Competing Efforts

Every four years our lives are disrupted by two two-week television extravaganzas called "The Olympics" when we stop what we are doing to watch extraordinary humans doing extraordinary things with their bodies and with their minds. I am glad it doesn't come more often-- I get exhausted just watching the incredible speed, strength, flexibility and gracefulness of the skiers, skaters, sledders, and others. It's great to see the USA win medals, but I have to admit that I get caught up in the personal stories of so many of these athletes, and I cheer for all of them to simply do their very best. When I see all of the top competitors exceed their own expectations, and are rewarded for being the very best in their sport, it seems as if their country doesn't matter. Record-breaking performance isn't a triumph of nationality, but rather, a triumph of mankind.

DeMolay competitions require that kind of effort and performance, as well. Winning performances aren't what matters-- what is most important is that each competitor puts forth his very best effort to help his team succeed. Whether on the court or diamond or playing field, on in a ritual or RD competition, what matters most is giving it everything you've got, and performing better that ever before.

This attitude of doing the very best you can needs to extend even one step farther than the competition arena. In everything you do in school, or at work, or at home or with your friends, you need to be the very best -- the best student, the best employee, the best sibling, the best friend-- that you can be. Always.

DeMolay helps us all to understand our obligations to be better sons, better brothers, better leaders, better men. Through our DeMolay activity, we too, can experience a kind of triumph of mankind as we learn how to set our standards higher and strive with our very best effort to reach our goals in service to our fellow men.

Fraternally,

"Dad" Tom Labagh