[DFT] FWD: [ChivalryToday] Five Quests for Generosity

[Rendell Skaggs]

Five Quests for Generosity
By Scott Farrell
©2003 Shining Armor Enterprises
www.ChivalryToday.com

For noblemen and -women of the Middle Ages, generosity was more than a 
polite ideal. Theirs was a world without formal charities or social 
institutions to support the needy, and as such, the generosity of the 
knightly class was all that stood between the poor and homelessness or 
starvation. Even great knights and powerful families could find 
themselves penniless and destitute due to anything from crop failure to 
political disfavor, and if they did, they could only hope that their 
friends and relations would be as generous to them as they'd been to 
others.

In the modern world, generosity may not seem to have the same 
significance it did in the days of knights in shining armor. Most 
people in today's world can afford the basic necessities, but although 
we recognize the importance of donating money or material goods (an 
obligation that medieval knights called "largesse"), too often we 
forget to share the things we have that are truly valuable: experience, 
time, knowledge and energy.

In order to renew our appreciation of the knightly virtue of generosity 
in all its forms, we've compiled the following "Five Quests in the 
Cause of Generosity." Some involve being financially generous, some 
require giving time and attention instead of opening your wallet, but 
all provide important contributions to a variety of worthy causes.

1) Serve meals to the hungry. Most churches and shelters welcome 
volunteers during the Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanza seasons to help 
serve holiday dinners, clear tables, or perform other 
small-but-necessary tasks. Of course, this is a fine way to help out 
while enjoying some of the most sincere holiday smiles you'll ever see, 
but take it one step further: Mark June 1 on your calendar for the 
coming year, and volunteer to do the same on that non-holiday date as 
well.

2) Share your career knowledge with students. Contact your nearest 
middle school or high school and find out when they're holding the next 
"career day." Then, ask how you can get involved by coming in to give a 
presentation about what you do for a living, and what students need to 
do to prepare themselves for a career in your field.

3) Purchase necessities with your pocket change. For the coming week, 
forgo buying the "little luxuries" that you enjoy - lunches out, video 
rentals, gourmet coffee, the new gadget in the computer shop or that 
designer handbag in the department store window. Keep track of the 
money you save, and at the week's end spend that much purchasing 
necessities for a charitable cause. For men: Buy cosmetics and infant's 
supplies for a battered women's shelter. (If you need help finding one, 
the YWCA maintains a national directory at (800) YWCA-US1, or 
www.YWCA.org). For women: Purchase athletic equipment for an 
after-school program for at-risk boys and girls. (To find an 
organization in your area that could benefit from such a donation, 
contact the Boys and Girls Clubs of America at (800) 854-CLUB, or 
www.BGCA.org).

4) Become a language tutor. Contact the National Institute for Literacy 
and find out which programs in your area are in need of volunteers - 
whether to teach English as a second language, or just to read stories 
to kids on Saturday afternoons. You can contact the NIL at (800) 
228-8813, or find them on-line at www.LiteracyDirectory.org .

5) Lend a hand in the office. Next time you finish up a project at 3:15 
on a Friday afternoon, instead of "calling it a day," look around the 
office and find someone who seems to be frantically struggling to meet 
a deadline of his or her own. Then, stroll over to their work area and 
ask if you can lend a hand - address a few letters, deliver some items, 
or file some paperwork. (You get bonus points if the person you help is 
one of the "little people" in the office - the mail clerk, the data 
entry team, the custodian or the receptionist.)

You'll note, of course, that some of these "quests" involve being 
generous to established, national charities, and some involve sharing 
your energy and skills with the people in your neighborhood and 
workplace. The virtue of generosity helps to strengthen the community 
network that surrounds us all, and reminds everyone of the many ways in 
which a knight in shining armor makes the world a better place.

Happy Holidays from Chivalry Today!

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NEWS from the Chivalry Today website:
- Looking for a last-minute gift idea for the knight in shining armor 
in your life? Check out the Chivalry Book Guide for some great reading 
material - both classic and newly published! (The book list is 
published through Amazon.com, but these books are also widely available 
in bookstores, and at your local library.)
- Amid all your holiday hustle and bustle, take a moment to read a 
memorable and inspiring story of one woman's rediscovery of "Chivalry 
Wrapped in Curses."
- There are three of Scott's most popular columns from the past year 
posted in "The Best of Chivalry Today Weekly" in the left-hand 
navigation bar.
- Chivalry Today was recently given the "2 Thumbs Up" Juris Award - 
find out more in our growing "trophy room" at the bottom of our welcome 
page!

All at www.ChivalryToday.com

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Readers are permitted and encouraged to share this article with anybody 
as a way of passing along the holiday spirit. Scott Farrell's seminars 
on chivalry and the knightly virtues are available to businesses, 
schools and civic organizations throughout the Southern California 
area; more information can be found on our website. Please include all 
copyright statements and attributions when forwarding Chivalry Today 
articles. Copyright 2003 Scott Farrell and Shining Armor Enterprises. 
Visit our website at www.ChivalryToday.com .