Duty To.....

I Pledge Allegiance	I Promise to be faithful and true (Promise my loyalty)
to the flag	to the emblem that stands for and represents
of the United States	all 50 states, each of them individual, and individually represented on the flag
of America	yet formed into a UNION of one Nation.
and to the Republic	And I also pledge my loyalty to the Government that is itself a Republic, a form of government where the PEOPLE are sovereign,
for which it stands,	this government also being represented by the Flag to which I promise loyalty.
one Nation under God,	These 50 individual states are united as a single Republic under the Divine providence of God, "our most powerful resource" (according to the words of President Eisenhower)
Indivisible,	and can not be separated. (This part of the original version of the pledge was written just 50 years after the beginning of the Civil War and demonstrates the unity sought in the years after that divisive period in our history)
with Liberty	The people of this Nation being afforded the freedom to pursue "life, liberty, and happiness",
and Justice	And each person entitled to be treated justly, fairly, and according to proper law and principle,
for All.	And these principles afforded to EVERY AMERICAN, regardless of race, religion, color, creed, or any other criteria. Just as the flag represents 50 individual states that can not be divided or separated, this Nation represents millions of people who can not be separated or divided.

Thus it is that when you Pledge Allegiance

to the United States Flag, You:

*Promise your loyalty to the Flag itself.
*Promise your loyalty to your own and the other 49 States.
*Promise your loyalty to the Government that unites us all,
   Recognizing that we are ONE Nation under God,
     That we can not or should not be divided or alone,
     And understanding the right to Liberty and Justice belongs to ALL of us.

John Wayne: What the Scout Law Means to Me

A great American, John Wayne, passed away many years ago. One of his last public appearances was at a dinner. The purpose of the dinner was to benefit a land purchase for a Scout Reservation called John Wayne Outpost Camp.

At this dinner, Wayne recited the Scout Law. Then he did something unusual, he said the twelve points of the Scout Law are "nice words". "Trouble is" he continued, "we learn them so young we sometimes don't get all the understanding that goes with them. I take care of that in my family. As each boy reaches Scout age, I make sure he learns the Scout Law. Then I break it down for him, with a few things I have picked up in more than half a century since I learned it."

Then Wayne proceeded to explain the importance of the Scout Law, breaking it down for the guests at the dinner; much like he would have for his grandson.

TRUSTWORTHY -- The badge of honesty. Having it lets you look any man in the eye. Lacking it he won't look back. Keep this one at the top of your list.

LOYAL -- The very word is life itself, for without loyalty we have no love of person or country.

HELPFUL -- Part sharing, part caring. By helping each other, we help ourselves, not to mention mankind. Be always full of help -- the dying man's last words.

FRIENDLY -- Brotherhood is part of that word. You can take it in a lot of directions, and do, but make sure and start with brotherhood.

COURTEOUS -- Allow each person his human dignity which means a lot more than saying, "yes ma'am" and "thank you sir". It reflects an attitude that later in life you wish you had honored more earlier in life. Save yourself that problem. Do it now.

KIND -- This one word would stop wars and erase hatreds. But its like your bicycle, its just no good unless you get out and use it.

OBEDIENT -- Starts at home. Practice it in your family. Enlarge it in your friends. Share it with humanity.

CHEERFUL -- Anyone can put on a happy face when the going is good. The secret is to wear it as a mask for your problems. It might surprise you how many others do the same thing.

THRIFTY -- Means a lot more than putting pennies away, and it is the opposite of cheap. Common sense covers it just about as well as anything.

BRAVE -- You don't have to fight to be brave. Millions of good, fine, decent folks show more bravery than heavyweight champs just by getting out of bed every morning, going out to do a good day's work and living the best life they know how against the law of odds. Keep the word handy every day of your life.

CLEAN -- Soap and water help a lot on the outside. But it is the inside that counts and don't ever forget it.

REVERENT -- Believe in anything that you want to believe in, but keep God at the top of it. With Him, life can be a beautiful experience. Without Him, you are just biding time.

John Wayne then thanked those at the dinner for putting his name on the outpost camp and said, "I would rather see it here than on all the theater marquees the world over."