THE JAYCEE CREED

We Believe:

That Faith in God gives meaning and purpose to human life

That the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations

That economic justice can best be won by free men through free enterprise

That government should be of laws rather than of men

That earth's great treasure lies in human personality

And that service to humanity is the best work of life!

JAYCEE CREED HISTORY

In 1946, C. William Brownfield penned a 65-word creed that became the philosophical foundation which was to guide millions of young peoplewho call themselves Jaycees. 

Six years later he became a victim of the \\\"great crippler of adults\\\" - Multiple Sclerosis.  He pursued a courageous battle to overcome his handicap, but no major breakthrough in preventive protection or cure was discovered in his lifetime.

The Jaycee Creed, minus the first line, was written shortly after William Brownfield returned home from the Milwaukee convention in 1946. This creed was adopted by the U.S. Jaycees in 1947.

Before he died in 1971, Brownfield said \\\"The ideas expressed by the creed are not claimed as original, except perhaps in the manner of presentation.  I believe they fairly represent the faith of the Jaycees in the democratic way of life.  Each Jaycee is free to interpret the creed in the light of their own conscious.  I speak only for myself when I explain what it means to me.\\\"

The creed makes a powerful assertion in the first two words,\\\"We Believe\\\".

A weakness of the free world is a frequent failure to demonstrate faith in its basic principles.  The descendents of those who wrote the Magna Carta who broke the yoke of feudalism in Europe and have risen from colonial status to independence often act as though the battle for freedom has been won forever.  But to believe in democracy is to live and to work in that faith so that all men may know what freedom means.

If we understand fearlessly beside those who seek freedom forthemselves and if we lead out boldly toward the building of a better world, then the voice of free men will resound across nations and all men will listen!!!

But first, \\\"We Must Believe!!!\\\"

WE BELIEVE . . .  We observe conditions, we wonder about problems and their solutions, but before we act, WE MUST BELIEVE!!!

• THAT FAITH IN GOD GIVES MEANING AND PURPOSE TO HUMAN LIFE
      In this era of materialistic thought, religious belief has taken a back seat, and has been replaced in many cases with the belief that the only worthwhile phases of life are the possession of material objects...seeking physical pleasures...and acquisition of power.
      Religion has become an illusion...materialism, a         religion.  We, as Jaycees, do not accept this belief.  Without faith in God, human life is void, a meaningless vacuum.  With faith in God, man still aspires to success, but through nobler means and with far greater purpose in mind.  He builds for himself and his community a LIFE instead of a living. 

• THAT THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN TRANSCENDS THE SOVEREIGNTY OF NATIONS
      This deals with the problem of war and peace which should be close to the hearts of all Jaycees.  We state the simple and fundamental belief that the brotherhood of man is greater than the absolute sovereignty of any nation.  Sovereignty belongs to the people and it should be allocated by them among the political division of the city, the state, and the nation, and internationally in proportion to the need at each level in order to serve the people the best.  Through Junior Chamber International, we can make this belief a reality.

• THAT ECONOMIC JUSTICE CAN BEST BE WON BY FREE MEN THROUGH FREE ENTERPRISE
     This should find universal acceptance among Jaycees because by its very nature, the Junior Chamber could not exist without free enterprise.  We should stand upon the faith in the virtue of ambition and initiative and declare our conviction that this system, by which America became great, can bring economic justice to all.

• THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE OF LAWS RATHER THAN OF MEN
     Here we recognize the historical fact that tyranny goes hand in hand with concentrated power.  We state our belief in constitutional government in which the body of the law represents the will of the people through their elected representatives, and in which every man is entitled to his day in court.

• THAT EARTH\\\'S GREAT TREASURE LIES IN HUMAN PERSONALITY
     In this statement we declare our belief in human life as being the most valuable thing on earth and in the rights of men to a better life with a higher standard of living for all people.  We believe in the rights of man against the selfish interest of monopoly and privilege.

• AND THAT SERVICE TO HUMANITY IS THE BEST WORK OF LIFE
     In this last principle we state the traditional objective of the Junior Chamber of Commerce, that of helping to promote the welfare of the community and giving a part of ourselves in the service to humanity.

Composed by C. William Brownfield, December 1964