National PUMPKIN Day... AND... The Beginning of a Hero: A Jack O’ Lantern and a Hero

National CHOCOLATE Day and the Beginning of a Famous Hero - The Milton Hershey Story

Please visit us at www.Patreon.com/TheCharacterNetwork [http://www.patreon.com/TheCharacterNetwork] to help support TCN and help us keep providing these unique and extremely effective research based Bully and Violence Prevention and Character Education Programs to schools around the world, and help more kids who desperately need special intervention. Go to www.TheCharacterNetwork.org [http://www.thecharacternetwork.org/] to learn more and get involved. Thank you! Public use in schools requires a site license, please visit The Character Network to find out how your school can get these life changing program as a part of the TCN METHOD for school violence and bully prevention. Go HERE for a Free Copy of Jim Lord's Life Changing Breakthrough Novel, Mr. Delaney's Mirror, A Reflection of Your Future https://bit.ly/GetDelaneysMirrorHere [https://characternetwork.krtra.com/t/E6KcJXqk8olF] ************** A HERO is someone who does something special to HELP OTHERS. Every hero STARTS as a CHILD, and every Child can CHOOSE to become a Hero... And I Know that YOU Can Be a HERO TOO! TCN Mornings Episode 257 - Transcript for Thursday, October 28, 2021 Good morning EVERYBODY! It’s THURSDAY...and it’s the 28th day of October. Today is National CHOCOLATE Day!!! I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty exciting to me!! If you can, it might be a fun project for you to study the history of chocolate. You know, from the growing of the tree to the harvesting of the beans to the rigorous process of producing delicious chocolate, there was a time hundreds of years ago that only royalty and very wealthy people could even have chocolate! So, be sure to take a moment and enjoy National Chocolate Day!! Well, I actually had in mind ANOTHER story for today, but this being National Chocolate Day, it only seems reasonable to bring you The Milton Hershey Story. You Know? Sometimes, you just gotta step out of the mold a little bit and do whatcha gotta do! So, here ya go! The Milton Hershey Story! And it starts right now. So...how would YOU like to have a job learning to make chocolate? Also, did you notice that when Milton Hershey tried to start his own candy factory, he failed over and over again. Why do you think he didn’t just give up? And...if you could build your own town as Milton Hershey did, what would you want it to be like? Just some things to think about on this National Chocolate Day! Still to come: Another visit with my Old Irish Pappy... Also, The Question of the Day, and A Reflection of Your Future. It’s all just ahead on this Thursday edition of TCN Mornings. Right now, though, I’d like to talk about my book. It's called Mr. Delaney's Mirror. It's about a student in Mr. Delaney's class who gets a glimpse of her own personal FUTURE Self, and the life she will be having when she's like 30-years old! Her name was Bay Chandler, and her future according to the mirror was NOT a happy one. The rest of the book follows Bay through middle school, high school, and college. It shows step-by-step what she did to take her from the person she was in Mr. Delaney’s class to the FUTURE Bay she WANTED to be, instead of the one she saw in the mirror. You can order your copy of the book on Amazon.com, or anywhere books are sold online. Just Google Mr. Delaney’s Mirror. Mr. Delaney's Mirror. Check it out WELL now, let’s take a journey back in time to visit the memory of My Old Irish Pappy, a man just FULL of wisdom about life and how to live it better. Don’t judge other people! You don’t know the full story of what their life may be like. Instead, take responsibility for yourself, and be the best person YOU can be. That’s right! Don’t judge other people! You don’t know the full story of what their life may be like. Instead, take responsibility for yourself, and be the best person YOU can be. I don’t know about you, but I think that deserves saying one more time! Don’t judge other people! You don’t know the full story of what their life may be like. Instead, take responsibility for yourself, and be the best person YOU can be. So here we go on this Thursday morning with the QUESTION OF THE DAY! Okay. Back to the subject of National Chocolate Day, you remember that I said, “from the growing of the tree to the harvesting of the beans to the rigorous process of producing delicious chocolate, there was a time hundreds of years ago that only royalty and very wealthy people could even have chocolate!” Well, did you notice that I conspicuously left out what KIND of tree, and what the BEANS are called? Because I was saving that for today’s question. SO...what kind of tree grows the beans that chocolate is made from? This is a two-part question. What is the tree called, and what are the beans called? If you know, email your answer to MYANSWER@TCNmornings.com. Tell us your first name, your city and state, and of course, your answer, and the first correct answer will be featured right here TOMORROW. That email address again is MYANSWER@TCNmornings.com. Okay...about yesterday’s question: Yesterday was National Black Cat Day, and, of course it had nothing to do with black cats bringing bad luck, instead, it was about encouraging people to adopt black cats because black cats are often the last ones to be chosen for adoption. But.... your question was about exploring the bad luck reputation surrounding black cats. And so, here was your question: Where and when did the whole black cats bring bad luck thing start? Well, Alley from Visalia, California said: In Medieval times in France and Spain, black cats were considered bringers of bad luck when humans came near them. Many Germans during that time believed themselves to be cursed if a black cat crossed their path from left to right. But, she says, in Japan, black cats are thought to bring good luck! Well, okay then. And, thank you Alley for that! Alright, as usual, one more quick segment ahead, but as for me, I’ll see you tomorrow for the THURSDAY edition of TCN Mornings right here on The Character Network.. Reflection: Closer. Dear Parents, After years of development, trial, and revision, we are so excited to now share with you the most effective version yet of our Proactive Bully Prevention Program that has proven to "change the culture" at hundreds of campuses across America in profound ways. Research has shown the TCN Method™ to be the single most effective school based Violence and Bully Prevention Intervention of its entire genre. We have hundreds of testimonials from educators describing the results they have gotten, and you can view many of these at www.TheCharacterNetwork.org/Testimonials [http://www.thecharacternetwork.org/Testimonials] This program, The Beginning of a Famous Hero™ is used in conjunction with a companion program called Bully Alert!