Raising Of Spiritual And Moral Principles An Essential In World Reconstruction

Chronicle (Levin), 31 May 1949, Page 4

Raising Of Spiritual And Moral Principles An Essential In World Reconstruction

All over the world today the lights of right, truth and freedom were- going out, but they could be rekindled again if individuajs everywhere played their part. If the task of reconstruction .was to succeed, a return to the praetice of the basic decencies of life was essential, and also the raising of the standard of our daily living and our individual spiritual and moral principles. These were the comments of the Governor of the 52nd (New Zealand) District of Rotary International, Mr. W. Calder Mackay^ of Auckland, speaking to the Levin Rotary Club at its weekly luncheon yesterday.

"A basis for reconstruction is something we are all vitally interested in and puzzled about, because it 'does not seem clegr where yqu and I fit in world reconstruction today," said Mr. Mackay in his opening remgrks. However, history had reglly given such a copybook iesson that it was imppssible to ignore the responsibility' placed on every individual. War had became inevitable long before 1939 'due to the blackness in men's hearts. A great void had been left after World War I and noihing had been brought forward to fill it because of the sickness of our civilisation. It had ultimate'y been filled wi'th the evil of Nazism. That vacuum existed again today and if we dfd not fill it with something good, something noble and something worth while, evil would again assert itself. That was the very grave danger facing the world. The mistakes of the past had to be seen and an endeavour made not to repeat them. The speaker went on to suggest that the starting point in overcoming the crisis which the world faced today had to be a return to a praetice of the basic decencies and, more than that, the raisipg of the standard of our daily living and our individual spiritual and moral principles. If the day ever came that more than ha1! the people thought that this was visionary an'd idealistic, it would be che end of decent civilisation, he added. Rotary had a great part to play, in conjunction with all organisations working for the uplifting of society, in raising moral and spiritual standards, sai'd Mr. Mock&y. Ppssibly the greatest field of ejideavour was along the lines of youth work and in each- and everyone meeting his or her responsibilIties as parent or grandparent. "We have- really got to look squarely at the situation today. I do not think the children have become any worse, but I do think that we are more delinquent parents. Let us face it." The superintendent of the Federal Bureau ' of Investigation, speaking to the New York Rotury Club recent1 y about juvenile crime, had urged three avenues for working at the problem— -the giving of

real leadership in the home, and the exercise of disciplipe with affection; the encour.agement of good teachers in schools by attractive salaries and suitable recognition of their w~rk; and, finally, a return tp religion. Munv youths of today thought of the. hpjne as a place to hang their hats and sleeo, and in many cases this resulted from a lack of moral training, continued Mr. Mackay. Much could be done and encouragement given in the moral uplift of the youpger generation. "There must also be a strong resolve on our part that we are going to make our own lives better. "If we believe in democracy and our way of life, we cannot leave the safeguarding of it to governments. We must each and all of us work and strive to preserve it. In a democracy we have many rights, but where a right is given a duty is imposed. Our first duty is to realise that it must be preserved and to do that we must be informed about the great freedoms which have been closely guarded and cherished through the centuries." The next duty, said the speaker, was to be intePigent, as true democracy required intelligence in studying the facts and assesdng their value, in discriminating between good and evil and in sorting lhp true from the false. "Then you" must be articulate and communicate these ideas at the ooint where you touch the home life and the economic and social life of your town. We certainly have something to do in this period because we must not drift. We must first set the standard in oqr homes and iji opr spcial and business life. and then use it at the point where we touch. " That is a very definite obligation." All over the world today" the lights of right, -truth and honour were going out, concluded Mr. Mackay, but they could be rekindled again if we were informed, intelligent and articu'ate, and spread the knowledge of the clear, bright flame of freedom. Mr. Mackay was introduced by the club's president, Dr. S. JThompson, and at the .conqlqsion of his address a hearty vote of thanks, proposed by Mr. D. P. Todd, was carried with acclamation.