The John Templeton Foundation, established by Franklin County native John Marks Templeton, will host a series of events this summer to honor the Winchester community.
“A Celebration of Spirit” will feature a series of events in the Winchester area to focus on the values embraced by Templeton. The events will offer programs inspired by the virtues instilled in Templeton throughout his childhood and early adult life in Winchester.
“The Winchester area had a profound impact on my dad as he grew up, and we look forward to returning to his hometown for several celebratory events this year,” said Dr. Jack Templeton, president and chairman of the John Templeton Foundation. “My father always looked to make a difference in the lives of those he encountered, and the Foundation strives to continue that mission.”
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Laws of Life Essay Contest, and in recognition, each event will revolve around principles discussed in those essays.
The first and largest event is “Spirit on the Square,” a community event in downtown Winchester on Saturday, June 23, from 4 to 8 p.m. The main stage will feature nationally renowned and local musical acts and performers, along with entertainment for the whole family. The event will also showcase federal tax-exempt organizations and nonprofit corporations with principal activities in Franklin County, inviting them to decorate booths that showcase their mission and exemplify the values of Templeton’s Laws of Life. The booth and decorations will be judged, and cash prizes will be awarded for the top entries. The 2012 Laws of Life Booth contest applications and guidelines can be found at www.acelebrationofspirit.org.
A new essay contest for Franklin County citizens, sponsored by the Garden Association, will also be conducted, with prizes ranging in amount in three categories: ages 14 and younger, $50 to $2,000; ages 15, 16, 17 and 18, $100 to $4,000; and ages 18 and older, $300 to $5,000. An application and guidelines for the Franklin County Citizens’ Laws of Life Essay Contest can be found at www.acelebrationofspirit.org. The new contest offers Franklin County citizens the opportunity for self-discovery by considering their own life experience in the larger perspective of the Laws of Life such as love, gratitude, honesty, integrity, positive thinking, friendship, humility, joy, pleasing others, progress, useful living, reliability, perseverance and forgiveness. Essayists are encouraged to declare their values in their own words, writing about life as they know it, and about the values they embrace.
“The Human Spirit,” a one-day invitation-only conference, will take place on Monday, June 25, from 9 to 5 p.m. at Cravens Hall at the University of the South. Experts will discuss the expanding research on the topics of love, happiness, gratitude, forgiveness, perseverance, and health and well-being, particularly in the areas of developmental science and organizational studies. Nationally recognized speakers will include Dr. Stephen Post, best-selling author of The Hidden Gifts of Helping, and Dr. Robert Emmons, editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology, among others.
John Marks Templeton was born in Winchester, Tenn., on Nov. 29, 1912. He attended Yale University for his undergraduate studies and Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar, earning an M.A. degree in law. Templeton began his investment and financial career in 1937 and provided advice for investing worldwide when Americans rarely considered foreign investment. Templeton sought to answer life’s “big questions” in the fields of finance, faith and spiritual matters throughout his life and was named a Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II in 1987. A lifelong philanthropist, writer and investor, Templeton passed away on July 8, 2008.
For more information about the events, visit www.acelebrationofspirit.org.