™ in schools played over the intercom during morning announcements twice or more each school week, and backed up by a common culture which reinforces the principles taught, at every turn, and incorporates the phrases of the academic language during any teachable moment. These two sets of stories work together to convey a common academic language which says, “A bully is a person who hurts others on purpose (even if it’s just hurting their feelings) but a HERO is a person who HELPS others. So CHOOSE to be a HERO by HELPING instead of a bully by hurting.” They also promote the concept of POSITIVE PERSONAL VISION, helping each student to realistically visualize his or her own "Future Self," and in doing so help relate consequences of actions and attitudes today (good or bad) to that future self. It is the spaced repetition of these principles that makes the program effective. It is the 100% turn-key presentation that makes it easy! This program takes VIRTUALLY NO TIME (only 4 minutes a week!) away from classroom instruction. But it also provides a common language across the entire campus when teachable moments occur! The TCN Method has been extraordinarily successful in the past, in almost a thousand schools all across America, from California to New York, with a special concentration all over Texas, where The Character Network is based, and has been used to the benefit of well over a million students across the past two decades. Then Covid struck, with the majority of schools ceasing in classroom instruction altogether for the majority of the previous school year, and after years of successful growth, we found ourselves in the very difficult situation of having to rebuild almost from scratch. So we started a morning podcast to help make the principles and teachings of TCN available to kids to have at home… but we need help from parents like you to get the word out, and also to help us gather financial support to once again make the method available again to not just the schools we lost due to Covid, but to every school and every child who could benefit and needs this going forward. We invite you to become a coworker with us on our mission. Please start by visiting us at www.Patreon.com/theCharacterNetwork [http://www.patreon.com/theCharacterNetwork] and considering becoming a sponsor for this work, and then dropping us a line at info@thecharacternetwork.org [info@thecharacternetwork.org] so we can learn more about you. Thank you so much!  The Beginning of a Famous HERO is a program of The Character Network. www.TheCharacterNetwork.org [https://my.captivate.fm/www.TheCharacterNetwork.org] ©2021 The Character Network. All rights reserved.

National BLACK CAT Day, PLUS! The Beginning of a Hero - Jenny's Cat

Please visit us at www.Patreon.com/TheCharacterNetwork [http://www.patreon.com/TheCharacterNetwork] to help support TCN and help us keep providing these unique and extremely effective research based Bully and Violence Prevention and Character Education Programs to schools around the world, and help more kids who desperately need special intervention. Go to www.TheCharacterNetwork.org [http://www.thecharacternetwork.org/] to learn more and get involved. Thank you! Public use in schools requires a site license, please visit The Character Network to find out how your school can get these life changing program as a part of the TCN METHOD for school violence and bully prevention. Go HERE for a Free Copy of Jim Lord's Life Changing Breakthrough Novel, Mr. Delaney's Mirror, A Reflection of Your Future https://bit.ly/GetDelaneysMirrorHere [https://characternetwork.krtra.com/t/E6KcJXqk8olF] ************** A HERO is someone who does something special to HELP OTHERS. Every hero STARTS as a CHILD, and every Child can CHOOSE to become a Hero... And I Know that YOU Can Be a HERO TOO! TCN Mornings Episode 256 - Transcript for Wednesday, October 27, 2021 Hey kids! Hey parents! It's Wednesday, the 27th day of October. AND...... It is National Black Cat Day. Yeah, it’s really a thing. National Black Cat Day was established to bring awareness to the fact that in the world of cat adoption, black cats are often overlooked. So, if you’re a cat lover and you and your family are considering adopting a cat, National Black Cat Day asks that you consider adopting a BLACK cat. And speaking of CATS, our story this morning is actually about a cat! But not just ANY cat... it’s about Jenny’s Cat. No, that’s the title of the story... Jenny’s Cat. And it starts right now. The Beginning of a Hero - Jenny’s Cat So, the two boys thought they were going to have some fun. What they didn’t consider was that it wouldn’t be fun for everybody. They learned it wouldn’t have been fun for Jenny. (Yeah, they learned that for sure!) And it wouldn’t have been fun for Jenny’s Cat either! They just didn’t thoroughly think through the situation before they acted. Also, did you notice that when Jenny’s mom talked to them, she was very plain about the fact that they causing harm by being hurtful and offered them a much better way of HELPING instead of hurting? But she did it with kindness and sincerity. She could have just really blasted them for their actions and attitudes, but she knew that would only create a bad relationship in the future. Jenny’s mom was a pretty smart lady, wouldn’t you say? Well, just ahead, another visit with my Old Irish Pappy... Also, the Question of the Day, and A Reflection of Your Future...It’s all just around the corner here on this Wednesday edition of TCN Mornings. But right now, let’s talk about how we might provide these stories for YOUR school! You know, over the past 22 years, these stories have been played during morning announcements in hundreds of schools around the country. Each story is about 2-minutes in length, and they are typically played twice a week. A story