(5th in a series of posts on Bethlehem Moments)
So how might the addition of a 1-minute “Bethlehem Moment” (is there a better name for this?) to the prayer and pledge at the beginning of City Council meetings work?
Who would deliver the moments? Who will be the “Momentors”?
Brainstorm with Gadfly a bit
- In that fit of spontaneous passion at the April 17 meeting in which this idea was conceived, Gadfly suggested school kids. Is Bethlehem history taught in the district? Gadfly doesn’t know, and all he remembers from his own kids was that they visited City Hall and so forth. If there is a curricular element, there might be an easy transition to have kids prepare and deliver Moments. If there is no curricular element, maybe we (whatch you mean “we,” Kemosabe?) could approach the school district and find a teacher or a rotating team of teachers who might see this as a great educational project. Having kids involved might have the side benefit of planting the seeds for civic participation later on. School Board president Mike Faccinetto follows us on Gadfly, but maybe the Superintendent would be the more appropriate first contact.
- One resident – a volunteer – could be informally assigned either to do the Moments or to recruit a team of Momentors. Good resident involvement.
- We have a cluster of Historical groups and organizations; they could collaborate on a schedule and take their turns.
- Council members each could take a turn.
- The Mayor and/or Dept heads could each take a turn.
- Members of the Historical Boards and Commissions could each take a turn.
- Candidates for office – ha! – could each take a turn. (A rite of passage)
- Developers and prospective developers could each take a turn (O, Gadfly, you sweet devil, you!).
- What’s your idea?
- What’s your idea?
- This space reserved for your idea.
The Moment texts should be collected and preserved, and one could imagine a nice volume at some point comprising, in effect, a citizen history of Bethlehem.
The delivered Moments are short, but a fuller written version (but still short) from which the Moment is drawn could be published on Gadfly, like the one on the Hill-to-Hill bridge and “fraternal cooperation” now on Gadfly that will be the source of the inaugural try-out Moment next Tuesday.
One more thing to chew on. Hang in there.