As I spoke to the High School Seniors in the Advanced Placement Honors History class, I was fascinated. The kids in the class were not much different than I remembered from my high school days many years ago. The main difference was their appearance. The dress standards were not anything close to what ours had been, even on our Rodeo Day, where the dress standards were lessened.

It surely reminded me of a couple of the Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation that George Washington had to write over and over again to learn good penmanship. I thought perhaps we should return to learning that way.

George wrote: “Wear not your cloths, foul, unript, or Dusty, but see they be Brush’d once every day at least and take heed that you approach not to any uncleanness.” (Rule 51)

And: “In your Apparel be Modest and endeavor to accommodate Nature, rather than to procure Admiration keep to the Fashion of your equals Such as are Civil and orderly with respect to Times and Places.” (rule 52)

I wonder what George would say today. Oh how times change! But the kids were respectful and polite to me.