An Indian friend attended a US toastmasters club meeting and joined in the pledge. Her Indian nationalist friend objected. A long debate on Facebook discussed what is suitable to do.
US Pledge
What is a Pledge?
A pledge of allegiance to the USA flag and USA - surely is for US nationals (maybe citizens)? Firt of all, what is a pledge, not a word often used in the UK. A pledge is a view. Often of allegiance. Or moral support. Or to obey rules. Or to be faithful and honest.
Pledge Problem
A friend from Toastmasters, call her Siti, was at an online meeting. She joined in the US plege. A nationalist from her own country objected. Siti asked for views on correct procedure for visitors to online meetings and pledges.
Toastmasters Pledge
Toastmasters has a pledge to Toastmasters.
Prayers Starting Meetings
At the YMCA in Singapore the club starts with a prayer. Sometimes ending with a reference to Christianity. Sometimes, suitable for all religions. Sometimes words suitable for all religions and none, Sometimes with a preamble asking those who are members and Christians to join in, visitors to simply observe.
School Pledges
When our son was at school in the USA he was expected to say a pledge. Somebody in my family objected because our son was not American. My view was that a pupil from overseas should be asked to simply stand silently and respectfully, but not to be obviously different to his classmates which might have made him appear to be an outsider to the children and a rebel to the teachers.. The teacher has a procedure to go through, but should have a system in place to accommodate correct action for children and visitors who may not know what wording is coming or what they are expected to do.
Sports
The host country's national anthem is played first, then the anthem of the visiting team. This is not an option. It is not the host country pushing their way to the front when they could have stood aside, like two people politely at a doorway, saying, 'After you'. It is a standard rule.
No need to take offence. On the contrary, if you follow the procedure, everybody takes their turn, when appropriate. You praise the host first. (Who has generally organized the event and spent the money.) Then the honoured visitors, who are not left out, but must be included.
A pledge of allegiance to the USA - surely is for US nationals (maybe citizens)? Toastmasters has a pledge to Toastmasters. At the YMCA the club starts with a prayer. Sometimes ending with a reference to Christianity, sometimes, suitable for all religions, sometimes words suitable for all religions and none, sometimes with a preamble asking those who are members and Christians to join in, visitors to simply observe. When our son was at school in the USA he was expected to say a pledge. Somebody in my family objected because our son was not American. My view was that a pupil from overseas should be asked to simply stand silently and respectfully, but not to be obviously different to his classmates which might have made him appear to be an outsider to the children and a rebel to the teachers.. The teacher has a procedure to go through, but should have a system in place to accommodate correct action for children and visitors who may not know what wording is coming or what they are expected to do.
Weddings
The usual procedure is a toast to the queen or head of the host country. This is followed by a toast to the guest or visitors country. So a wedding to an American groom in America by a bride and her family from another country such as France, started with a toast to the president of the USA and ends with a toast to the president of the bride's country.
At a Jewish wedding in the UK, with Israeli visitors and a rabbi from Israel, the first toast is the loyal toast to H M the queen, then to the President of the state of Israel. The first time I saw it done I thought that was how they decided to do it to show their allegiance and dispel any suspicions of disloyalty. Later I discovered this was simply a universal protocol found in wedding etiquette guidebooks. (I wrote one, a simpified easy to read version, entitled Wedding Speeches & Toasts.)
Conclusion
The Toastmaster of the Day or m.c. should, or could, explain the purpose of the pledge and who is required to do what.
Useful Websites
US pledge
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance
Pledges in wiki
Toastmasters pledges
About the Author
Angela Lansbury is a member of Toastmasters International.
Angela Lansbury B A Hons is the author of ten books by regular publishers plus another ten self-published books.
About Angela The Speaker & Trainer
Angela Lansbury is a teacher of English and other languages to Toastmasters clubs and businesses.
Angela has several blogs speeches, comedy and song writing and organizing, writing intermittently, but writes almost daily on these three:
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