A Cowboy’s Creed
Submitted by Jackie Bryan Jan.
2005
By Pamela Perry Blaine
As I child, I loved
Saturday morning!
This was the day that I
looked forward to all week. I would hurry through my morning chores,
finish my bowl of Tony the Tiger cereal -- It's GRRRREEAAT! -- and turn on our family's newly acquired television set.
Yes, it was Saturday
morning in the late 1950s and life was good!
There were a lot of good
programs such as Annie Oakley, Wild Bill Hickok, Zorro, Hopalong
Cassidy, Lassie, Rin-Tin-Tin, Sky King, The Texas
Rangers, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, just to name a few.
Television was in black
and white back then and sometimes it didn't come in very clear. In fact,
I thought that it snowed in the desert until we got a better antenna with a
rotary dial. I can still hear the steady "click-click" it made
as it turned the antenna to the preferred direction.
The remote control had not
made an appearance in the 50s, so we had to actually get up out of our chairs
and trek over to the television and change the channel manually.
As I turned the dial,
searching for a Saturday morning favorite, it didn't take long to check out all
three of the channels that were available. I wondered why they had all of
those other numbers on the dial.
I would immediately stop
at the channel where I heard the familiar sound of the William Tell Overture as
the announcer would say:
A fiery horse with the
speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty hi-yo
Silver. The Lone Ranger! With his faithful Indian companion Tonto,
the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and
order in the early west. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear... The Lone Ranger rides again!
After the programs were
over it was time to pretend. Sometimes I would braid my hair like Annie
Oakley, saddle my horse, and ride off down the trail. At other times I
would pretend to be Dale Evans, Queen of the West.
My brother and I, along
with the neighborhood kids, would imitate our heroes and call each other Kemo Sabe -- meaning trusted
scout -- and make silver bullets out of aluminum foil.
The programs on Saturday
morning were mostly westerns and stories of rescue and heroism.
Who can forget the
Songbird flying through the sky as we heard, "Out of the clear blue of the
western sky comes Sky King!"
Whether it was Sky King,
Lassie, or The Lone Ranger, the programs were wholesome and filled with a plot
and a purpose. They taught us that crime doesn't pay. The stories showed
us through the heroic cowboys and lawmen that it was best to make good choices
by having good morals and values.
Our heroes gave us
"The Code of the West" that all good cowboys and cowgirls followed:
__________________
HOPALONG CASSIDY'S CREED
FOR AMERICAN BOYS AND GIRLS
1. The highest badge
of honor a person can wear is honesty. Be mindful at all times.
2. Your parents are
the best friends you have. Listen to them and obey their instructions.
3. If you want to be
respected, you must respect others. Show good manners in every way.
4. Only through hard
work and study can you succeed. Don't be lazy.
5. Your good deeds
always come to light. So don't boast or be a show off.
6. If you waste time
or money today, you will regret it tomorrow. Practice thrift in all ways.
7. Many animals are
good and loyal companions. Be friendly and kind to them.
8. A strong, healthy
body is a precious gift. Be neat and clean.
9. Our country's
laws are made for your protection. Observe them carefully.
10. Children in many
foreign lands are less fortunate than you. Be glad and proud you are an
American.
__________________
GENE AUTRY'S TEN
COMMANDMENTS OF THE COWBOY
1. A cowboy never
takes unfair advantage.
2. A cowboy never
betrays a trust.
3. A cowboy always
tells the truth.
4. A cowboy is kind
to small children, to old folks, and to animals.
5. A cowboy is free
from racial and religious prejudice.
6. A cowboy is
helpful and when anyone's in trouble he lends a hand.
7. A cowboy is a
good worker.
8. A cowboy is clean
about his person and in thought, word, and deed.
9. A cowboy respects
womanhood, his parents, and the laws of his country.
10. A cowboy is a
patriot.
__________________
THE LONE RANGER'S CREED
I believe that to have a
friend, you must be one.
That everyone is created
equal and that everyone has within himself the power to make this a better
world.
That God put the firewood
there, but that every man must gather and light it himself.
In being prepared
physically, mentally, and morally to fight when necessary for that which is right.
That a man should make the
most of what equipment he has.
That
"this government, of the people, by the people, and for the people,"
shall live always.
That men should live by the rule of what is best for the
greatest number.
That sooner or later...
somewhere... somehow... we must settle with the world and make payment for what
we have taken.
That all things change,
but the truth, and the truth alone lives on forever.
I believe in my Creator,
my country, my fellow man.
__________________
ROY ROGER'S RIDER'S RULES
1. Be neat and clean.
2. Be courteous and polite.
3. Always obey your
parents.
4. Protect the weak
and help them.
5. Be brave but never take chances.
6. Study hard and
learn all you can.
7. Be kind to
animals and care for them.
8. Eat all your food
and never waste any.
9. Love God and go
to Sunday School regularly.
10. Always respect
our flag and our country.
__________________
Another aspect of many of
the western programs was the singing cowboy. A campfire wasn't complete
without a cowboy singing a song as he strummed his guitar. Gene Autry,
Roy Rogers, and The Sons of The Pioneers were just a few of the great cowboy
singers.
Throughout the years, the
morals and values of our childhood heroes carried us through. The
children of the 50s are now grandparents who still believe in "The Code of
the West" and it has served them well through troubles, illnesses, and
wars.
Roy Rogers' cowboy prayer
still echoes in our hearts:
Lord, I reckon I'm not
much just by myself.
I fail to do a lot of
things I ought to do.
But Lord, when trails are
steep and passes high,
Help me ride it straight
the whole way through.
And when in the falling
dusk I get that final call,
I do not care how many
flowers they send,
Above all else, the
happiest trail would be for
YOU to say to me,
"Let's ride, my friend!"
Amen.
___________________________________________
Pam lives in Missouri with her husband,
Michael. She enjoys composing music and writing stories. She writes
"Pam's Corner" for her local newspaper, The
You can hear it on her website: http://blaines.us/PamyPlace.htm