from the Beginning of a Hero series on Tuesdays and a story from The Beginning of a Famous Hero Series on Thursdays. If you think YOUR school would like to participate, just have your Principal or Counselor write to jim.lord@TCNmornings.com. Or go to TCNmornings.com and click Membership. So, let’s start with a visit to the memory of My Old Irish Pappy, and as always, there's not a day that goes by when I don't remember something my Pappy taught me. Always stand strong and take responsibility for yourself! Stop making excuses, but at the same time, have the courage to admit when you truly NEED some help. Absolutely! Always stand strong and take responsibility for yourself! Stop making excuses, but at the same time, have the courage to admit when you truly NEED some help! Wise words there from my old Pappy. And...here we go with the QUESTION OF THE DAY! Today is National Black Cat Day, and it has nothing to do with black cats bringing bad luck, but it’s about encouraging people to adopt black cats because black cats are often the last ones to be chosen for adoption. But.... your question is about exploring the bad luck reputation surrounding black cats. And here it is: Where and when did the whole black cats bring bad luck start? Where and when did the whole black cats bring bad luck start? If you know the answer, email your answer to MYANSWER@TCNmornings.com. Tell us your first name, your city and state, and of course, your answer, and the first correct answer will be featured right here TOMORROW. That email address again is MYANSWER@TCNmornings.com. So, about the question from yesterday, we talked yesterday about pumpkins, so we had a question about that. Actually TWO questions. Although pumpkins can be found in many parts of the world now, where did they originate? And the second question is where did Jack O’ Lanterns originate? Well it was Madeline from Athens, Georgia who said that pumpkins were first discovered in what it is now Mexico before it became Mexico. She also said, and I’m quoting here: There are two legends that Jack O’ Lanterns may have come from. One in the 1600s in England, and one in the 1800s in Ireland. Either way, the first Jack O’ Lanterns were not carved from pumpkins, because they didn’t have pumpkins in England or Ireland. Instead of pumpkins (which they didn’t even know about), they used turnips. So the first jack o lanterns were made from turnips, not pumpkins! Well how ‘bout that! And thank you Madeline for your answer there. Okay, one more quick segment coming right up, but as for me, I will see you tomorrow for the Thursday edition of TCN Mornings right here on The Character Network. Reflection: Closer. In Medieval France and Spain, black cats were considered bringers of bad luck human they came near, and were associated with witchcraft. Many Medieval Germans believed themselves to be cursed if a black cat crossed their path from left to right. ... In Japan, they are also considered to bring good luck. Dear Parents, After years of development, trial, and revision, we are so excited to now share with you the most effective version yet of our Proactive Bully Prevention Program that has proven to "change the culture" at hundreds of campuses across America in profound ways. Research has shown the TCN Method™ to be the single most effective school based Violence and Bully Prevention Intervention of its entire genre. We have hundreds of testimonials from educators describing the results they have gotten, and you can view many of these at www.TheCharacterNetwork.org/Testimonials [http://www.thecharacternetwork.org/Testimonials] This program, The Beginning of a Famous Hero™ is used in conjunction with a companion program called Bully Alert!™ in schools played over the intercom during morning announcements twice or more each school week, and backed up by a common culture which reinforces the principles taught, at every turn, and incorporates the phrases of the academic language during any teachable moment. These two sets of stories work together to convey a common academic language which says, “A bully is a person who hurts others on purpose (even if it’s just hurting their feelings) but a HERO is a person who HELPS others. So CHOOSE to be a HERO by HELPING instead of a bully by hurting.” They also promote the concept of POSITIVE PERSONAL VISION, helping each student to realistically visualize his or her own "Future Self," and in doing so help relate consequences of actions and attitudes today (good or bad) to that future self. It is the spaced repetition of these principles that makes the program effective. It is the 100% turn-key presentation that makes it easy! This program takes VIRTUALLY NO TIME (only 4 minutes a week!) away from classroom instruction. But it also provides a common language across the entire campus when teachable moments occur! The TCN Method has been extraordinarily successful in the past, in almost a thousand schools all across America, from California to New York, with a special concentration all over Texas, where The Character Network is based, and has been used to the benefit of well over a million students across the past two decades. Then Covid struck, with the majority of schools ceasing in classroom instruction altogether for the majority of the previous school year, and after years of successful growth, we found ourselves in the very difficult situation of having to rebuild almost from scratch. So we started a morning podcast to help make the principles and teachings of TCN available to kids to have at home… but we need help from parents like you to get the word out, and also to help us gather financial support to once again make the method available again to not just the schools we lost due to Covid, but to every school and every child who could benefit and needs this going forward. We invite you to become a coworker with us on our mission. Please start by visiting us at www.Patreon.com/theCharacterNetwork [http://www.patreon.com/theCharacterNetwork] and considering becoming a sponsor for this work, and then dropping us a line at info@thecharacternetwork.org [info@thecharacternetwork.org] so we can learn more about you. Thank you so much!  The Beginning of a Famous HERO is a program of The Character Network. www.TheCharacterNetwork.org [https://my.captivate.fm/www.TheCharacterNetwork.org] ©2021 The Character Network. All rights reserved.

