At a personal level both of us participated in scouting. One of us also was initiated as a young man into the Order of the Arrow (an initiation process engaged by the Boy Scouts now known as Arrow of Light), and one of us was raised by a father who proudly noted that he was “the first Eagle Scout in North Dakota” (a picture of grandpa in his 1920 scouting outfit is treasured). We were both initiated into fraternal organizations while college students. As we reflect on our personal experiences, there is clear evidence that each of us absorbed the values and priorities of these organization. We still remember the pledges, chats, and songs from these earlier life experiences. While some of these values and priorities are no longer aligned with our mature values and priorities, they do provide a foundation for our personal sense of history and continuity. These experiences motivate both of us to “pay it forward” in our Generativity Three activities.
Obviously, Homo ludens is not exclusively a phenomenon of youth initiation, nor is it exclusively an American experience. We find similar ceremonial processes in various fraternal organizations that exist outside the collegiate setting. Two of the most notable are the Masonic Order and the Knights of Columbus. Deeply emotional and richly historical ceremonies reside at the heart of these fraternal orders, with secrecy further enhancing their appeal (and perceived threat). Even more commonly, we see homo ludens displayed in the many parades that are staged throughout the world in any given year. In the United States we can watch or participate in the Rose Parade that is held and broadcast on New Year’s Day; for many years, families of the founders of Los Angeles rode horses in the parade with great equestrian splendor. At another time of year, Americans honor those who have defended our country with Veterans’ Day parades; flags are in abundance, as are marching bands, corps of Veteran associations, and specific veterans being honored (often as “marshals” of the parade).
As Americans, we are sometimes envious of rich homo ludian societies and try to emulate their traditions. In many instances, this attempt to resurrect and re-enact lost traditions is done on behalf of those who come from the culture that once offered this ceremony. One of us, for instance, recently chaired a dissertation committee with a doctoral student who focused on the ceremony-based mentoring of young African American women in their own African tradition. A similar program has been established throughout the United States for African American males, who often don’t have a strong male parenting figure in their life. One of our Sage leaders describes his work with the local Maidu tribe in California. He assists them with their “calling back the salmon” ceremony. Sadly, it is often someone from outside a “dying” culture (an anthropologist or folklorist) who is teaching the lost ceremony to the indigenous people—the irony of “postmodern life” (Anderson, 1995)
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