August 2

 CHARITY is paying the price of a legacy

 A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.  ~ Proverbs 22:1

No matter how hard a man works, no matter how much wealth and notoriety a man accumulates, it is always a fair question to ask, What will I leave behind?

What we leave behind is called legacy.  It is more than “Salesman of the Year” plaques.  And certainly more than a wooden box planted six feet deep.  It’s the footprints we leave at a workplace or institution, and the fingerprints we leave in the lives we love. 

Deep in the soul of every man is the desire to leave behind a good name.  A name that makes people nod in affirmation.  For a man to be able to look into the eyes of his wife and children and to be able to see them looking back with respect, admiration, trust, loyalty – that is enough to make most of us hallucinate.  That is a living legacy.  And that is what every man should long for.

A living legacy is the product of consistent hard choices – integrity, sensitivity, humility, responsibility, fidelity, and charity.  There are no shortcuts.  No such thing as microwave maturity.  It is held out to each of us – ours for the taking – as long as we are willing to pay the price.  ~ Fred Hartley, adapted from Men and Marriage

 Is there a way for a Knight to build his legacy through council activities and events?  Would your brothers nod in affirmation if your name came up in conversation?

That person proves his worth who can make us want to listen when he is with us and think when he is gone.  ~ Grit