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Picture the American father of 200 years ago standing at the log cabin door, maybe musket in hand, and looking out over his 160 acres of almost virgin land. He was a farmer, but he was a carpenter and weav­ er, and kind of para-medic in an emergency, a some­ time blacksmith, a handy man and a mechanic. Maybe he did a little rough tailoring, he worked on hides, he hewed the wood and served as part- time legislator in the bar­ gain. He was indeed a daring and hardy pioneer in an image and tradition that has through the years giv­ en form, substance and a sense of tradition to a new nation that rose on the wings of industry and technology to early matur­ ity and world leadership. Dad, today, is hardly the one-man band his great, great, great grandfather might have had to be. A rich man or poor man, a doctor or lawyer, a busi­ ness man or scientist, an engineer operating sophis­ ticated machinery, trans­ portation or a myriad of other specialties that keep America humming with prosperity, he trades the fruits of his labor for the dollars it takes to clothe and feed and shelter his family. Two centuries ago, when the nation was going through the vlolenoe of birth pains, he walked or, if he was well off, rode a horse to town or to market. Today, he hops into the family car (or cars) and spins off to work, perhaps 50 or more miles away. Or 1 he might board a commut­ er train, bus or even an airplane -- forms of trans­ portation not yet a gleam in their inventors' eyes in 1776. SUPPLEMENT TO PLAINDEALER - PAGE • - WEDNESDAY, JUNE It. 1*76 Sculpture honors father's role Bicentennial father is still giving his all for his family He doesn't figure out his accounts today with a piece of charred wood as a writing instrument. He calculates in a fraction of a second, and with ab­ solute accuracy with a hand-held calculator. Today's dad has more leisure for himself -- and for his family. And his brood is smaller, on the average, giving him more1 time with each member. The urge to procreate, to beget more hands to help in the fields, has been mitigated by the $100,000 (estimated cost) to bring children to the level of sophisticated productivity that our present culture has imposed on its mem­ bers. In many ways life is Indeed better, more re­ warding, more leisurely. The prospect of reaching old age is far more certain, in a world that is less demanding physically, though more tyrannical in a psychological sense. So, in 200 years dad has swapped one breed of problems, well-understood for millions of years, for new problems of the mind, not yet fully comprehend­ ed nor catalogued by the most fert i le scientif ic minds. So, have dads really! changed all that much as we reach the climax of our second century of na­ tionhood? Perhaps, not really. Perhaps they have not changed at all -- at heart. If they have more to give, it is because they have given more of them­ selves to amass the ma­ terial assets that guaran­ tee a better and fuller life for their families. Even if they no longer stand guard at the cabin door with musket akimbo, figuratively, their role of protector and guardian of the family is diminished not one wit. As disciplinarian, dad still has a reputation to uphold -- but his forms of control are more enlight­ ened and sympathetic than the "rod" of yester­ year. As a friend and pal -- participating in baseball, fishing, tennis, camping with the family -- he still bears the burden of mak­ ing his family into the cohesive unit that works and plays together in an environment that be­ comes more complicated and needs greater inter­ pretive skills every year. As a protector and a symbol of strength, he has learned to adapt and to take advantage of the skills, knowledge, aspira­ tions and experiences of his wife. He works with her to mold and form their family unit into a happy and productive household, that contributes not just to home tranquility, but to the national good and welfare. Don't put dad down! His job and responsibility have become mighty heavy, frightfully involved and much threatened by the rise of forces around us that make teamwork important to everyone's future. Q. I've been trying to gave energy this year; are oil com­ panies trying, too? A. Yes, and they are spend­ ing money to do it. By the end of 1976, Gulf Oil Corpo­ ration, for example, will have spent $20 million to reduce total energy consumption at its refineries by 15 percent of that used in 1972. At present, the company has reduced its fuel oil con­ sumption 10 percent on its 1972 base. That translates into a savings equivalent of about 2 1/2 million barrels per year. m with a gift he'll be able to use year around. Uleatheralert, NEW! 24 Hour Weather Radio With. Emergency Siren Alarm ONLY $39w If s the radio that (1) monitors U.S. Government weath- ercasts. (2) Battery backup in case of power failure (3) Siren alarm (triggered by UJS. Weather Service) that warns of emergency conditions. (4) 40-50 mile range (5) External antenna terminals. FREE battery with eveiy Weatheralert purchase. *1" value!! See us for a complete line of CB ndios, police scanners, antenna's and electronic accessories. TOMES} Lafayette ASSOCIATE STORE Wholesale & Retail Distributors 3719 W. Elm St Across from JommI Foods McHeniy, Illinois 385-4846 - -itlip 555®;®^ ...sV - THE FATHER'S DAY AWARD is symbolic of 4the protec­ tive role of Father, the leader of the family in our culture," according to T. M. Kaufman, Chairman of the National Father's Day Committee. The statues are individually hand­ crafted by sculptor Bruce Friedle of New York City. No two of the copyrighted Father's Day statues will be exactly alike, since each is separately handcrafted, not cast, and minor variations are bound to exist from one piece to the other. In commissioning Friedle to design the award, the National Father's Day Committee is helping to project a contemporary meaning of Father's Day in our society. Perfect gift for armchair refs ARM-CHAIR REFEREES have a great seat for the game with General Electric's new 25" (diagonal) solid-state color television. Bright, sharp color pictures, GE's VIR broad­ cast-controlled color system, and attractive Early American styling crafted in pine veneers and pine solids make «!»»• TV the best recreation and relaxation bargain in town. (Simulated TV picture). Father's Day has grown from a sermon io a nationwide holiday Mrs. John Bruce Dodd, on whose concept the dy­ namic Institution of Fath­ er's Day was founded, was 94 years old on February 18, 1976. She has lived to see her idea become a na­ tional holiday, by Act of Congress, to be celebrated the third Sunday of June. The President, by terms of the act, is directed to issue a proclamation on the observance of the day each year. Once a local Spokane, Washington, event, Father's Day is now one of the most widely accepted holidays, observ­ ed by nine out of 10 Amer­ icans. Father's Day was orig­ inally conceived as a trib­ ute to the devotion of a father to his famllly. It has matured from a day on which to "Honor Thy Father" into a day when people and families of good will get together to revitalize family and com­ munity relationships. 'A hero is one who knows how to hang on one minute longer.