Public Pledge of Allegiance - Boy Scout Troop 2175 (Tok, Alaska)

We start our weekly Troop meeting with The Pledge of Allegiance, Scout Oath, and the Scout Law. Rarely do all the voices in the room sound off in harmony as we proceed with our opening ceremony and in fact at times it seems like a race to the finish. It is a bit like fingernails across a chalkboard when I hear the boys say the Pledge of Allegiance with the speed and exuberance of an Olympic sprinter exploding off the blocks.

Though the Pledge of Allegiance is one sentence it is broken down by commas so that it may be spoken in a correct manner. The meaning of a sentence can entirely change with the placement of commas so in the case of our Pledge of Allegiance it is imperative that the spoken words follow suit with the commas. The correct way to say the Pledge of Allegiance is as follows. Note: the Pledge of Allegiance is a singular statement with five distinct phrases that give it cadence and meaning.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,

and to the Republic for which it stands,

one Nation under God,

indivisible,

with liberty and justice for all.