The Salvation Army – Celebrating 150 Years

You would recognize that red kettle anywhere, and the holidays wouldn’t seem quite right without the ringing of that bell along street corners throughout the world, but do you really know what the Salvation Army does?

This year will mark the sesquicentennial of The Salvation Army, a Christian organization and international group that provides charitable giving to those in need. The organization is set up along the lines of a military unit with officers, soldiers and volunteers who work together to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the poor, destitute and hungry.

William Booth

London's Poor

It all began in 1865, when London minister William Booth decided to take his message to the streets so that he could better reach the poor, homeless and hungry. Realizing that the destitute were not welcome in Victorian churches of the time, Booth founded a church just for them – the East London Christian Mission.

Bramwell Booth

Catherine Booth

Booth’s wife Catherine, and son Bramwell worked with him. In fact, it was Bramwell who named the organization The Salvation Army in 1878. In 1880, The Salvation Army came to America, and by 1900, the group had established organizations throughout the world. Today, The Salvation Army can be found in 126 countries around the globe.

Capt. Joseph McFee

The red kettle did not come about until December of 1891. Salvation Army Captain Joseph McFee needed money to pay for food for the free Christmas dinners to be given to San Francisco’s poor. While walking the waterfront, McFee saw a “Simpson’s pot,” a large pot placed near the landing docks where passerby’s tossed coins to the poor.

McFee placed a similar pot at the Oakland ferry landing with a sign that read, “Keep the Pot Boiling.”  McFee received enough money to provide dinners for all of those in need that Christmas. By 1895, over 30 Salvation Army locations in the U.S. were using the red kettles to raise funds for the poor, and by 1897, the red kettle had spread throughout the country. The New York World newspaper dubbed the kettles “the newest and most novel device for collecting money.” And the kettles are still used today, mainly between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Last year, over 58-and-a-half million meals were served to those in need.

But The Salvation Army does more than give holiday assistance, provide rehabilitation centers, and run thrift stores. It also offers emergency disaster services, provides senior, adult and child care centers, oversees group homes and temporary housing, provides youth camps, training programs, and supplies transportation, medical care, job referrals and substance abuse assistance to those in need. In the 21^st century, human and sexual trafficking are major problems, and The Salvation Army also provides services and advocacy for those who have been victimized by this international crime.

Salvation Army Lodging

In the past year, shelter and lodging was provided for over 10.5 million people, and clothing, furniture and gifts were distributed to over 20 million people throughout the world.

The Salvation Army also provides assistance during  and after major disasters. There are ordained clergy in the group who comfort the bereaved, conduct funeral services and hold memorial services. To find out more, visit The Salvation Army website.

Commemorating 150 years of “Doing the Most Good” is indeed, something to celebrate.

~ Joy

Dealing With Your Digital Death

Over 400 people die every hour.

That’s 10,273 who die every day.

Over 312,500 die every month.

  

We all know that planning for our eventual demise is the right thing to do. Not only does it help guide our loved ones in handling our affairs according to our wishes, it also gives us the opportunity to have a final say in the matter.

But now, we have to worry about something our ancestors never did – Our digital death! Almost all of us are part of a social media community (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+) where we share our triumphs, our tragedies, and tidbits about our daily lives. This is a part of our digital property.

Our digital assets also include photographs, videos, blogs, web sites, gaming sites, music accounts, and written material. Plus, financial accounts, stocks and bonds, medical reports, copyrights, domain names, trademarks, even trade secrets.

Our digital footprint includes not only items of financial value (In 2011, U.S. consumers valued their digital assets at around $55,000 per person.) but also sentimental value like genealogy research, special messages, videos and private emails that mean something important only to us and our families. 

So, what happens to all of this information when we die? Where does it go and who is in charge of getting it there?

WebpageFX has put together a great graphic to show what can happen to your social media assets:

On social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and Pinterest, YOU are the owner of your digital data. This means that your privacy is protected after your death unless you authorize access to someone before you die.

