Pledge for life

Today I was driving in regional NSW with just my ipod for company.  It was great to be out on the open road in a big powerful car, the music turned up (on speaker - NOT through ear buds) and only responsible to get the car home safely and run a couple of errands on the way through.

I drive very little when I'm at home in Melbourne because I'm a committed public transport user, but I do love to drive. The one thing I don't like about driving is other drivers.  In the space of a couple of hundred kilometres today, I had to take evasive action three times and remain patient when the driver in front of me would not drive at a constant speed.

In that little capsule, there is space to think.  During today's trip I passed Lake Keepit.  I attended a couple of school camps there and somewhere else during primary school.  School camps were fantastic!  Long, sun filled days, jam packed with doing stuff outdoors.  Canoeing, orienteering, swimming, archery, boomerang throwing, bike riding, bush walking, tobogganing and on and on.

Citizenship and  responsibility was also a big part of these programs, with everything from cabin inspections to responsibility for clearing tables and assisting in the scullery during meal times.  I can't remember which particular venue it was, but one of them had a flag raising and pledge ceremony every morning.  Now I'm renowned for my ridiculously reliable and long range memory, but I surprised myself today when the pledge sprang to mind:

In our hands lies the future of this great land.  If we all work together, doing the common good, there is no limit to what we can achieve.

Contemplating this as an adult, I'm impressed.  What a great thing to instil in children.   And adults for that matter.  I think this is a philosophy for life.  I'm glad I remembered it.

Did you go to school camp?  Did they have pledges? I'd love to hear them.