Ceremony
Many years ago, a social analyst, Johan Huizinga (1968), propose that a unique feature of human beings is their ability to play and make believe. He used the term, homo ludens, to identify this special capacity. While many other animals spend considerable time in playful activities, human beings play in a particularly “big way” through the invention of elaborate ceremonies, parades, and other rituals. We know how to put on a good show and have invented many devices (e.g., movies, television, sporting events) to make them even bigger and more accessible to an expanding public.
Obviously, many of the big shows are intended for nothing more than entertainment. However, at other times these shows are meant to honor a person, event, community, or entire nation. We pass on a tradition through use of ritual. We initiate a young person through a rite of passage and ceremony. In many instances, initiation processes are coupled with Generativity Two mentoring. But there is something more than just mentoring that is involved in these initiation processes; the ceremonies are tangible manifestations of the tradition into which the young person is being initiated.
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have abundant ceremony, honoring the young person’s achievement of specific competencies (merit badges and ranks). A variant on the scouting initiation process is also found in the YMCA and YWCA. These organizations honor young men and women at the start of their journey. Called the “Ragger” ceremony, the young man or woman receives a “rag” (kerchief) that is bestowed as a challenge for the initiate to meet an ambitious goal they have set for themselves. The kerchief is only a “rag” until the goal has been achieved. The young person then sets another goal and receives a different color kerchief that represents an even more ambitious personal aim. The Ragger ceremony, like the scouting ceremonies, uses the traditions and value system of YMCA/YWCA to encourage further development of the young person with the assistance of a Generativity Two mentor.
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).