National PUMPKIN Day... AND... The Beginning of a Hero: A Jack O’ Lantern and a Hero

Please visit us at www.Patreon.com/TheCharacterNetwork [http://www.patreon.com/TheCharacterNetwork] to help support TCN and help us keep providing these unique and extremely effective research based Bully and Violence Prevention and Character Education Programs to schools around the world, and help more kids who desperately need special intervention. Go to www.TheCharacterNetwork.org [http://www.thecharacternetwork.org/] to learn more and get involved. Thank you! Public use in schools requires a site license, please visit The Character Network to find out how your school can get these life changing program as a part of the TCN METHOD for school violence and bully prevention. Go HERE for a Free Copy of Jim Lord's Life Changing Breakthrough Novel, Mr. Delaney's Mirror, A Reflection of Your Future https://bit.ly/GetDelaneysMirrorHere [https://characternetwork.krtra.com/t/E6KcJXqk8olF] ************** A HERO is someone who does something special to HELP OTHERS. Every hero STARTS as a CHILD, and every Child can CHOOSE to become a Hero... And I Know that YOU Can Be a HERO TOO! TCN Mornings Episode 255 - Transcript for Tuesday, October 26, 2021 Hey kids! Hey parents! Welcome into your Tuesday, the 26th day of October. Today is National Pumpkin Day! So, didn’t we celebrate just a few days ago National Pumpkin CHEESECAKE Day?? Yeah, I thought so. What day was that? Oh, okay...last Thursday, the 20th. What? Oh...yeah, I know, it was also Get Smart About Credit Day, so we talked about that, but I WAS aware it was also National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day. And now it’s National Pumpkin Day and ... well, I don’t know, it just seems to me that National Pumpkin Day should come BEFORE Pumpkin Cheesecake Day. It’s like, which came first...the pumpkin or the pumpkin cheesecake?! It says here that MANY people (including us) use pumpkins as fall decorations, and of course as jack-o-lanterns on Halloween. But also a LOT of people make great desserts with fresh pumpkins. So, have YOU ever used a pumpkin for cooking purposes? We HAVE! And based on experience, my advice is to go buy pumpkin already in the can! It takes a REAL chef to make a dessert from scratch using a fresh pumpkin! But, on the other hand, there are a lot of people who really can do that successfully. Well, speaking of pumpkins, it just so happens that we have a Beginning of a Hero story about just that! Pumpkins. And more specifically a pumpkin carving contest! It’s called A Jack O’ Lantern and a Hero, and it starts right now. The Beginning of a Hero: A Jack O’ Lantern and a Hero So, have you even known someone like Carter’s friend there? Someone who thought only about themselves? Someone who was willing to do just about anything including hurting others to get what he or she wanted? Have YOU ever had that kind of attitude? Also, think about the girl in the story. In years to come, what will she remember about the incident? She didn’t seem to be the type to hold grudges, so she probably would have just moved on, eventually forgetting about the boy who ruined her pumpkin, and if she ever did think about him, it would just be to feel sorry for him. But, do you think she would remember Carter and what he did for her? Of course she would!! She would go on to tell her friends, and eventually her children and grandchildren! Because THAT’s the kind of impression that heroes leave on others. It’s just like the opening song says: The choice is yours...so choose with care...to help or hurt...to keep or share. You’ll find the world’s not always fair, but kindness is the answer everywhere. Just some things to think about on this Tuesday morning. Well straight ahead: Another quote from My old Irish Pappy, the Question of the day, AND, a Reflection of YOUR Future. It’s all coming up right here on this Tuesday edition of TCN Mornings. So, my Old Irish Pappy. A man just full of wisdom about life and how to live it better. Always make your word as good as gold! When you agree to do something...DO IT! No excuses, just do it! Yes! Always make your word as good as gold! When you agree to do something...DO IT! No excuses, just do it! Have you ever been asked to do something? Well, of course you have! And SOMETIMES, there may be a really good reason why you can’t do what’s been asked of you. If that’s the case, say so (and be completely truthful). But go further to suggest how whatever it is can still get done. Have you ever been asked to do something to which you said YES, but then DIDN’T? Hmmm? Now, we’re getting somewhere. Have you ever volunteered to do something and then didn’t? Same thing. Like my old pappy taught me at an early age: Always make your word as good as gold! When you agree to do something...DO IT! No excuses, just do it! Now... It's time for the QUESTION OF THE DAY! Well, we talked earlier about pumpkins, so let’s have a question about that. Actually TWO questions. Although pumpkins can be found in many parts of the world now, where did they originate? And the second question is where did Jack O’ Lanterns originate? Where did pumpkins originate? And where did Jack O’ Lanterns originate? If you know, email your answer to MYANSWER@TCNmornings.com. Tell us your first name, your city and state, and of course, your answer, and the first correct answer will be featured right here TOMORROW. That email address again is MYANSWER@TCNmornings.com. So, about the questions (plural) from yesterday, “Where are the Philippine Islands? What are the people of the Philippines called? And how is it spelled?”