Over the years the Farmers’ Almanac has championed a number of “Campaigns.” It started in 1995 when my dad realized the US Post Office eliminated the city and state on a letter being canceled and replaced it with part of the zip code. Apparently, people collected postmarks much as they do stamps.
Two years later and hundreds of thousands of letters, postmarks were returned.
We have avoided “political issues.” In fact the last time we made a political statement was in 1828 when we said “Congress spoke too much and spent too much” and have not made an utterance since. But, we have done a few things that we think are fun and speak to what “really bugs folks.” I won’t discuss all of them, but a few that were great to discuss and get feedback include:
1991 - It was a turkey of an idea that really took flight. We suggested it might be a good idea to move Thanksgiving from the fourth Thursday in November to Late October. Though we didn’t expect a dramatic response, dramatic it was! Our point was that the two major family gatherings are within 4 weeks of each other. Thanksgiving did not commemorate a specific date but an idea (thanks for a harvest). And, the weather in October is far better than late November.Thanksgiving is still in November, but the discussion took place.
1996 - Patient’s Bill of Rights - Ever kept waiting at a doctor’s office? It happened to me when I was growing up, I can remember waiting 3 hours at an orthodontist’s office until I finally left. We had four articles in our decree….(1) Take our weight but don’t make us wait; (2) Phone home - call if you are running late; (3) Tell us about it (explain why I’m waiting); (4) here is the best part - Three strikes and you’re out. If I have to wait three times or more for a scheduled appointment, you should offer me a discount or give me consultation at no charge. After all, 60 minutes is a lot of time. This campaign was my favorite because it empowered people to speak up when their time was not considered. Many doctor’s offices posted our “Bill of Rights” and thousands of our Patients Bills were downloaded from our website or mailed out.• 2000 - Move Halloween. Well not quite. We suggested that local communities decide when to celebrate Trick or Treat. Because so many people live a distance from home, when Halloween lands on a weekday, many leave work early, rush home and dress children and head out for the collection of candy.If school is the next day, kids are “wired” from the sugar. We felt it was a better plan to have trick or treat on a weekend (Saturday) when communities could have a family festival and end it with dressing up and visiting neighbors. This concept has taken off in many communities.• 2006 - Why is Service so Hard to Get? - Another mutual respect campaign. We pointed out that with cell phones, hand held devices, computers, etc. people should not have to wait (at home) 4-12 hours for a service provider to arrive. A call saying I am heading over, should be doable. Our unofficial vote indicates a split:
Very Satisfied 28%
Somewhat Satisfied 23%
Not Satisfied 23%
It’s Terrible! 27%
There is good - bad - ugly. We hope that the “ugly” gets better with time.
Finally, this year we are talking about Daylight Saving Time. Check our home page and read options and “vote.”
If you would like to read more about any of the above “campaigns”, let me know and I will send it to you. I don’t have these older cases online. Have a great day!
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