Given by His Excellency, President Kevin Baugh
26 May 2022 XLV
My Fellow Molossians, Family and Friends.
As we celebrate the 45th year of the founding of our nation, we look with pride upon our accomplishments and achievements. We are the premier small nation on earth, setting the standard that others follow. We have consistently led the way, blazing a trail and indeed showing others how it’s done, so to speak. Not only do we inspire others, we even inspire ourselves. I look with pride and wonder at what we have done here in our nation, in the past four and a half decades, and I further look ahead with excitement toward what we will yet do. In spite of our small size, the sky is the limit for what can be done in our great nation, and the path of greatness upon which we tread daily stretches out ahead of us forever. But as we look ahead at what we might do, we also can look back at what we have done, over the past year.
Molossia explored the concept of sovereignty in two different places this last year, first in Hawaii in September, when our Government visited Pu'uhonua O Waimanalo, the Hawaiian Nation-State and then in October when our Government visited the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina. These two entities function as “nations within a nation”, much like Molossia does, and it was educational and inspirational to learn about both.
Last June saw a visit to our colony, Farfalla, located some distance from the Molossian Home Territory, in Northern California. In January Farfalla was elevated to the status of Province, the third and newest province in our nation.
We are always proud of our Mighty Molossian Navy and over the past year the Navy excelled in its accomplishments indeed. Last June the Navy deployed its newest gadget, a powerful magnet, designed to retrieve treasures from beneath the waves. In August the Navy set out to search for the legendary Tahoe Tessie, the fabled sea monster of Lake Tahoe. Though less than successful, that mission will continue into the future. And most recently, the Navy traveled to Monterey Bay in California, to study the marine fauna there, including, whales and dolphins, fairly up close and personal.
As always, we seek to introduce Molossia to the world, and did so last October and December, first for the annual Nevada Day Parade in Carson City and then in the Small Town Christmas event, held in nearby Dayton. Both events serve well to enhance awareness about Molossia in the local area and demonstrate our interest in a positive relationship with the nation that surrounds us.
Speaking of that nation, for the second year in a row our Government set out on a journey to explore Nevada. Over a two-day period, with 29 hours of driving and over 1200 miles traveled, the intrepid explorers saw a multitude of historical, natural and cultural sites throughout the Silver State, enhancing our knowledge of Nevada and by documenting the voyage on social media, enhancing the knowledge of others about Nevada as well.
We are always seeking to improve our nation and make it a better place. To that end, we built a golf course in the Back Forty, to provide entertainment for Molossians and visitors alike. Molossia saw the advent of the first motor vehicles intended for use solely in our nation, with the addition of two minibikes. And early this year we inaugurated the Molossia farm, with both chickens and a garden, planned to increase our food independence. So far, this initiative is proceeding very well indeed.
This year has seen loss among our family, with the passing of Molossia canine citizen Duncan last June. Shortly thereafter, though, our family grew again with the arrival of Baby Luna in August, our newest citizen and grandchild, daughter of Molossians Nathan and Cassie. Molossia is a family nation, and this year has seen a variety of family events, including a meetup of far-flung Molossians in April, our traditional Guy Fawkes celebration in November and the always chaotic annual Broomball tournament in March. Also, in November the first Turkey Shoot Rocket Race took place, wherein Molossians competed with each other to see how high they could launch air rockets.
And so, having cast our gaze backward for a moment, we again look ahead. There are so many opportunities and we shall endeavor to seize them all. We shall ever strive to make Molossia, already great, even greater. This goal may not always be easy, but it is a challenge that we as a family and nation accept and that we will achieve. As always, I am proud to lead this nation on its continuing adventure, as we walk this path together to greatness with pride and with passion.
God bless you, Long Live Molossia!