T
oday’s post comes from Chris Golden, Executive Director and co-founder of myImpact.org
It is protocol that whenever a president of the United States enters or exits a room the audience rises for a standing ovation.
Last Monday night, the sold-out crowd at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington conformed to this ritual- for four former presidents.
It was an extraordinary privilege to be in attendance at the event, honoring President George H. W. Bush and his commitment and legacy of service. The one-hour primetime television special, “All Together Now,” will air tonight on NBC at 8pm EDT.
Service is a timeless American tradition. The idea of neighbors helping neighbors is embodied in our national ethos and exemplified throughout our history. From the founding of the Republic to the establishment of the American Red Cross as a nurse’s corps during the Civil War. From the Civilian Conservation Corps established during the Great Depression to the USA Citizens Corps established after 9/11, the strength of America’s volunteers has defined our country in times of struggle and in times of prosperity.
This spirit was captured in President Bush’s inaugural address when he said, “I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good.”
And in addition to recognizing the Presidents for their common legacies of service, the Tribute ceremony also recognized average Americans, these points of light, shining in their communities that make up the patchwork of our nation.
Their stories, as told by the men who are our modern leaders, are inspiring reminders of the power of individual civic action. How everyday citizens are doing extraordinary things, solving problems in their communities-developing solutions that can be scaled to national results.
Whenever four presidents are in the same room, history is written.
And it is important that we not let this moment in our history pass by. Instead, we must use it as a call to action, to renew our commitments to each other, and our communities as active, engaged citizen leaders. There are many ways to become involved- a good place to begin is with the resources of the Points of Light Institute and Hands On Network.
Even in this time of challenge and uncertainty, it is worth remembering the often silent heroes of our time- the City Year corps member giving a year of their life to serve in an improvised high school, the community leader organizing an environmental clean up, or the RSVP volunteer demonstrating that even after a lifetime career, there is still more to give.
When you stop and think about the impact they are having, it’s worthy of a standing ovation.