... Well, Hunter from Abilene, Texas said The Philippines are located in the western Pacific Ocean between China and Australia. He also said the people of the Philippines are called Filipinos...and unlike the Philippines, which is spelled P-H-I-L-I-P-P-I-N-E-S, Filipino is spelled F-I-L-I-P-I-N-O. And that’s exactly right, so, thanks to Hunter for that! Okay, stick around...as usual, one more quick segment ahead, but as for me, I will see you tomorrow for the Wednesday edition of TCN Mornings here on The Character Network. Reflection: Closer. Dear Parents, After years of development, trial, and revision, we are so excited to now share with you the most effective version yet of our Proactive Bully Prevention Program that has proven to "change the culture" at hundreds of campuses across America in profound ways. Research has shown the TCN Method™ to be the single most effective school based Violence and Bully Prevention Intervention of its entire genre. We have hundreds of testimonials from educators describing the results they have gotten, and you can view many of these at www.TheCharacterNetwork.org/Testimonials [http://www.thecharacternetwork.org/Testimonials] This program, The Beginning of a Famous Hero™ is used in conjunction with a companion program called Bully Alert!™ in schools played over the intercom during morning announcements twice or more each school week, and backed up by a common culture which reinforces the principles taught, at every turn, and incorporates the phrases of the academic language during any teachable moment. These two sets of stories work together to convey a common academic language which says, “A bully is a person who hurts others on purpose (even if it’s just hurting their feelings) but a HERO is a person who HELPS others. So CHOOSE to be a HERO by HELPING instead of a bully by hurting.” They also promote the concept of POSITIVE PERSONAL VISION, helping each student to realistically visualize his or her own "Future Self," and in doing so help relate consequences of actions and attitudes today (good or bad) to that future self. It is the spaced repetition of these principles that makes the program effective. It is the 100% turn-key presentation that makes it easy! This program takes VIRTUALLY NO TIME (only 4 minutes a week!) away from classroom instruction. But it also provides a common language across the entire campus when teachable moments occur! The TCN Method has been extraordinarily successful in the past, in almost a thousand schools all across America, from California to New York, with a special concentration all over Texas, where The Character Network is based, and has been used to the benefit of well over a million students across the past two decades. Then Covid struck, with the majority of schools ceasing in classroom instruction altogether for the majority of the previous school year, and after years of successful growth, we found ourselves in the very difficult situation of having to rebuild almost from scratch. So we started a morning podcast to help make the principles and teachings of TCN available to kids to have at home… but we need help from parents like you to get the word out, and also to help us gather financial support to once again make the method available again to not just the schools we lost due to Covid, but to every school and every child who could benefit and needs this going forward. We invite you to become a coworker with us on our mission. Please start by visiting us at www.Patreon.com/theCharacterNetwork [http://www.patreon.com/theCharacterNetwork] and considering becoming a sponsor for this work, and then dropping us a line at info@thecharacternetwork.org [info@thecharacternetwork.org] so we can learn more about you. Thank you so much!  The Beginning of a Famous HERO is a program of The Character Network. www.TheCharacterNetwork.org [https://my.captivate.fm/www.TheCharacterNetwork.org] ©2021 The Character Network. All rights reserved.

It's World PIZZA MAKERS DAY! Also, Beginning of a FAMOUS HERO - The Admiral Richard Byrd Story

Please visit us at www.Patreon.com/TheCharacterNetwork [http://www.patreon.com/TheCharacterNetwork] to help support TCN and help us keep providing these unique and extremely effective research based Bully and Violence Prevention and Character Education Programs to schools around the world, and help more kids who desperately need special intervention. Go to www.TheCharacterNetwork.org [http://www.thecharacternetwork.org/] to learn more and get involved. Thank you! Public use in schools requires a site license, please visit The Character Network to find out how your school can get these life changing program as a part of the TCN METHOD for school violence and bully prevention. Go HERE for a Free Copy of Jim Lord's Life Changing Breakthrough Novel, Mr. Delaney's Mirror, A Reflection of Your Future https://bit.ly/GetDelaneysMirrorHere [https://characternetwork.krtra.com/t/E6KcJXqk8olF] ************** A HERO is someone who does something special to HELP OTHERS. Every hero STARTS as a CHILD, and every Child can CHOOSE to become a Hero... And I Know that YOU Can Be a HERO TOO! TCN Mornings Episode 254 - Transcript for Monday, October 25, 2021 Hey kids, welcome into your Monday, the 25th day of October. Today is World Pizza Makers Day! Yes it is! Today is the day we celebrate the people who make pizzas! Now, you know a lot of us just throw frozen pizzas into the oven when we feel hungry, but real pizza makers toss dough by hand and make their own sauces by choosing the right balance of spices and herbs. Pizza is one of the most popular foods in the world! And it takes a certain, shall we say, expertise to make a really good pizza. You know making pizza has been a profession for hundreds of years, but only in Naples, which is now a part of Italy. Before 1861, it was its own kingdom. And pizza it didn’t even become popular in Italy until the 1940s. But it was in 1905 when the first pizzeria was opened the United States by people FROM Naples. Yeah, the first pizzeria in the United States was Lombardi's, which was started in New York City in 1905. Lombardi's is still in business today, and although it is in a new location, the original oven is still in use. Then came other cities like St. Louis, and Chicago, and Boston, each developing their own styles for pizza. Today, pizza is, like, EVERYWHERE! So, happy World Pizza Makers Day to you!! Alright, let’s see what we have for you on this Monday morning? A BIRTHDAY! Yes we do! And, of course, if