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Click here for current articles pertaining to the Golden Rule "Could a greater miracle take place - Henry David Thoreau February 15, 2013 "Attention, Magic and the Golden Rule"
Steffan Soule is a professional magician who is vitally concerned about the environment, water conservation, bullying in the schools (including via cyberspace), along with many other critical issues that confront us. Rather than just utilize his talents for entertainment, Steffan carefully crafts his performances to address such issues. Each piece of magic he executes serves to illustrate a point or serve as an allegory for the message he is trying to convey. Recently, Steffan was commissioned by the Golden Rule Project and the Utah Arts Council to address bullying and the application of the Golden Rule as part of the solution to this growing problem. "Attention, Magic and the Golden Rule," was thus created as a performance targeted at the junior high school level. Three schools served as our pilot program to allow Steffan the opportunity to fine tune his important message and to gauge the students' reactions to the various components of his show. The three junior high schools consisted of Granite Park Jr. High, West Lake Jr. High, and Eisenhower Jr. High. We hope to post their reactions shortly. In addition, Three Gun Rose Production, a local film production company was contracted to document the entire process from conception, execution and refinement, to audience feedback and response. This film will be used to promote the Golden Rule Project and the performance for subsequent schools. If you are a school (or other organization) interested in hosting Steffan's performance, please feel free to contact us here at the Golden Rule Project at 801 433-6275 or at stephen@goldenruleproject.org. We can also provide a contact at the Utah Arts Council to assist you in the grant application process. Images from Steffan's performances are shown below.
A portion of Steffan's performance incorporated a tetraflexagon, essentially a folded piece of paper that unfolds in multiple ways to illustrate the practice of the Golden Rule as it pertains to combating bullying. This is a fun project that was distributed to the students at all of the performances and is available to you via the link below. The link provides the PDF along with detailed instructions on how to print it (very important as this is a two-sided document that needs to be aligned perfectly to work), as well as video instructions on how to fold it and share its message with others. To print the tetraflexagon click below: To see the instructional videos detailing the printing, construction and use of the tetraflexagon click below and scroll down to select the individual videos: August 30, 2011 A friend of the Golden Rule Project, Rebecca Burrill instituted her own project recently. She completed an Anti-Bullying/Golden Rule project: a dance performance co-created with Kathy Mendoza and her 6th grade class of the Harwich Middle School. Displayed below are two broadsides illuminated by the students.
November 23, 2010 We recently became aware of this link about the Golden Rule from the British Humanist Association. It is a nice reminder about the Golden Rule. http://www.humanismforschools.org.uk/pdfs/the%20golden%20rule.pdf October 14, 2010 We recently became acquainted with the Scarboro Mission, a Roman Catholic Mission Society based in Canada. They have incorporated the Golden Rule as a major theme in their teachings and have developed a curriculum based upon this principle. Following is an excerpt from a recent e-mail announcement we received from them: Scarboro Missions is proud to announce the publication of what we believe to the most comprehensive Golden Rule curriculum ever produced in history. Using the logic of circles, rules, moral modeling and the Golden Rule, this curriculum unit inspires and supports young people to become global citizens rooted in the Golden Rule. The students' learning experience is enriched through drama, art, music, group reflection, journaling and rap. The curriculum can be used in public schools, religious schools and youth organizations. The curriculum boasts a wealth of resources, websites, and Internet Links relevant to the subject matter. Titled, "A Rule Made of Gold" and geared to an international audience, the curriculum is also available in Word and pdf format. The curriculum is available from the Scarboro Missions Interfaith Dept. For contact information, visit their website at: May 22, 2010 "It has long been clear to me that unless we learn to apply the Golden Rule globally, treating all nations, all peoples without exception as we would wish to be treated ourselves, taking their aspirations and difficulties as seriously as we take our own, we are unlikely to have a viable world to hand off to the next generation." November 17, 2009 The Lily Pad Code Once there lived a toad named Ernie, The Lily Pad Code you see, This code was very simple, Well one day, as happens oft, He went about just hopping, When Ernie saw Jim's care free life, But what Ernie didn't know, So almost every single toad Well as you can imagine, The good old days when toads cared You see, these toads used to have There's a moral to this story, Because thinking only of yourself copyright 1997 - Brian Kelley September 12, 2009 This year, for the second time, we hosted a booth at the annual Avenues Street Fair. Kelli Bellon, the artist we commissioned to produce a coloring book for us, joined us. We had a lot of fun sharing information about the Golden Rule Project and invited strollers to color a card for us. Here are a few of the images from this event.
June 18, 2009 In conjunction with our Golden Rule Story Starter Cards, we recently interviewed the creator and artist, Kelli Bellon. Click HERE to view the video and gain some insights into her creative process and to hear her thoughts regarding the Golden Rule. June 3, 2009 We read Grammy-winning singer-songwriter John Legend's stirring commencement address on Sunday at the University of Pennsylvania, College of Arts and Science. He describes the Golden Rule as a means to understanding and social action. Read his address or view a video by clicking on the following link:
Also, when we began our Golden Rule Project, we encountered an interesting article on Dr. Felton Earl regarding his studies on crime and "community."
