Skip to main content

The Sense of Goose

by Dr. Harry Clarke Noyes 
ARCS NEWS, Vol. 7, No. 1, January 1992 


Next 
fall, when 
you see Geese 
heading South for 
the Winter, flying along 
in V formation, you might 
consider what science has dis‐ 
covered as to why they fly that way: 
as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an 
uplift for the bird immediately following. By 
flying in V formation the whole flock adds at least 
71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. 
People who share a common direction and sense of community 
can get where they are going more quickly and easily 
because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. 

When 
a goose falls 
out of formation, 
it suddenly feels the drag 
and resistance of trying to go it alone 
and quickly gets back into formation to take 
advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. 
If we have as much sense as a goose, 
we will stay in formation 
with those who are headed the same way we are. 

When 
the Head Goose 
gets tired, it rotates back 
in the wing and another goose flies point. 
It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs 
with people or with geese flying South. 

Geese 
honk frombehind to
encourage those up front to keep up their speed. 
What do we say when we honk from behind? 

Finally, 
and this is important, 
when a goose gets sick, or is 
wounded by gunshots and falls out 
of formation, two other geese fall out with that 
goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. 
They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly, or until 
it dies. Only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation 
to catch up with their group. 
IF WE HAVE THE SENSE OF A GOOSE, 
WE WILL STAND BY EACH OTHER 
LIKE THAT. 


(from materials provided by Bonnie J. Collins, EdM, LCSW‐R) 

Comments

Post a Comment

What people are reading...

The World is a Wonderful Place

A true story, happened in 1892 at Stanford University: An 18-year-old student was struggling to pay his fees. He was an orphan, and not knowing where to turn for money, he came up with a bright idea. He and a friend decided to host a musical concert on campus to raise money for their education. They reached out to the great pianist Ignacy J. Paderewski. His manager demanded a guaranteed fee of $2000 for the piano recital. A deal was struck and the boys began to work to make the concert a success. The big day arrived. But unfortunately, they had not managed to sell enough tickets. The total collection was only $1600. Disappointed, they went to Paderewski and explained their plight. They gave him the entire $1600, plus a cheque for the balance $400. They promised to honour the cheque at the soonest possible. “No,” said Paderewski. “This is not acceptable.” He tore up the cheque, returned the $1600 and told the two boys: “Here’s the $1600. Please deduct whatever expenses you have...
Post a Comment
Read more

How the Poor Live

One day, a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, “How was the trip?” “It was great, Dad.” “Did you see how poor people live?” the father asked. “Oh yeah,” said the son. “So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?” asked the father. The son answered, “I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden, and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden, and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard, and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on, and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have wall...
Post a Comment
Read more

History: The Battle of Bataan

These are the writings on the wall of the Dambana ng Kagitingan (Shrine of Valor) in Mt. Samat, Pilar, Bataan - a monument built to remember and to celebrate the resilience of the human spirit.  Reading through the inscriptions sent chills to my bones.  It makes me proud to be a Filipino, even more so being a Bataenyo (a native of Bataan).  Let this be a reminder to us all, of the valor and the glory of our roots.  We shall not forget...  "Our mission is to remember."   Photo by Irwin Richard Dizon The Battle of Bataan On this ground gallant men chose to die than surrender. From all corners of the Philippines they came, youthful and brave, to make their last stand in Bataan against an implacable enemy which had marched through Asia. What transpired was a ferocious combat between raw, ill-equipped recruits against seasoned, well-armed troops.
Post a Comment
Read more