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Predicting the future can be difficult and problematic, so here goes… April normally begins the "dry" season in our area, and May should continue this trend. It's a month that we can be outside often, with the days being "longer," before the warmer months begin. This month, Memorial Day is on May 29. It commemorates the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces, particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. The purpose of Memorial Day is to memorialize the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. You will find that some veterans find it dismaying when they are thanked on this day. It's a time for remembering those who lost their lives and could not come home. It's a time to reflect on why we — the living — have the luxury and freedom that we enjoy today. Flag etiquette on Memorial Day is unique. At sunrise, flags are to be raised to full staff briskly, then lowered to half-staff position, where they will remain until noon. We thank our volunteers who place the American Flags around our community. Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day, starting with the American Civil War. It's believed that the tradition of honoring the dead was inspired by the way southern states decorated the graves of both Confederate and Union soldiers with flowers, wreaths, and flags. On May 5, 1868, MAJ. General John A Logan, Commander-in- Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic (a fraternal organization of Union Civil War veterans) issued General Order No. 11, designating the 30th of May as an annual day of remembrance. The idea caught on. After World War I, Decoration Day included all fallen soldiers, not just those from the Civil War, and the term "Memorial Day" started being used. Finally in 1971, Memorial Day became a national holiday by an act of Congress. When the 1968 Uniform Monday Holiday Act took effect in 1971, a few federal holidays were moved to Monday to create three-day weekends; Memorial Day was set to occur on the last Monday in May. Why is the poppy a symbol of Memorial Day? In the war-torn battlefields of Europe, the common red field poppy (Papaver rhoeas) was one of the first plants to reappear. Its seeds scattered in the wind and sat dormant in the ground, only germinating when the ground was disturbed — as it was by the very brutal fighting of World War I. As we approach our 20th anniversary in September, it's a good time to reflect on our history. One constant that has had a significant impact in our day-to-day operations, as well as impacts on our long term operations, are our committees. We have nine standing committees and, when needed, Ad Hoc committees (formed to address specific issues and exist only until those tasks are completed). The residents who volunteer to serve on these committees are the backbone of our community. They represent all of us and give their time and energy to make Four Seasons a great place to live. We thank them for their willingness to serve. We look forward to this spirit of volunteerism continuing. "Volunteers do not necessarily have the time; they just have the heart." ~ Elizabeth Andrew Message from the Board of Directors 2 | Four Seasons Hemet Herald | MAY 2023 | Sincerely, and on behalf of your Board of Directors, Barbra Balser, Cliff Post, Tony Criscenti, Roxy Snider, Fred Kydd, and Mary Reyna Jim Crase President

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