Richard “Little Bear” Wheeler, founder of Mantle Ministries, integrates theatrical training, pastoral credentials, and Christian conviction for accurate and unforgettable communication of our Christ-centered, providential, national history to audiences of all ages. Little Bear’s unforgettable portrayals and portraits of the heroes of our faith and freedom provide inspiration, along with character-building role models, emphasizing the importance of the parental transfer of our God-given mantle of Christian heritage from one generation to the next.

Don’t miss Little Bear’s retelling of the gripping story of God’s sovereign protection of the most decorated hero of the “Great War.” He will portray Sergeant Alvin York, in fully authentic WWI uniform, at the Thursday field trip to the Battleship Texas.

Little Bear will be our featured speaker at our special Friday evening session for the whole family as he shares the story of William Wallace: Braveheart – Guarding Your God-given Freedom.

Little Bear’s adult workshops during the day will be:

Between workshops, browse the exhibit hall with this year’s lineup of quality exhibitors, including Homeschool Tracker, Bright Minds/The Critical Thinking Co. at Home, Accelerated Christian Education (ACE), and Right Start Mathematics.
See the Convention quick links on the left for information and pre-registration options. Pre-register by July 1st, and save $$!

South Plains Christian Home Educators Association in Lubbock is hosting its annual home school book fair:

Friday evening (free session), June 9th, 7-9 p.m.
and Saturday, June 10, 2006, 8:45 a.m.–3 p.m.,
at First Baptist Church Activities Building,
2201 Broadway (Broadway and Avenue V), Lubbock

THSC’s Tim and Lyndsay Lambert will join Gabe Allen of WallBuilders as keynote speakers. There will also be many vendor workshops. Click on the graphic above for the schedule and speaker topics for the two days.

Father’s Day is June 18th. Have you considered how you will honor the father in your home on his special day? THSC Association is offering a Father’s Day Special for this hard-working, sometimes underappreciated, guy! (Click on the graphic for some family/class activities, poems, and other ideas for honoring dads. Also check out the Father’s Day links to the left.)

The Father’s Day Special (a $56 value) can be your gift to Dad for only $40! The video kit, Dads: The Men in the Gap, the audio tape, So What's the Dad Supposed to Do?, and a THSC T-shirt can all be your gift to Dad for only $40! Place your order by Monday, June 12th, to ensure delivery before Father’s Day.

Hosted by the Christian Home Education Association of Central Texas (CHEACT)

The CHEACT Conference and Book Fair on June 23- 24, 2006, will be held:
at Palmer Events Center,
900 Barton Springs Rd, Austin
Time: 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
(Click on graphic for map.)

You can look forward to inspiring speakers and educational workshops that will encourage you on your home school journey. THSC’s Tim Lambert will join an excellent lineup of speakers such as R.C. Sproul, Jr., Hans and Nathaniel Bluedorn, and Jim Weiss; Lyndsay Lambert, mother of four home school graduates, will be encouraging moms at the Saturday morning breakfast, speaking on “What Was I Thinking?” These, along with lunch fellowships and a packed Exhibitor Hall with favorite and all-new vendors have the CHEACT board excited about this year's conference.

Register on-line at at he CHEACT Convention link in the left column by TOMORROW, June 7th, to secure discounted entry and receive your conference materials in the mail. You can still register on-line after June 7th but you will have to pay full price and pick up conference materials on site. So, save time and money by registering today!

In some states, home school students are not excluded from public high school participation in sports. This worked to the advantage of an Iowa home school graduate, Curtis Lilly. His story and his Christian testimony are covered in a story by Brian Johnson, which appeared May 22, 2006, in the online version of the Ada Evening News. Read the following excerpts:

“ECU's Lilly lends a helping hand, foot

“When someone is in need, Curtis Lilly is there to lend a helping hand. When the East Central University Tigers are in need, Lilly provides it with his foot. Lilly, ECU’s punter, hopes to cash in on yet another magnificent season this fall after having a nifty 2005 campaign.

"The McIntire, Iowa, native was 11th in the nation in NCAA Division II and third in the Lone Star Conference in punting with a 40.4-yard average last season and dropped 20 of his boots inside the opposition’s 20-yard line.

“Not bad for a guy who didn’t start playing football until his senior year of high school. The 6-4, 225- pound home-school student, who claims he punted out of necessity for Riceville High School (home- school students are able to play for their local high schools in Iowa), has practically made a living of it since.”

In an article appearing at canada.com, a story by William Marsden of The Gazette tells of a home school family that has been at the mercy of the state schools and the “experts,” in the care and education of their children. Excerpts from this story, published Friday, May 19, 2006, can be read below.

Brothers Returned to Parents

“A judge has ordered that a severely diabetic boy and his older brother who were put into foster care be returned to their parents, effectively ending a three-month battle between the couple and youth protection services.

“To get back their children, the parents were forced to compromise on issues of schooling and health care for the boy who has Type 1 diabetes, the most severe form of the disease.

“The parents had been home-schooling their children and had settled on a regimen of diet and insulin with the boy's previous doctor, who retired last year.”

THSC Association sent the letter that can be accessed below when a school official refused to remove the child of a member family from the school's rolls without the parent making an appearance at the school to “sign papers and show proof of enrollment.”