DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Gideons society is a national organization that places Bibles in hotel rooms. Is this organization still active in Maine? How many Bibles has Gideons delivered through its lifetime? Thank you in advance. — Henry Sakrison, Poland

ANSWER: Sun Spots can’t speak to the Gideons’ activities specifically in Maine, but she found the following at mentalfloss.com:

“Gideons International got its start in 1898, when two traveling businessmen, John H. Nicholson and Samuel E. Hill, arrived at the crowded Central Hotel in Boscobel, Wisc., for the night. The two had never met, but there was only one double room left, so they decided to share it. The men got to talking and found they shared a common faith and had both toyed with the idea of creating an evangelical association for Christian businessmen.

“They called a meeting the following year for men who were interested in joining together for ‘mutual recognition, personal evangelism, and united service for the Lord.’ Only one other person showed up to that meeting — William J. Knights, who suggested they name their organization after Gideon, an Old Testament judge who led a small band of men to defeat a much larger army.

“The Gideons don’t go room to room themselves, slipping the books in nightstands like Bible elves. When a hotel opens, local Gideons members will present a Bible to the hotel’s general manager in a small ceremony and then give enough books for each room and some extras to the housekeeping staff for distribution. In addition to hotel rooms, the Gideons also give Bibles to military bases, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons and to students on college campuses.

“Based on the success of the Gideons’ Bible project … other religious groups have begun distributing their own free literature to hotels. The Marriott hotel chain, founded by a Mormon, places the the Book of Mormon in many of its rooms, and many hotels also offer Buddhist, Hindu, Christian Scientist or Scientologist books along with the standard Gideon Bible.”

According to a USA Today story on Jan. 9, 2009, celebrating 100 years of the Gideons: “Nearly 76.9 million Gideon Scriptures were given out in nearly 85 languages in 187 countries last year. Close to 1.5 billion Scriptures have been distributed since 1908, when the Gideons first began to place Bibles in hotel rooms.”

The Gideons website is at www.gideons.org.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I enjoy your column and the information you find for us, your readers.

On Oct. 2, a reader asked about the Direct TV channel to watch the Rev. Joel Osteen. I watch him on Dish TV on the Lifetime channel at 9 a.m. Sunday morning. I enjoy his messages very much. — Betty

ANSWER: Sun Spots does not know if the show will be available on Direct TV as it is on Dish, but it will certainly be easy enough for that reader to check. He and Sun Spots thank you for writing.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Russell Park Rehabilitation and Living Center has craft tables available for its Christmas craft fair, which is from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Nov. 2 and 3.

The cost is $10 per table. The proceeds from renting tables goes to the residents’ activity fund.

If you would like to reserve a table for our craft fair, please call me. — Fern St. Claire, activities director, 786-0691, ext. 101

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Safe Voices volunteer training begins Monday, Nov. 5, in Lewiston. If you are interested in making a difference in the lives of those affected by domestic violence, become a helpline volunteer!

Join us for a nine-week training course designed to give you information and confidence to be a helpline advocate. Our helpline provides victims of domestic violence access to resources 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

If you want more information or to sign up for the free training, please call or email me. — Janet Allen, jallen@safevoices.org795-6744

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