SUPER MONDAY

A motivational and informational morning message from Superintendent Willis

Week 14 ~ November 13th, 2023

Super Monday Message

This time of year it’s important to tell a few stories about the early colonization of America. In September of 1620 the Mayflower left England with 102 passengers and 30 crew members. Like many of the pioneers that traveled the plains to Utah, these religious exiles picked a difficult time to travel. It was monsoon season and the waters were nearly unmanageable for such a small ship. One passenger and one crew member died at sea. 

John Howland was an indentured servant on the Mayflower. This means he was pledging his work as a servant for 6 years to pay his debt for sea passage. In the midst of one of the storms John fell overboard. The ships of the 1600’s could not simply turn around and go back for him. It would have been impossible in the storm for the ship to retrieve him. By a miracle chance a rope from the ship was dragging behind. By an additional miracle John Howland managed to catch it and be pulled back on board. John was an indentured servant to Governor John Carver. John Howland was the 13th signature of the 41 men to sign the Mayflower Compact. Upon arriving in the new world nearly half the travelers perished in the cold and famine of an unfamiliar New England winter. 

With even more miracles John Howland survived the first winter and began raising a large family. John served in many roles for the early settlers. He helped scribe as treaties were formed with native american tribes, he served with the selectmen to organize the settlement, he served on the fur committee, and he fulfilled many other jobs before becoming a freeman in 1626. John had 10 children. All 10 of those children lived to adulthood, an absolute miracle of his day. His oldest daughter, Desire, had 10 children. His oldest son, John, had 10 children. His second daughter, Hope, had 12 children and so on. In total he had close to 100 grandchildren and hundreds of great grandchildren.

Among John Howland's extensive posterity are figures such as Presidents George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Franklin Roosevelt, as well as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Joseph Smith Jr. Today it is estimated that there are over 2 million descendants of John Howland living in America. John Howland could have never known how many people would be impacted by his catching a loose rope in the open sea.

We don’t all impact the world by surviving a storm and having 10 children, but every life has an impact on the world. As we go about doing good, our kindness can transcend generations and have a far greater impact than we can now imagine. Have the best week 14.

Super High Fives

Just a couple of the awesome recent accomplishments that need a big thank you. 

• A super high five to the girls basketball team for organizing the Meet The T-Birds Night. It was good food and good entertainment. Thank you to all the coaches and parents that helped make the event a success.
• A super high five to our local veterans. They made a great sacrifice for us and we love having them come to our schools each year. We’re proud to have so many in our communities that have given so much to our country.

Other Super Information

• The November ballot will have a question about a bond for a consolidated elementary school in Junction. Ballots were mailed out on the 31st of October. This link is to a community information folder regarding the proposal. Election Day is November 21st this year in Utah.
• Winter Sports Schedule

Super Weekly Schedule