Hear! Hear! For Day at the Capitol!
HEAV’s Day at the Capitol offered a unique glimpse into state government—past and present! Parents and students interacted with historical and present-day legislators—Patrick Henry, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Richard Henry Lee, as well as Lt. Governor Bill Bolling, Attorney General Bob McDonnell, Delegate Chris Peace (Henrico), and Senator Ken Cuccinelli (Fairfax).
Homeschool parents and students listened to their elected officials then had the opportunity to ask questions. They heard an up-to-the-minute review of the legislation HEAV was tracking from HEAV lobbyist Ben Lansing, and learned how a bill becomes a law by participating in a fun Mock General Assembly conducted by Day at the Capitol host Martin Brown.
A short bus trip to Capitol Square provided opportunities to visit legislators, view the General Assembly in session, and take scheduled tours of the Executive Mansion, the Capitol grounds, or the Supreme Court. The day ended with a special reenactment of the Second Continental Congress by the Virginia Patriots at St. John’s Church. What a thrill to feel we were part of the passionate debates as the reenactors sat among the audience and jumped to their feet to make a point. Parents and students were encouraged to join the heated discussion with an appropriate, “Hear, hear!” or “Nay!” with enthusiastic hand-pounding on the benches to show their agreement.
Vicki Bentley prepared gift baskets for our legislative speakers, and we hand-delivered a gift basket filled with candy, home-baked bread, and a homeschool book to Governor Timothy Kaine’s office. Governor Kaine recently responded with a thank-you letter expressing his support for home education.
See the Pictures!
If you weren’t able to join us, you can see a pictorial review of Day at the Capitol below. And if you were with us, you might find yourself in one of the photos, thanks to homeschooler and entrepreneur Seth Fisher of Through My Lens Photography!
Despite the damp weather, the day was filled with lots of fun learning experiences and great fellowship!