today is YOUR birthday, well, happy birthday to you! You may like to know that you share the day with a man...who started out as an adventurous kid (as you’ll soon hear). He became a pilot and he was a great explorer! Now, I don’t know is whether he was a big fan of Pizza...remember, pizza wasn’t as widely available in his time as it is now. But his name was Admiral Richard Byrd. His story is called The Admiral Richard Byrd Story and it starts right now. The Beginning of a FAMOUS Hero: Admiral Richard Byrd Story: Did you hear that?! He traveled BY HIMSELF to the Philippine Islands when he was 11-Years-OLD!!! Now, okay, I’m not suggesting that’s such a great idea in today’s world, but still, let’s learn a lesson from the life of this young man here. He had a passion to accomplish something really worthwhile when he was still a kid! He didn’t waist his time spending hours and hours playing video games. Okay...I know there WERE no video games when he was a kid, but still he didn’t spend his time goofing off in mindless activities. He had a passion, and he thought through HOW to do what he wanted to do things, and he put together a plan. When it was time to ask permission, he didn’t beg or whine or threaten, he presented his plan logically and intelligently. But the most important part is that he VISUALIZED himself in the future. He KNEW what his future self would be like and what his future self would be doing, and he set goals and made solid plans to be certain it happened the way he visualized it. Richard Byrd. What an inspirational story! And, speaking of stories, You know, over the past 22 years, these stories have been played during morning announcements in hundreds of schools around the country. Each story is about 2-minutes in length, and they are typically played twice a week. A story from the Beginning of a Hero series on Tuesdays and a story from The Beginning of a Famous Hero Series on Thursdays. If you think YOUR school would like to participate, just have your Principal or Counselor write to jim.lord@TCNmornings.com. Or go to TCNmornings.com and click Membership. Okay...Straight ahead: A quote from My old Irish Pappy, the Question of the Day, AND, a Reflection of YOUR Future. It’s all still still in front of us right here on this Monday edition of TCN Mornings. So, my Old Irish Pappy. And the things I learned when I was your age about life and how to live it better. As I’ve said before, there's not a single day that goes by when I don't remember something my Pappy taught me. I can just hear him now with the advice he would give... Figure out what kind of person you want to be. When your vision is clear, your choices along the way will be a lot easier! Yeah! Figure out what kind of person you want to be. When your vision is clear, your choices along the way will be a lot easier! I know you’ve had people ask you what you want to be when you grow up. Of course, they’re talking about what you want to DO for a living. And MAYBE you already know. But probably not. And that’s okay! You’ve got plenty of time to figure that out! But what you CAN decide for yourself NOW, is what kind of PERSON you want your future self to be. A person who is respected? A person of integrity? A person who can be trusted? As Pappy said, when your vision about what kind of person you want to be is clear....your choices along the way will be a lot easier! Okay...Combining the ART of Storytelling with the Science of Spaced Repetition. That's us: TCN Mornings right here on The CHARACTER Network. Now... It's time for the QUESTION OF THE DAY! Earlier, we heard that Richard Byrd (as an 11-year-old kid) traveled by himself to the Philippine Islands. So, here’s a 3-part question for you: Where are the Philippine Islands? And Philippine, by-the-way is spelled Philippine. Part TWO of the question is: Just like the people of America are called Americans, what are the people of the Philippines called? And 3.), how is it spelled? Once again, it’s a 3-part question: Where are the Philippine Islands? What are the people of the Philippines called? And, How is it spelled? If you know, email your answer to MYANSWER@TCNmornings.com. Tell us your first name, your city and state, and of course, your answer, and the first correct answer will be featured right here TOMORROW. That email address again is MYANSWER@TCNmornings.com. If you remember last Friday’s Question of the Day, you’ll remember that Friday was National NUT Day! And your question was what 5 kinds of nuts are considered the healthiest because of the nutrients they offer? Well, Nicholas, from Texas City, Texas was the first to say: The 5 healthiest nuts are Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts, Cashews, and Pecans. So, thank you Nicholas for that answer. And listen, when you get a chance, look up and learn more about nuts and the nutrients they offer to help keep us healthy! Okay, stick around...as usual, one more quick segment ahead, but as for me, I’ll see you tomorrow for the Tuesday edition of TCN Mornings here on The Character Network. Reflection: Closer. Dear Parents, After years of development, trial, and revision, we are so excited to now share with you the most effective version yet of our Proactive Bully Prevention Program that has proven to "change the culture" at hundreds of campuses across America in profound ways. Research has shown the TCN Method™ to be the single most effective school based Violence and Bully Prevention Intervention of its entire genre. We have hundreds of testimonials from educators describing the results they have gotten, and you can view many of these at www.TheCharacterNetwork.org/Testimonials [http://www.thecharacternetwork.org/Testimonials] This program, The Beginning of a Famous Hero™ is used in conjunction with a companion program called Bully Alert!