Good guys and white hats

A few weeks ago there was a news story that caught my eye. It didn't seem to grab much attention elsewhere in the media, but it was an important event to me. It was an announcement for an upcoming auction of Roy Rogers memorabilia, including the mount of his trusty horse, Trigger. I paused for several minutes and allowed myself to think back to a far simpler time in life, a time when there seemed to be far less strife, and a lot more agreement about what was right and wrong.

As children of the fifties, many of us would gather around the black and white television and cheer for Roy as he fought for all that was good and fair. Weekly, we watched as he was protecting those who were being threatened or oppressed by the evil doers in the wild west. And, how we would laugh at the antics of his sidekick Gabby, all the while knowing that, as good friends always do, he would come through in a pinch if Roy needed him. It was a good time of life, and the lessons we learned from Roy Rogers laid a solid foundation for making good decisions everyday.

How many of you were members of the Roy Rogers Riders Club? How many of you even remember it? I do, but I must admit that I was a little fuzzy on the Club rules so I had to do a little research to find them. They were ten rules that every young rider had to obey if they wanted to stay in Roy's good graces, and who wanted to be the one to disappoint Roy? There was nothing magical about the rules, but they were Roy's rules, not your teachers' rules, not your parents' rules, but straight from the mouth of Roy Rogers.

Roy Rogers Riders Club 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 and don't take chances.
6. Study hard and learn all you can.
7. Be kind to animals and take care of them.
8. Eat all your food and don't waste any.
9. Love God and go to Sunday school regularly.
10. Always respect our flag and our country.
    

Reading this list of rules, it saddens me to see how far we've strayed from what used to be considered the "mainstream" beliefs of this great nation. Ten basic tenets that offered children a standard to strive for in life. Is there really anything on this list that doesn't make sense today?

I see a lot of common sense in these rules, things we should pass along to our children and grandchildren. We may not have Roy Rogers anymore, but we have Moms, Dads, Grandpas, Grandmas, Teachers, and many others who can be the heroes to this generation. People who can instill the desire to "do the right thing" everyday, and in every situation. People who still wear the "white hats".

By the way, the winning bid for Trigger was $266,500, and the saddle went for $386,500. Evidently there's still quite a market for the symbols of virtue and goodness, but then again, what do I know?