Written By: Lee Amon
Tonight, I was conducting a Scoutmaster conference and I asked the Scout what most important thing she had learned in Scouting was. She paused a few minutes, thought about it, and responded “Things don’t always go as planned”. Now she was thinking in particular about a hike that the troop went on that was more than a little longer than we had anticipated, but I think she hit a bigger truth.
Baden Powell, the founder of the Scouting Movement said, "A Scout is never taken by surprise; he knows exactly what to do when anything unexpected happens." Perhaps that is more aspirational than reality. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, sometimes the unexpected does happen and does take us by surprise. Even when we have done our best to “Be Prepared” there are times that we don’t know what to “Be Prepared” for.
In those cases, we look to the Scout Law for guidance:
A Scout is Cheerful. “Scouts look for the bright side of things.” When you see the bright side, even when things are less than perfect, you become more resilient. You can help other people to see the bright side, and give them strength
A Scout is Helpful “Scouts are concerned about other people. They do things willingly for others without pay or reward.”
A Scout is Friendly “Scouts are a friend to all. They are a brother or sister to other Scouts. They seek to understand others. They respect those with ideas and customs other than their own.”
This year, I think it is fair to say that things haven’t gone as planned. But this troop has responded in the best tradition of scouting I have seen scouts being helpful, cheerful, and friendly. I have seen the hard work by those scouts teaching scouting skills and by those learning. I have seen new patrols form and pull together, I have seen friendships grow stronger, and I have seen scouts take on leadership roles and thrive,
I am so proud of this troop and of every one of you
Keep Strong, and Scout On
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