Good evening friends! I created this group/event to tell you about an idea that I came up with about 8 months ago but am now realizing I shouldn't sit on while I'm in the Army for the next five years, so I want to share it with you! Whether it interests you or not, please pass it on! Here it is:
What:
HISTORICAL ACTION FIGURES!
Action figures packaged with copies of original documents (letters, speeches, pamphlets, etc) and pocket-sized copies of The Constitution
Why:
-To educate our children/grandchildren on our nation's history in a fun, creative, tangible way.
-To cover not merely the basic dates and timelines, but the atmosphere, emotions, doubts, and triumphs
-Go into a retail store and walk down the toy aisle. What's on the shelf that teaches our youth any thing of value? SpongeBob (no), Pokemon(no), Yu-Gi-Oh(no), sure there is Dora the Explorer (learning a second language is great) but what is there to teach our kids American values and ethics?
-To keep our history alive!
Who:
George Washington (Letter) (To Governor George Clinton
Head Quarters, Valley Forge, February 16, 1778 - requesting assistance, describing the harsh conditions and poor supply of his army)
Abraham Lincoln (Speech) (Gettysburg Address)
Benjamin Franklin (Political Cartoon) (Join, or Die)
Thomas Jefferson (Letter) (letter to the Danbury Baptist Association, 1802)
Martin Luther King (Letter) (Letter from Birmingham Jail)
Thomas Paine (Pamphlet) (The American Crisis)
William Travis (Letter) (To the People of Texas and All Americans in the World)
Lewis and Clark (Letter) (Dear Brother: Letters of William Clark to Jonathan Clark)
Gen. Patton (Speech) (for maturer audiences, middle school aged) ("The harder WE push, the more Germans we will kill" Speech to WWII troops)
(...and many other possibilities)
...INTERNATIONAL (Mother Theresa, Gandhi...)
When:
As soon as possible - our children need it and they need us!
How:
I've met with 2 invention companies to discuss getting the idea started, and everything costs (prototype, appearances in invention magazines and industry press releases, about 4-5k). The idea is now yours, so if you can think of a way to get it going another way, please share your thoughts, or just go for it! Maybe you have direct access to a manufacturer that you can put it in front of? :) The idea is to get the ball rolling before it is too late!! In addition to the action figures, documents, and pocket-sized Constitutions, I've also thought about including animations/cartoons on DVD's (just a thought?)
Retail Price Range:
I had no intention of turning this into a profitable idea (that's why I'm sharing it with all of you!) Action figures range in price from $7.99 to $24.99. If it can get into the hands of more children by value pricing it cheaper than other action figures ADD the educational value (it's a sure sell!), if it could be sold at cost ($4.99?) I think that'd be excellent! Although, if it did retail at $9.99 (still a tremendous value), a percentage of the price could go to a worthy charity? Anyway the idea is to educate, educate, educate!
Thank you for taking the time to review this message, I'm eager to see someone take it and run with it! If not, maybe I will just receive some positive feedback. Please feel free to get in touch, God Bless!
Earnestly,
SPC Vanaman, Joseph - Army
229 MI Bn
Never quit.
