from Darwin’s original hand-written text of Origin of Species. A New York Times story about the portal points out: “In addition to revealing Darwin’s intellectual evolution, the project also reveals Darwin’s sometimes less-than-careful treatment of some of his own papers.” Darwin apparently had a habit of turning his own manuscripts into scrap paper. He even allowed his children to draw pictures on pages he had written—and the Darwins had a huge family, so that was a lot of scribbling!

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.

HOSNI MUBARAK IN HIS PRIME. In 2002, President George W. Bush rolled out the White House red carpet to Mubarak, and Bush told the world: “President Mubarak has a long history of advancing peace and stability in the Middle East.”SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11: The eyes of the world are on Egypt, once again, at the one-year anniversary of the fall of Hosni Mubarak, who is still alive at age 83 although reportedly is in frail health. America’s top general, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, is expressing serious concerns to Egyptian leaders about the harsh new course that military leaders based in Cairo appear to be taking.

No less an editorial voice than the New York Times, on Sunday Feb. 12, thundered at the Egyptian generals about their country’s “Unwise Course.” In part, the Times editorial declared:
The generals who have controlled the country since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted a year ago have started a preposterous crusade against civil society groups. … Their paranoid argument? That the groups—which do voter and poll-worker training among other things—are ‘foreign hands’ out to destroy Egypt at a time of unprecedented unrest. The generals portray themselves as defenders of the country’s sovereignty. The army is under fire at home for holding back the democratic tide, abusing civilians even more than Mr. Mubarak and failing to govern effectively, so it is using America as a scapegoat. The confrontation is poisoning relations with a key ally at a time when Egypt needs all the friends it can get. It is diverting attention from solving the country’s profoundly serious problems: continued political turmoil and looming economic meltdown.

That pretty well sums up global concerns, especially among groups concerned about global peacemaking.

In addition, the Newsweek-owned Daily Beast website warns that fear is spreading among Egypt’s newly emerging community of artists and creative-media professionals. According to the Daily Beast: “One year on, Egypt’s revolution has opened up space for more criticism of the cultural status quo, but it has also opened the door to other, deeply conservative forces that see much of the recent art as an affront to religion.”

British newspapers are reporting that the threat to cut off American aid to the Cairo regime may be more than a bluff. While American leaders are wary of losing influence with Egyptian leaders by cutting off the aid, UK correspondents for the Independent and other newspapers are saying that the generals in Cairo may actually welcome turning off the flow of funds for their own political advantage—a show of defiant independence. No question: The year-old Egyptian revolution is at another major crossroads.

Care about these issues? At ReadTheSpirit, we recommend two books: Read Daniel Buttry’s Blessed Are the Peacemakers for a larger perspective on the challenges unfolding in Egypt and around the world. And, for a first-hand perspective on the talented and courageous young peacemakers who ousted Mubarak, get a copy of Wael Ghonim’s new Revolution 2.0: The Power of the People Is Greater Than the People in Power

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity. 

Queen Elizabeth II is the second monarch in history to have reigned 60 years. Photo in public domainMONDAY, FEBRUARY 6: The Conservative-leaning Daily Telegraph in the UK describes the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee this way: “As we prepare to mark the Queen’s accession, 60 years ago next week, we celebrate the common values that link our monarch to her legendary predecessor—duty, strength, constancy.”

Care to read more from the Telegraph’s voluminous coverage? Visit the Telegraph’s special Jubilee portal.

On this date in 1952, 24-year-old Elizabeth—following the death of her father, King George VI—took over as Head of the Commonwealth.
The BBC archives provide much more.

At this point, the Queen is the longest-lived and second-longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom after Queen Victoria who carried on for 63 years and seven months. Queen Elizabeth II also is the second-longest-serving current head of state in the world after the king of Thailand. (Wonder how Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee? The Daily Mail reports on what happened in 1897.)

Events celebrating this milestone will continue throughout the year. Planning a trip overseas this summer? You’ll find Jubilee events continuing into the tourist season. That’s because of the lengthy process of succession in 1952. Elizabeth received word of her father’s death while she was on a tour and she took to the throne immediately. The official coronation didn’t take place until June 2. This year, June 2-5 will be the official Diamond Jubilee Weekend in Britain.

A TYPICAL DAY FOR QUEEN ELIZABETH II

Queen Elizabeth II begins by reading British newspapers and answering a few of the hundreds of letters she receives each day. After a series of meetings with anyone from a head of state to a literary award recipient, the queen may present honors to those recently awarded a medal or decoration. Following a solo lunch, Elizabeth II often travels for public engagements. Approximately 430 engagements per year can include the unveiling of plaques; visitations to schools, hospitals, art galleries, shelters and military units; community meetings; and lengthier travels. Evening occasionally brings a visit with the Prime Minister; attendance at a film premiere, concert or charitable event; or the hosting of an official reception at the Buckingham Palace. Phew! What a schedule!

THE DIAMOND JUBILEE PRAYER SHARED WORLDWIDE

The Church of England has issued a prayer written especially for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, which will be used at the Jubilee Thanksgiving Service on June 5 and is recommended for use throughout the Church of England. On the Jubilee Weekend, thousands of beacons will be lit through the UK and Commonwealth, and a carriage procession will line the streets of London. (Get more information from the official website of The British Monarchy.)

THE OFFICIAL JUBILEE PRAYER:
God of time and eternity,
Whose Son reigns as servant, not master;
We give you thanks and praise
That you have blessed this nation, the realms and territories with Elizabeth,
Our beloved and glorious Queen.
In this year of Jubilee,
Grant her your gifts of love and joy and peace
As she continues in faithful obedience to you, her Lord and God,
And in devoted service to her lands and peoples,
And those of the Commonwealth,
Now and all the days of her life;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

ROYALS JOIN IN THE CELEBRATION

Camilla, the duchess of Cornwall, recently began a Cook for the Queen competition for children in the UK as part of her Jubilee gift, asking children to capture the best of Britain in food. Even Prince William and Duchess Catherine announced their plans to delay having a baby until next year, so that they can focus on the queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the summer’s London Olympics. (USA Today has the story.)

THE ROMANCE BEHIND THE THRONE

Elizabeth met her future husband, Philip, when she was 13 years old; she reports having fallen in love and began exchanging letters with him. Today, the 85-year-old queen and 90-year-old duke have been married for 64 years.

Originally published at readthespirit.com, an online magazine covering religion and cultural diversity.