Community

By mid morning, I had already gone for a sail. Sleep was an edict of the fatigued body. When I woke up, there was little to do before going into work.

Work was fairly busy until dinner time. For my lunch break, I stopped in at Lincoln Elementary, by invitation, for the School Open House. My friend Sita is a teacher and she gave me the school tour of exhibits, grade by grade. It was in the gym that I ran into Professor Cahill perusing the demonstrations. The overall theme seemed to have something to do with diversity.

Tonight, Diana will be giving a speech about Community Service at her school. Since most of you--probably all of you--will not get the chance to hear it, I will present it here.

Community Service: Take Action!
by Diana

Ladies and Gentlemen, freshmen and seniors, students and faculty--
Tonight, I’d like to brief you on the history of community.

• In some 30,000 years in the past, humanity formed some of the first complex communities to sustain each others’ survival.


• In the last 3,000 years, cities of mankind again evolved to enhance a standard of living.


• Within just some 300 years, a ship full of men and women had formed the first communities in the new world, free from tyranny.


• In 2005, students of Madison East come together to talk about serving their community.

Throughout humanities’ short history, we see time and time again that community can prevail over any adversity. It is our commitment to service in the community that ensures our future. Neighbor helping neighbor, friend to friend, our affinity and kinship act as a basis for societal success.

What makes for good community service? It’s simple really.
It’s all a matter of action and reaction.

• Reaction in the form of making a difference.


• Reaction in seeing a significant change in a person’s life.


• Reaction in becoming better brethren.

I quote Mother Teresa, a woman who gave her whole life to the cause.
She said “Love cannot remain by itself—it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action and that action is service.”

So I ask all of you today to commit yourselves to some community service. It does not have to be a grand act. It can be as simple as picking up the trash in and around your school. You can donate old clothes to a local charity. Or you may decide to participate in hosting a dinner for those who rarely get a home cooked meal. One way or another, TAKE ACTION.

By doing so you will participate in a legacy of human tradition. You will help advance humanity and the very thing that makes us human.
That is love. It is compassion.

As you sit here and listen to my speech, some of you are probably already thinking what you can do in your community. Some of you might be thinking what’s for dinner. For the second group, I don’t blame you. Dinner is important.

But for all of you, make it your own personal challenge to see what you can do for others. Without you, without your friends and family, the community does not exist.

By being here today, you’ve already made the first step.

• In 2005, students of Madison East come together to talk about serving their community.

In the footnote of history, you are already serving.
Let us take that second step and the third.
Let us act and let the good re-act.

Community service is not given. It is by choice.
Make your choice heard in the time you have—
And it will be time that will remember you for it.

Thank you.

Fei-O-Meter
Activity: 3 | Energy: 2 | Friends: 3