Each social site has requirements that must be met before a page is taken down. For Facebook, you must prove you are an immediate family member. Twitter requires a death certificate, as does Google and Pinterest. LinkedIn requires general information such as the company the deceased worked for, your link to the deceased’s profile, and their email address.

But the deactivation of an account or page can take time. On Facebook and LinkedIn, a profile is not removed until the death is reported. Twitter takes up to 6 months to deactivate an account and Google takes up to 9 months to deactivate a profile. With Twitter and Google, your user name cannot be used again. With Facebook and LinkedIn, it can.

This becomes an even murkier area where account holders, service providers, courts, state legislatures, and state and federal governments become involved because of the lack of clear, defined steps on how to handle personal digital property.  Questions surface every day concerning what constitutes the violation of civil liabilities when executing the disposal of such digital property. (Not to mention what is considered to be an act of criminal liability.)

Digital Death offers three steps to help you manage your digital assets now, and make the process easier on your loved ones after your death.

1) Identify your digital property. Make a list of what you have out in cyber space and note what you would like done with these assets: maybe you want your genealogy files given to your state repository. Keep a list of your passwords, profiles, user names and account numbers to assist your loved ones in sorting through your digital footprint and tying up loose ends.  You can make sorting through your digital assets easier, and let your wishes be known specifically by writing down what you want done with your accounts, your photos, written materials and so forth. Then date the list and sign it, preferably in front of a witness before storing it in a safety box and passing a copy on to your attorney. Remember to update your inventory list once a year so that the information is correct, and tell a trusted relative or friend where the list is kept.

2) Authorize access to your accounts in writing. Who do you trust to make sure your wishes are carried out. Discuss this authorization with your attorney so that a court can make sure it's carried out to your specifications if there is a problem.

3) Communicate your wishes to your family and friends. Mention what you want to have happen with your digital assets in your will, and notify your family in writing as to what you want done.

The flip side of this coin is that family members and online sites could act too quickly and your digital assets might be deleted at a painful and emotional time without regard to, or even an understanding of what you had documented as your wishes concerning how they were to be handled.

This is not a topic that will be solved quickly or quietly. Look for more discussions and debates in the near future regarding what could happen to your digital life - now and after your death.

 

~ Joy

Would You Rent A Casket?

There are always new cost-cutting ideas and eco-green practices being launched in the funeral industry, many of them taken from “real life” options that we select every day. After all, we rent homes to live in, cars to travel in when we’re on vacation and vacation houses to stay in once there. We have no problem renting DVDs, CDs, and audio books. And, we really don’t give a second thought to renting more personal items like wedding gowns, tuxes, evening dresses, jewelry, even fancy dress shoes. So why do we tend to feel uncomfortable at the mention of renting a casket?

Sarcophagus

Coffins have been used for burial for thousands of years. Known by several names including sarcophagus, coffin and casket, the box, which contains the remains, has always been a difficult choice; after all, this is the “final resting place” of the deceased.

King Tut

Sarcophagi were used in ancient times and by religious orders as a  means to hold the remains of their royal and powerful. A sarcophagus was carved in stone, usually bearing the appearance of the deceased on the outside of the box. 

Coffin

A coffin is a box used to hold the remains for viewing and burial, and originally had six sides, plus the top and bottom. Early Americans built coffins for family members from the wood they cut and planed from local trees.

Casket and Coffin

In the U.S., a box with only four sides, plus top and bottom, is called a casket. That change in verbiage from coffin to casket is thanks to a marketing strategy that equated the burial casket with the same name as a box that held precious jewels; a jewelry casket.

Burial Shroud

Regardless of the name, this container is where we place the remains of the deceased for visitation, during the funeral and for burial after.

But, not all societies or religions use caskets, many use shrouds; in the case of cremation, an inexpensive casket or a biodegradable paper coffin might be used.

Simple Wooden Casket

Gold Casket Lined with Velvet

Something to remember, the casket is one of the most expensive items purchased for a traditional funeral. Caskets are usually crafted from wood, fiberglass, or metal and prices for the average box can vary from $2,000 to over $10,000, depending on the material used, extra features selected and how much ornamentation is in and on the box.  

