Wisconsin School of the Air; Afield with Ranger Mac; Memorial

In memoriam way clen MacNeil known affectionately to the children of Wisconsin as the Ranger Mack born February 4th eighteen hundred eighty four died July 26 one thousand two hundred fifty eight. This is 9:30 on a Monday morning. During the school year this was the time for hundreds of thousands of boys and girls to listen to one of their favorite radio programs. 9:30 Monday morning for 21 years on the Wisconsin School of the air this meant time to go afield with Ranger Mack and Mack himself began each program like this little girls and boys. This is. You're doing sewn up the way Ranger Mack had clear ideas about the reason for his program. He once wrote a few centuries before the birth of Christ. A great teacher wrote a definition of education. He wrote

education is learning to like the good things of life. Years ago when our mother put lettuce and spinach on the table we put up a strong resistance to eating it. Out of this experience came her statement we remember to this day you will be at a great disadvantage in life if you do not develop a diversity of appetite. Learn to like the things that are good for you to eat. This statement is applicable to the things to see to hear to do as to the things to eat. A youth who early develops an interest in the outdoors always has an inexhaustible source of pleasure and enlightenment. Near at hand the best things in life are free for the searching and he is the richest whose pleasures are the cheapest. So in our broadcasts we attempt to help children to listen to the earnest and varied voices of nature which are ever about them. Some

understanding the wonder of it all is the first step leading to this fount of pleasure and to the practice of the Golden Rule toward nature conservation in these days when man's control is being extended over the forces of nature. Children and adults alike need as never before. The woods and fields and streams to keep fresh and clean. The fountains of sanity at this time on Monday mornings for 21 years Ranger Mack led his trail hitters along the trail to fresh and clean fountains of sanity. And then in April of 1954 Ranger Mack wrote a letter to the director of the School of the air and the Wisconsin state broadcasting service. HB McCarthy Mr. McCarthy Here's what that letter said. Friend Mack I have arrived at a point where my judgment tells me it

is inadvisable to continue carrying on this program. It is with deep regret that I feel compelled to make this decision. I do it with a fervent hope that the program will be continued with increased effectiveness because the subject of conservation is of great importance in all lives and of the supremum importance in the lives of young people. Well I looked out my window and saw the green returning to the land. And I wondered if a site would be half so meaningful to me if I hadn't often gone afield with Ranger mag. I thought them of the school forests throughout Wisconsin the green would be returning to them too and I wondered how many of those trees might never have been planted if Ranger Mack had not so often through the years encouraged the planting of trees and I wondered how many trees would never be planted in the future without words of encouragement from Ranger Mack. Words like these.

Some people tell boys and girls it is their duty to plant a tree. I like to tell them that it is their privilege because of the joys and satisfactions that trees bring to them. Drives started in youth that extend throughout their lifetime. The trail stretches ahead through the years where ahead through the years. And if that trail is tree lined it is sure to be a more enjoyable trail. All of this is a side the values that trees bring in the way of lumber and fuel and the influence of trees in building in holding the moisture enriching the soil and providing habitat living places for birds and animals. These things come also to him who plant trees and that is what is meant by a heavy gauge of the tree.

And his letter of resignation Ranger Mack had stressed the importance of conservation in all lives and particularly in the lives of young people. This meant that Ranger Mack himself was concerned about what might happen after he ceased to be your guide. I remembered that Ranger mag had made our conservation duties very clear by calling us watchers of springs. The story is told about one of our Western towns wanting to improve its water supply pipes were laid into springs that came fresh clean from the field. This water flowed by gravity into the homes of the village. But after the season the housewives began to complain about the water that it was dirty with bits of twigs and leaves that found their way into the pipeline. So all the town officials hired a man to keep the springs clean of leaves and debris. He was a quiet man and a few and

only a few people knew him by name but he was performing a great service keeping the springs clean. All of this occurred during the First World War. You are not old enough to know but a depression followed shortly after that war. When that depression came the town officials laid off the Watcher of the spring in order to cut expenses. But soon the mothers again complained about the bits of twigs and leaves in the water that reached the hole and the watcher of the springs was again basically sought out and returned to his old time in a short time. The villagers knew that the Watcher was back at the Springs again. Ranger Mack is telling this story because he feels just as any older person should feel. That you young people are learning to be watchers of the spring.

