National Grandparents Day

September 11, 2016

It all sounded so official in 1979, with words and phrases like "whereof"' and "hereunto" and "joint resolution."
But when President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation creating a National Grandparents Day, little did anyone know
how it would grow. At the time, Carter said the holiday would recognize "the importance and worth of the 17 million
grandparents in our nation."
Barely a generation later, there are now more than 70 million grandparents in the United States.
That's a lot of recognition.
And a lot of gifts, cards, and flowers, too.
On September 9, 2012, Grandparents Day will reach its 33rd anniversary. Like Mother's Day and Father's Day, it's a
time for family celebration, and a chance to honor the important role grandparents play in children's lives.
Marian Lucille Herndon McQuade, an Oak Hill, W. Va., housewife, founded the holiday. McQuade
had worked with senior citizens for many years and her original idea for the holiday was not only to
recognize grandparents but also to bring attention to the needs of people living in nursing homes.
She began her campaign locally in 1970, eventually drawing the attention of U.S. Senator Jennings
Randolph (D., W. Va.), who was instrumental in lobbying Gov. Arch Moore to establish a statewide
day for grandparents. Moore did just that in 1973, the same year that Randolph introduced a
Grandparent Day resolution in Congress.
Randolph's resolution bounced around both houses of Congress with no action for several years, until McQuade and her
supporters turned to the media for help with their efforts. The added pressure paid off, and in 1978 Congress passed
legislation declaring the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. Carter signed his proclamation on
September 6, 1979, and the first Grandparents Day was celebrated three days later.
In 1989, the U.S. Postal Service honored McQuade with a commemorative envelope bearing her
likeness to acknowledge the tenth anniversary of the holiday. McQuade, sadly, passed away last
year at the age of of 91. She was the mother of 15, the grandmother of 43, and the greatgrandmother of 15.
In that original proclamation, Carter wrote that because grandparents "are usually free to love and
guide and befriend the young without having to take daily responsibility for them, they can often
reach out past pride and fear of failure and close the space between generations."
Today, though, an increasing number of grandparents have actually assumed daily responsibility for their grandchildren.
According to AARP, 4.5 million children are being raised in households headed by grandparents. For those kids and
millions of others, grandparents create special relationships and impart lessons that last a lifetime. As Carter wrote,
"Grandparents are our continuing tie to the near-past, to the events and beliefs and experiences that so strongly affect
our lives and the world around us."

Honoring our Abuelitos through Poetry

Directions: You will write a 12 line poem (3 quatrains) honoring a special Abuelito. In
completing this poem, you must make sure that you select either an alternating or envelope
quatrain format, and that each line has 10 syllables. Once your poem is completed, you will
make a card for that special Abuelito, making him/her feel loved and honored. Be creative!
Quatrain
Quatrains are four line stanzas of any kind, rhymed, metered, or otherwise. Like the couplet, there are many variations of
the quatrain. Some of the more popular as passed through tradition are:

Alternating Quatrain- a four line stanza rhyming "abab." From W.H. Auden's "Leap Before You Look"
The sense of danger must not disappear:
The way is certainly both short and steep,
However gradual it looks from here;
Look if you like, but you will have to leap.

Envelope Stanza- a quatrain with the rhyme scheme "abba", such that lines 2 and 3 are enclosed between the
rhymes of lines 1 and 4. Two of these stanzas make up the Italian Octave used in the Italian sonnet. This is from
Auden's "Look Before You Leap"
The worried efforts of the busy heap,
The dirt, the imprecision, and the beer
Produce a few smart wisecracks every year;
Laugh if you can, but you will have to leap.

Grading Rubric
EXCEPTIONAL

GOOD

IMPROVEMENT NEEDED

B-C

D-F

STUDENT EXCEEDS
EXPECTATIONS AND MEETS ALL
REQUIREMENTS:

STUDENT MEETS ALL

REQUIREMENTS:

LITTLE OR NO EFFORT IS
DEMONSTRATED IN THE WORK
COMPLETED.

3 QUATRAINS
10 SYLLABLES IN EACH LINE
FOLLOWED ALTERNATING OR
ENVELOPE QUATRAIN PATTERNS
CORRECTLY
COMPLETED CARD
CREATIVE

3 QUATRAINS
10 SYLLABLES IN EACH LINE
FOLLOWED ALTERNATING OR
ENVELOPE QUATRAIN PATTERNS
CORRECTLY
COMPLETED CARD