But you are not required to purchase a coffin for burial. There are several options available including rentals, shrouds and biodegradable caskets.

Today, more funeral homes are offering families the option of renting a casket for the viewing and/or funeral services. Although a rented casket may be used numerous times, the body never comes in contact with the casket; a liner which looks like a part of the box is placed inside the casket for the services and afterwards it is removed with the body enclosed for cremation or burial. (Caskets may also be rented for the visitation of someone who wished to be cremated.)

Wicker Casket

When deciding on a casket, do your homework! You might be able to purchase a biodegradable cardboard casket or wicker coffin for less than a rental fee, which averages from $400 to $1,200.  You might find a local carpenter who will build one for less. Or you might decide that renting a casket is the right choice for your situation. Either way, you know you have options.

~ Joy

100 Years Ago - First Aerial Bombing Raid On Britain

One hundred years ago World War One was gaining momentum across Europe. But on the evening of January 19, 1915 the war took a turn that made all participants realize it was not going to be like any other war.

On the night of January 19, three German Naval Zeppelins, L3, L4 and L6 were to carry out the first strategic bombing raid, but airship L6 had mechanical problems and had to turn around. Dirigibles L3 and L4 proceeded on toward the target, the town of Humberside, but strong winds forced the raid to end quickly, so the Zeppelins sought targets of opportunity on which to unload their bombs.

The towns of Great Yarmouth and King’s Lynn on the eastern coast of England were hit, instead. Four people were killed when bombs fell from the sky: Martha Taylor and Sam Smith died in Great Yarmouth, Alice Gazely and Percy Goate were killed in King’s Lynn that night; the first aerial bombing raid had been completed.

Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin

The first idea for a Zeppelin came about in 1874 and was built in 1893. Germany embraced and patented the balloon in 1895. (The U.S. issued a similar patented in 1899.) Named for its inventor, Count Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin, the rigid steel-framed airship was propelled with a motor and carried a crew of about 20, along with massive amounts of hydrogen gas for fuel. The dirigible was first used to carry passengers between German cities in 1910. But the Zeppelin was temperamental and not sturdy in high winds; it could be brought down by any adverse weather and most ended their careers crashing to the ground due to high winds and bursting into flames.

Zeppelin Caught in Spotlights

Since the Zeppelin did not stand up well to being fired at (hydrogen gas was extremely flammable), the Germans decided to use the dirigibles for bombing villages and towns that did not have weapons or military stations, thereby killing or wounding civilians in an attempt to lower the morale of the English.

Instead of lowering morale, such raids only re-enforced the British sense of outrage and united English citizens against the Germans. Most Londoners would rush out into the streets when an air-raid signal was given in order to cheer on the English pilots defending their country against the Germans in the air.

Although the dirigible could travel great distances, antiaircraft fire rendered the airship practically useless in war compared to the airplanes being used in battle.  By 1915, the main use of the Zeppelin was for reconnaissance over the Baltic and North Seas. By the end of the year, the German Navy had 15 airships in commission. The air raids continued into 1916. By 1917, the Zeppelin could now fly higher with an altitude of 16,500 feet and a ceiling of 21,000 feet, but high winds and engine problems continued to plague the ships. They were soon replaced by airplanes, which could carry more bombs, resulting in more deaths, injuries and damage.

In all, 84 Zeppelins were built by Germany during the war: over 60 were lost – half to accidents, weather and mechanical problems: the other half due to repercussions from the enemy. German Zeppelins took part in over 50 bombing raids on Britain during WWI, killing 557 people and injuring 1,358.

In the Treaty of Versailles it was stated that Germany could not keep any “dirigibles … dirigible sheds or shelters, or … plants for the manufacture of hydrogen.”

It would take a few years before Germany, again, became openly involved with the production of Zeppelins, this time for the purpose of carrying passengers and mail across the ocean, and around the world.

~ Joy