It is also very much about the Golden Rule. Read the original article: http://www.communityschools.org/1-6-2004%20NYT%20Felton%20Earls.doc
May 19, 2009 President Barack Obama’s reference to the Golden Rule in his address to the graduating class of Notre Dame on May 17th, 2009: “For if there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together. It is no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism. It is, of course, the Golden Rule - the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated. The call to love, to serve, to do what we can to make a difference in the lives of those with whom we share the same brief moment on this Earth.” May 13, 2009
We have received our new Golden Rule coloring book from Artistic Press. March 26, 2009 Kelli Bellon was born and raised in Draper, Utah. Her art is a reflection of her personal journey and is inspired by her fond memories of time spent in the mountains near her childhood home and of the self-sufficient nature of the community. These memories along with her experience as a single mother, led to her interest in the science of sustainable February 13, 2009 We obtained a QuickTime copy of a videotape produced by Spy Hop Productions regarding the launch of our Golden Rule Project in the elementary schools with the Utah Arts Council and the Utah State Office of Education in 2003. The videotape features artists who were commissioned to showcase the theme of the Golden Rule for an annual art educator's meeting that is held for elementary school teachers in Utah. Our thanks to Spy Hop for this excellent video. Click HERE to see the video. January 20, 2009 January 15, 2009 December 18, 2008 December 12, 2008 Say good not bad Golden Rule video interviews Recently we have been conducting interviews with some remarkable people we have encountered in our work with the Golden Rule Project. Linton Dean is a University of Utah student majoring in theater and linguistics, who became involved in our project when he entered an essay contest based upon art in the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. The item Linton wrote about happened to be our Golden Rule Broadside. Inspired by the Golden Rule, Linton started his own Golden Rule Project. Click here to meet Linton and to hear about his project. Phillip Bimstein is a world-renowned composer and musician. He has been featured on NPR among other prestigious media outlets. His music encompasses different genres, but most stem from his interest and love of people. In 2005, Phillip composed a Golden Rule piece commissioned by the Utah Arts Council. In addition to his many accomplishments, he served as mayor of Springdale, Utah for two terms. Click here to meet Phillip and learn a little about his term as mayor. "Sustainability is equity over time. As a value, it refers to giving equal weight in your decisions to the future as well as the present. You might think of it as extending the Golden Rule through time, so that you do unto future generations (as well as to your present fellow beings) as you would have them do unto you." We are working at putting some video clips on our website. Our first video is an interview with Linton Dean, a friend of the Golden Rule Project, who was inspired to teach the Golden Rule as an assignment for one of his classes at the University of Utah. To view this interview, click on stories/responses, then click on "Linton Dean" in the first story. Please note, you must have Windows Media Player and a high speed internet connection is required. More Photos from Maine We just received more photos from the Norway Sidewalk Art Festival in Maine that we wanted to share with you.
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* * * * Norway Sidewalk Art Festival 2008 It was a gorgeous summer day in Maine and smiling faces abounded. Over 100 artists, more than 100 performers, 50 volunteers, two coordinators, numerous community, civic and nonprofits groups and approximately 5,000 people combined July 12 to produce what is now being hailed as the best Norway arts Festival and the Golden Rule Project tent was there. During the course of the day, hundreds of curious people stopped by to view the attractive broadsides on display and learn about the project. Local artists, Pat Chandler of Norway, Maine and Cynthia Pfender, also an art teacher, of Conway, NH, beautifully illuminated the broadsides. Among the many visitors were numerous teachers (of both public and private schools), parents, Sunday school teachers, Boy Scout and Girl Scout leaders, grandparents, and community officials. Many expressed an appreciation of the project in its inclusive, non-denominational and broad reaching capacity and application in an effort to bring a much-needed atmosphere of tolerance and harmony to our schools and communities. Posters of the Golden Rule were appreciatively received along with “business cards” with website and contact information and The Golden Rule Project booklets containing suggestions for a school curriculum. While parents carefully rolled posters, vowing to frame them and place them in their kitchen to discuss with their children, teachers expressed a much-needed dialog and a more unifying approach with students regarding “bullying” and mutual respect. The combined venture of the Golden Rule Art Tent and the adjoining Golden Rule Café provided a “nourishing” venue for warm exchange and engaging dialog with locals and visitors alike as we reflected on the collective wisdom contained in the many formulations of the Golden Rule. * * * * Spreading the Golden Rule Recently , Linton Dean participated in an essay contest sponsored by the Utah Museum of Fine Arts. Linton's essay was based upon the Golden Rule from one of our broadsides displayed at the museum. Linton is presently taking a theatre class at the University of Utah entitled "Grappling Diversity Through the Arts." As a component of the class, Linton is engaged in a project involving diversity/multiculturalism with the arts. He is working with a 6th grade class utilizing the Golden Rule as the theme. He has had the class develop their own formulations and had them perform improvisational scenes where they can apply the Golden Rule. As another exercise, the students are illuminating their own Golden Rule posters. We are excited that Linton has taken our project even further and incorporated it in his work with the class. To view some of the posters click here. * * * *
"The golden rule is like a compass. Teddy Beard |
