Time was, you didn't have to beg or cajole to get folks to join their local civic association, PTA, or chamber of commerce. It was a matter of personal pride, if not honor, to belong to and participate in community organizations; a badge of distinction, worn by every citizen, that proudly exclaimed, "I belong to a community, and I care about its future." Why, I can even remember when "volunteer" was not a dirty word (of course, that was before my time).

These days, it seems that those who go to bat for their community - and they are, unfortunately, few and far between - do so at their own peril, stepping to the plate in near empty ballparks, cheered on, if at all, by far too few, jeered by way too many. And civic pride, let alone a shared sense of responsibility to our neighbors and our children (not to mention ourselves), seems to be something we banter about nostalgically, rather than something we practice.

No, we shouldn't beg our neighbors to join in and get involved. We shouldn't have to. It should be a given that we sign up and participate in every way we can to make our community a better place. It is, after all, in our own best interest.

True, not all of us can, or will, step to the plate, illuminated by the stadium floodlights. Still, each of us should, at least, get out to the ballpark, and, even if only to offer support for the home team, get into the game.

The price of admission - as in membership dues - gets us much more than a seat in the bleachers. It provides a season's pass to the best game in town - community. There's room in our civic associations, our PTA groups, our chambers of commerce, and the many other organizations that serve our towns, for players, for managers and coaches, and, to be sure, for fans. And the good news is, tickets are available, at an affordable price.

Isn't it time for each of us to grab the pine tar, to choke up on the bat, and to take our best swing for community? I'd say so, and I encourage every resident to take pride in his or her community by signing up, joining in, and getting involved. Play ball!

Seth D. Bykofsky

West Hempstead, New York

The writer is former president of the West Hempstead Civic Association, and co-chair of the Tri-Community Alliance, a community advocacy umbrella organization serving Elmont, Franklin Square and West Hempstead.