The SWCS view

Excerpt

AS a farm boy growing up in southwestern Ontario, I worshipped and tried to copy my heroes: the actor Gregory Peck for his assured, dignified presence; the hockey player, Jean Beliveau, for his fierce determination to captain his Montreal Canadians to victory; and Lester Pearson and John Kennedy, for the vision and sense of purpose they expressed for their respective countries.

Perhaps we become more critical with age. Perhaps, in fact, times have changed. Regardless of the cause, the talk these days among my friends, at work, and in the media is about the lack of role models. Our most respected movie stars are tarnished by reports of “indiscretions.” Our sports heroes' love for their game seems to have turned to love for money. And our politicians are far too easily portrayed as being fiscally or morally corrupt. The current talk is about the need to find individuals with the vision and the commitment to guide us through the many problems we face locally, nationally, and internationally. The issue is one of leadership. Nowhere is this issue so important as in the impending crisis we face in the protection of our environment and the conservation of our natural resources.

There is a Swedish proverb that states, “In calm water every ship has a good captain.” …