™ in schools played over the intercom during morning announcements twice or more each school week, and backed up by a common culture which reinforces the principles taught, at every turn, and incorporates the phrases of the academic language during any teachable moment. These two sets of stories work together to convey a common academic language which says, “A bully is a person who hurts others on purpose (even if it’s just hurting their feelings) but a HERO is a person who HELPS others. So CHOOSE to be a HERO by HELPING instead of a bully by hurting.” They also promote the concept of POSITIVE PERSONAL VISION, helping each student to realistically visualize his or her own "Future Self," and in doing so help relate consequences of actions and attitudes today (good or bad) to that future self. It is the spaced repetition of these principles that makes the program effective. It is the 100% turn-key presentation that makes it easy! This program takes VIRTUALLY NO TIME (only 4 minutes a week!) away from classroom instruction. But it also provides a common language across the entire campus when teachable moments occur! The TCN Method has been extraordinarily successful in the past, in almost a thousand schools all across America, from California to New York, with a special concentration all over Texas, where The Character Network is based, and has been used to the benefit of well over a million students across the past two decades. Then Covid struck, with the majority of schools ceasing in classroom instruction altogether for the majority of the previous school year, and after years of successful growth, we found ourselves in the very difficult situation of having to rebuild almost from scratch. So we started a morning podcast to help make the principles and teachings of TCN available to kids to have at home… but we need help from parents like you to get the word out, and also to help us gather financial support to once again make the method available again to not just the schools we lost due to Covid, but to every school and every child who could benefit and needs this going forward. We invite you to become a coworker with us on our mission. Please start by visiting us at www.Patreon.com/theCharacterNetwork [http://www.patreon.com/theCharacterNetwork] and considering becoming a sponsor for this work, and then dropping us a line at info@thecharacternetwork.org [info@thecharacternetwork.org] so we can learn more about you. Thank you so much!  The Beginning of a Famous HERO is a program of The Character Network. www.TheCharacterNetwork.org [https://my.captivate.fm/www.TheCharacterNetwork.org] ©2021 The Character Network. All rights reserved.

So just where DO Muppets Come From, Anyway? The Muppet Man, Jim Henson's Childhood Hero Story. Also, like, it's National Hug a Vegetarian Day! And Think BIG While You're At It....

Please visit us at www.Patreon.com/TheCharacterNetwork [http://www.patreon.com/TheCharacterNetwork] to help support TCN and help us keep providing these unique and extremely effective research based Bully and Violence Prevention and Character Education Programs to schools around the world, and help more kids who desperately need special intervention. Go to www.TheCharacterNetwork.org [http://www.thecharacternetwork.org/] to learn more and get involved. Thank you! Public use in schools requires a site license, please visit The Character Network to find out how your school can get these life changing program as a part of the TCN METHOD for school violence and bully prevention. GO HERE FOR A FREE COPY OF JIM LORD'S LIFE CHANGING BREAKTHROUGH NOVEL, MR. DELANEY'S MIRROR, A REFLECTION OF YOUR FUTURE HTTPS://BIT.LY/GETDELANEYSMIRRORHERE [https://characternetwork.krtra.com/t/E6KcJXqk8olF] ************** A HERO is someone who does something special to HELP OTHERS. Every hero STARTS as a CHILD, and every Child can CHOOSE to become a Hero... And I Know that YOU Can Be a HERO TOO! TCN Mornings Episode 233 - Transcript for Friday, September 24, 2021 Well, good morning, kids and parents! We’re looking at day number 24 in the month of September. And today is NATIONAL Hug a Vegetarian Day. Indeed it is. Hug a Vegetarian Day. So, there. But just a thought, it MIGHT be a good to ask if he or she WISHES to be hugged, and it might be a good idea to wear a mask, or maybe do the ait-hug thing from 6-feet away. At any rate, happy National Hug a Vegetarian Day to you! Well, coming up is a story about a man whose birthday would’ve been today. His name was Jim Henson, and I have no idea whether he was a vegetarian, but his life is certainly something we can all celebrate for his efforts to put smiles on all our faces, which he did quite well. Jim Henson, the creator of Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Big Bird, Oscar, Bert and Ernie, and so many more. His story is called The Jim Henson Story, and it starts right now. Oh wait! If today also happens to be YOUR birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you, too! Okay, NOW it can start! The Beginning of a FAMOUS Hero: The Jim Henson Story So, you heard that Jim had a very happy childhood. How would you describe a happy childhood? Do you enjoy making things, you know, like Jim did when he was a child? If so, what kinds of things do you like to make? Also, you heard that not only did Jim Henson practice excellence in everything he did, he was a genuinely nice person! His business partner for many years, Frank Oz said that Jim Henson was as close to how you’re suppose to behave toward other people as anyone he’s ever known. What do you think he meant by that? And finally, would you like for people to be able to truthfully say that about you? Just some things to think about on this Friday morning. Alrighty then. Coming up, another visit with my Old Irish Pappy... Also, the Question of the Day, and A Reflection of Your Future...right here on this Friday edition of TCN Mornings. Well, as I’ve said so many times before, I hope you have someone in YOUR life like My Old Irish Pappy. Someone who is FULL of wisdom, who can TEACH you on a regular basis about life and how to live it better. But before we get into TODAY’S Pappyism, remember, this is Friday, and on Friday we always recap what he taught us Monday through Thursday... So here we go! MONDAY Someday, you’re going to be working