These springs are our natural resources the soil of the trees and the wildlife upon these things our happiness in fact are our existence depends in our rambles over the air. It is Ranger Max hope you will catch the idea that even now and more so as you grow older you are the watcher of the spring. When Christ prod the pavement SOG of this earth there were about fifty million people about the population of France today. Now there are over two Gideons four hundred times as many. Over half the people of the world are in hunger or in need. And if we had plenty of good land for people to take up after they had exhausted the old plenty of new forests to go to to get the needed materials after the forest near at hand had

been cut the need for watchers of the springs would not be so great. But we cannot do that anymore. We must learn to guard that which we have. You are the watchers of the spring. This is a point that Ranger Mack would not allow his trail hitters to forget the need for watchers of the sprains Guardians of the heritage and he taught that for every need there is a way to satisfy that need. He once expressed it like this. Have you ever thought how kind the Great Architect of the universe was to this earth when he placed it just where he did among the planets in the family of the sun. When you studied geography you musta thought about that the Earth is far enough away from the sun so that the sun warms it just enough and not too much if the earth were

much farther away. This planet would be frozen all the time and if it were much closer things would burn up. You have thought about that I am sure. Then when it comes to the creatures of this earth they too were made just right to fit into the great plan and to meet the business of living the rabbit with hardly any tail at all couldn't get along with the tail of a squirrel. He comes close to sitting on his rump when he hops. And such a tale would that would soon bog down with snow and get filled with hitchhiking seeds as he traveled through the weeds at the weed patches and underbrush the woodpecker couldn't perform its tasks of excavating grubs from a tree with the curved bill of a shrike. Or if he had the tail of a brown thrasher he would be

unable to support himself while hammering his way to the ground or in digging out a cavity in a tree for his home where there's a need there's a way. We human creatures of the earth also a part of that great plan are equipped with ways to meet our needs too. It's natural that all human beings as they travel along the trail should come now and then to cross roads where a good companion turns off. To help them meet the need that arises at such a time. Nature has provided a way when a companion turns off at a crossroads. We continue along the trail with the memory of his teachings his friendship his strength and that memory continues to help us just as the companion did when he was at our side. Through 21 years a whole generation Ranger Mac has touched the hearts and minds of thousands. And his words have been recorded in their memories just as Ranger Mac

encouraged the planting of school forests which assure Wisconsin a heritage of trees. So he has planted the seeds of devotion to nature's beauties and pleasures and assured us the heritage of watchers of the springs. I found evidence that this heritage really exists. I found this evidence in our files of letters here already or have letters written to random act. I'm going to ask Miss Arlene McCullers the associate director of the School of the air to read from some of those letters now. This letter came from a teacher an expression of appreciation to Ranger Mack for all he has meant to her these many years. Here's what his teacher room deranging Now I don't believe I should have continued teaching all these years without your help. The broadcast had been a weekly spark of information and inspiration to open up new avenues of teaching and learning experience. Contacts with parents who lived through the joy of new concepts of nature's

grand jury and the opportunities for pupils I could go on and on. I haven't even used your vision and inspiration in dealing with the Sunday school class. I found I could teach the majesty of God with a magnifying glass. I am trying to give you an idea of what you have done to one life. Multiply that by thousands and I am sure the Great Spirit will put additional sunshine into your heart. And here's a letter from a trailhead whose mother this mother wrote about something her grown up son had one said about Ranger Mack. Here's part of her letter. When my son wrote me about the meeting one thing he mentioned was a picture thrown on the screen showing Ranger Mack with children of different nationalities gathered about him. Commenting on it he said you don't know Mom how much that man means to me. I think that

if I were ever tempted to do something wrong and his face came to my mind I'd have to do what I knew to be right. Inherent in the following note is the partnership of Ranger Mack and his trail hitters. A partnership that invites sharing and question their Ranger Matt. Wednesday I saw sun dog in the sky. I was wondering if you could tell me what causes it. I saw it at 4:30 PM sunset. It's like the color of a rainbow. My mother and I were watching it. It lasted 15 minutes and the last one from a little first grader because she went to a one room school where she had the privilege of sharing the thoughts of this kindly guide as he talked with the older pupils. Their rings your marriage. We like to listen to you on the radio.

We like you love Joan. Last week the Milwaukee Journal wrote the word that death has finally stilled voice of Ranger Mack forever must have brought a deep pain to many thousand Wisconsin hearts for the Wisconsin schoolchildren through three decades. The voice of Ranger Mack was something very special. It was a cheery salute over the state radio beamed into hundreds of classrooms followed by a chatty humorous talk about nature and conservation. Trees worms gardens butterflies and so forth. It was hearty man talk to from a fellow who not only knew what he was talking about but had great enthusiasm to some of us fortunate enough to know him personally. He was a lovable chap whose sincerity and whose fondness for children and teaching them could not be doubted but to most of his little followers. He was just a voice coming out of the school room radio. Oficial he was Professor Wakeling McNeil for twenty eight years a member of

the University of Wisconsin 4-H Club staff in that capacity and largely through his broadcasts and personal school appearances. He won national recognition and many awards. He wore those distinctions however as casually as his familiar checkered shirt when he finally went into partial retirement in 1950. We rode it has been the unique good fortune of Wisconsin to have had Mr. McNeil as a rural youth leader radio teacher and conservationist for so many years now. On the occasion of his death it is fitting to repeat that with a renewed note of gratitude. End of quote. The builder of a heritage. The miracle of a teacher in memoriam Wakeling McNeill known as Ranger Mack born February 4th eighteen hundred eighty four died

July 26 one thousand nine hundred fifty eight. May the Great Spirit put sunshine in your heart today and for evermore heap.