Celebrating CHARACTER COUNTS! Week

I hope your family, school, and community are all celebrating Character Counts! Week (October 20-26).

Since 1993, the President of the United States, along with the U.S. Senate, governors, and officials across our nation, have proclaimed the third week in October as Character Counts! Week. 

I’m always eager to read their proclamations. For example, last year, President Biden’s proclamation included the maxim “character is destiny,” and this year, the Senate proclamation, sponsored by a bipartisan group of Senators, includes these two powerful statements:

• Whereas the character of a nation is only as strong as the character of its individual citizens…
• Therefore, every adult has the responsibility to teach and model ethical values and every social institution has the responsibility to promote the development of good character.

These statements offer us a dynamic but rarely traveled roadmap. Too often, when seeking to measure the “strength” of our nation, our contemporary political discourse will emphasize other outcomes: the cost of eggs, unemployment rates, access to college, rights and freedoms.

Yet I believe the Senate’s Character Counts! proclamation hits the mark. It is time for us to recognize that character is the foundation – the cement and iron – upon which our nation rests. No matter what the levels of inflation or unemployment may be, I can’t imagine living in a nation where our fellow citizens no longer believe in (or practice) honesty, personal responsibility, respect or fairness. 

I also appreciate that the Senate’s resolution included “every adult.” A growing number of activists believe that parents—and only parents—have the responsibility to teach and foster character. They argue that schools should focus solely on teaching the ABCs and that coaches should teach only the skills of their sport. 

At Character.org, we stand with the ideals of the Senate Proclamation. We believe that schools and team sports are awesome seedbeds for character development, safe places where young people of all ages can learn about and practice the timeless principles and ideals that should be shaping their highest priorities, deeply held beliefs, and, most importantly, their everyday choices and actions. Martin Luther King, Jr. got it right when he wrote, “intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.” 

For additional information about Character Counts! Week, including how to involve families, create videos, and more…click here. 

Note: I dedicate this post to Michael Josephson, the founder of Character Counts! Michael, thank you for being a steadfast champion for character. Your “can-do” spirit inspires me.