for a living. And what that means is that you’ll be SELLING your time to somebody in exchange for money. So, start right now making your time worth as much as you possibly can by educating yourself and by developing the skills you’ll be using to the best they can possibly be! TUESDAY Yep! Wrong is Wrong even if everybody else is doing it. Right is right even if nobody else is doing it. WEDNESDAY Always do the right thing even when nobody’s looking. THURSDAY Did you ever know somebody who just thinks what everyone else thinks about something? Well, don’t be like that. Look carefully at EVERY situation, and responsibly form your OWN opinion about it. Use logic and use wisdom, and don’t just try to fit in with everybody else. And let’s add to that, don’t hesitate to ask the opinion of responsible and respectable adults around you! Okay, and NOW, here are some words of wisdom for FRIDAY from my Old Irish Pappy. Yes, When you think small, you get small results. But when you think BIG, you get BIG results! So think BIG...but be sure not to overlook the small steps along the way that make up that BIG picture... Okay, Now... It's time for the QUESTION OF THE DAY! As we heard earlier today, today is National Hug a Vegetarian Day. So let’s have a question about that. What is the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan? What is the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan? If you know, be the first to email your answer to MYANSWER@TCNmornings.com. Tell us your first name, your city and state, and of course, your answer, and I’ll feature your answer right here on Monday. That email address again is MYANSWER@TCNmornings.com. Now, about yesterday’s question. Yesterday, as you know, We talked about checkers. And even though it turned out to be a DOG named Checkers, and not necessarily about the game of checkers...we had a question about the GAME of checkers. So, your question was: When did the game of Checkers come to be, and which came first, Checkers or Chess? ...You know, since they use the same board. Well, Conner from Independence, Missouri says different sources say different things about chess and checkers, but it LOOKS like the game of CHESS was played as much as 1500 years ago. But that some archeologists have found that CHECKERS may have been played up to 5,000 years ago...so, checkers is a LOT older than chess. And that’s pretty much what we found, too! So, thank you Conner for that!! Okay, here’s hoping you have a GREAT weekend!! Stick around...one more quick segment ahead, but as for me, Jim Lord...I...will see YOU...first thing next week for the MONDAY edition of TCN Mornings! Reflection: Closer. Dear Parents, After years of development, trial, and revision, we are so excited to now share with you the most effective version yet of our Proactive Bully Prevention Program that has proven to "change the culture" at hundreds of campuses across America in profound ways. Research has shown the TCN Method™ to be the single most effective school based Violence and Bully Prevention Intervention of its entire genre. We have hundreds of testimonials from educators describing the results they have gotten, and you can view many of these at www.TheCharacterNetwork.org/Testimonials [http://www.thecharacternetwork.org/Testimonials] This program, The Beginning of a Famous Hero™ is used in conjunction with a companion program called Bully Alert!™ in schools played over the intercom during morning announcements twice or more each school week, and backed up by a common culture which reinforces the principles taught, at every turn, and incorporates the phrases of the academic language during any teachable moment. These two sets of stories work together to convey a common academic language which says, “A bully is a person who hurts others on purpose (even if it’s just hurting their feelings) but a HERO is a person who HELPS others. So CHOOSE to be a HERO by HELPING instead of a bully by hurting.” They also promote the concept of POSITIVE PERSONAL VISION, helping each student to realistically visualize his or her own "Future Self," and in doing so help relate consequences of actions and attitudes today (good or bad) to that future self. It is the spaced repetition of these principles that makes the program effective. It is the 100% turn-key presentation that makes it easy! This program takes VIRTUALLY NO TIME (only 4 minutes a week!) away from classroom instruction. But it also provides a common language across the entire campus when teachable moments occur! The TCN Method has been extraordinarily successful in the past, in almost a thousand schools all across America, from California to New York, with a special concentration all over Texas, where The Character Network is based, and has been used to the benefit of well over a million students across the past two decades. Then Covid struck, with the majority of schools ceasing in classroom instruction altogether for the majority of the previous school year, and after years of successful growth, we found ourselves in the very difficult situation of having to rebuild almost from scratch. So we started a morning podcast to help make the principles and teachings of TCN available to kids to have at home… but we need help from parents like you to get the word out, and also to help us gather financial support to once again make the method available again to not just the schools we lost due to Covid, but to every school and every child who could benefit and needs this going forward. We invite you to become a coworker with us on our mission. Please start by visiting us at www.Patreon.com/theCharacterNetwork [http://www.patreon.com/theCharacterNetwork] and considering becoming a sponsor for this work, and then dropping us a line at info@thecharacternetwork.org [info@thecharacternetwork.org] so we can learn more about you. Thank you so much!  The Beginning of a Famous HERO is a program of The Character Network. www.TheCharacterNetwork.org [https://my.captivate.fm/www.TheCharacterNetwork.org] ©2021 The Character Network. All rights reserved.