Day 180 – Do You Have A Pledge?

There was a time in our society when being part of more than one club was a regular part of life. You can still see remnants of this, as you will see the occasional rotary club sign, or something similar. When I was growing up, I would often be brought to one of these clubs as a guest attendee. I have been to Kiwanis, Rotary, Shriners, Odd Fellows, Rebecca’s, Freemasons, Elk’s, Toastmasters, and several others that I have long since forgotten. These were not the professional organizations, or networking groups that we have today. These were, and still are, an attempt to bring people together in a sense of community obligation and belonging. They still exist, and have the same value, but they are not at the same level of acceptance as they were when I was young.

A Tradition of Pledges

There is one thing that I remember the most about attending the various club meetings. There was a particular emphasis on taking a pledge in order to become a member. This was taken rather seriously, and often repeated at the beginning of each group meeting. Rotarians (members of the Rotary Club) often will repeat what is called the 4-way test. Others, like the Elk’s club, have a ritual that is performed by the members to remind them of the cardinal virtues associated with being a part of elkdom. Regardless of the method, all these clubs have some sort of core value statement that is often repeated and reinforced by a commitment or pledge by the members.

It seems to me that we no longer take a pledge that often. If you were a boy scout or a girl scout you might have said or had to repeat a motto or a promise in order to qualify for a particular merit award. There was a time when we would say the Pledge of Allegiance every morning when school started. However, I am not sure how much that is practiced anymore. Perhaps in some school districts, but not all. The point is that we rarely say pledges anymore. When you go to college, you might participate in a fraternity or sorority and become a pledge. This indicates that you are getting ready to make a commitment to take your oath to the group. This varies depending on the society.

Pledges in Modern Life

When you get older you might encounter the taking of oaths, or a process of swearing in. Certain elected government roles require this, as does any professional association such as becoming a member of a State Bar. You might even make a sworn testimony in a court of law one day. If you stop and think about it, this process of swearing an oath, making a promise, or taking a pledge is a frequent part of our society. However, all of these are required for membership or acknowledgment by other entities, what about your pledge?

Personal Reflections on a Pledge

When I was younger, I had an aunt that would subscribe me to Ranger Rick’s Nature Magazine. This was a publication by the National Wildlife Federation. It started in 1966, by Ash Brownridge and is still active with around 1M subscribers. I remember getting these magazines once a month and I would carefully read the stories, do the puzzles, review all the pictures, and pay close attention to the goings-on of Ricky Raccoon and his friends. I remember one day, with complete solemnity, I decided to sign my name on Ranger Rick’s Pledge. Special thanks to the Classic Ranger Rick Website (https://sites.google.com/site/classicrangerrick/home) for keeping the archive so that I could find the original pledge:

Ranger Rick’s Pledge:

I give my pledge as a member of
Ranger Rick’s Nature Club
To use my eyes to see the beauty
of all outdoors.
To train my mind to learn the
importance of nature.
To use my hands to help protect our
soil, water, woods and wildlife.
And, by my good example, to show
others how to respect, properly use
and enjoy our natural resources.

This was a big commitment for me. It was my first pledge. This was my own pledge and belonged to only myself. I signed my name in the space provided on the inside cover of the magazine and was proud to be a member of the Ranger Rick Nature Club. This has certainly stuck with me as I have gotten older. I always return to the mountains, and I am always sure to bring the next generation with me as we learn and appreciate what nature has to offer.

This morning, thanks to Derick Rickenback, I was reminded of childhood friends and inspirations. So I decided to take a visit up to my attic and see if I could locate Ranger Rick. I found him, sitting and waiting patiently for me. He wanted to know if I remembered my pledge, and I could not. So we did some searching and we found the pledge. I was pleased to repeat the pledge back to myself and remember the first commitment that I had made as a child.

What is Your Pledge?

This has reminded me of how important and impactful pledges can be, especially the ones that we author. Can we create a pledge that exemplifies the commitments, the virtues, the values that we wish to represent in our lives? This seems to be a powerful concept that we should consider implementing if we have not done so already. What is your pledge? What are you going to promise to always keep? What will you repeat back to yourself every morning when you rise to take on the new day?