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Notre Dame de Lourdes Church Troop 26Scoutmaster's Minutes |
If you sometimes get discouraged, consider this fellow: He dropped out of grade school, ran a country store. Went broke. Took 15 years to pay off his bills. Took a wife, had an uphappy marriage. Ran for the house of representatives, lost, twice. Ran for the senate, lost, twice. Delivered a speech that became a classic, The audience was indifferent. Was attacked daily by the press and despised by half the country. Despite all this, Image how many people all over the world have been inspired by this awkward, rumpled, brooding man Who signed his name, simply, "A Lincoln"
not sure of source, was sent to me by a friend
Give a man a fish, he eats for a day;
Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime.
We often think of helping someone who is unfornate means to give them money, and walk away.
This almost always feels good, but in most cases its not because we actually helped anyone, but because we have relieved the guilt within ourselves that the world, and our society, allows for conditions to get so bad for some and so good for others.
This is not to say that giving someone in need something that will help is wrong, but is it enough?
We should always think of what we can do to give of ourselves, not just of our stuff. In the end, the time and effort we spend trying to improve the world will make a bigger difference than any gift of leftover stuff.
A man who is rowing the boat has no time to rock it.
author unknown
The greatest success is not in never falling, but in rising every time
you fall.
Vince Lombardi
Mohandas K Gandhi
Each of these sins makes for an interesting topic of discussion.
If I plan a trip to Washington, DC, I might call a travel agent to make reservations for the flight, a rental car and a hotel.
I then wait for the bus to pick me up, take me to the airport, where I catch my flight, get my car at the destination airport, and drive directly to my hotel to get ready for work.
As I flew across the country, I could look down and see highways, cities, fields, lakes and forests.
But, if instead of flying, I got in my own car and drove down the experience would be quite different.
A short flight, looking at the world from above, would become a journey of discovery. As I travelled from state to state, town to town, I would be seeing the sights of our great country. I would pass through New York (and wave to the Statue of Liberty), I would stop along the way for food, or maybe stay overnight at a local inn or hotel. I would meet people, hear the local gossip and news, see the way others in the USA live.
It is all a choice in deciding whether the important thing is the destination or the journey.
We can rush through advancement or study only enough to pass a test, but in each case we are missing the journey, for the sake of the destination. Take the time to enjoy what you are doing, don't spend all your effort for the prize... for in the end, the trophy will stand for nothing if you didn't enjoy getting it.
As Simon and Garfunkle said "Slow Down, You're moving too fast"
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world
The farmers of Lexington and Concord did not know that what they were doing would have such an impact.
They were doing what they thought was the right thing to do. They were showing loyalty to their families, their community, and their colony.
Because they took that stand, however, the word spread throughout the colonies, to take up their arms and join the Revolutionary cause.
If they had lost that small battle, in the cold April morning over two hundred years ago, would the others have continued the fight? Would the country exist today?
Those farmers had no great destiny in mind. They were protecting what was theirs. But thier loyalty became the start of this "great experiment"; and became known as "the shot heard round the world".
You never know what it is that you do that will make the most impact. Years from now, you may be remembered for a small deed, or a great one. Remember that as Scouts, you stand out. You become leaders. And what you do has an influence on yourself and a ll those around you. Any you may never know it happened.
A tree within a forest, surrounded by other trees, must fight for the light. It constantly fights to become the tallest tree, to get the most light.
When it becomes the tallest, it pauses and rests; soaking in the sun.
But while it rests, the trees around it take their turns, forcing themselves to grow towards the source of nourishment and warmth.
Scouts are much the same way.
Scouts who are alone, who stay by themselves and don't participate, tend not to grow to great heights.
Its funny, but when you see a Scout becoming an Eagle, you will often see others right behind him. Together, they have supported each other, and competed with each other to become the best and strongest that they can become.
Working together, they all win; whether they ever make it to the top or not.
I can use spray paint to tag a fence or wall, use a marker to write on a desk, or use my new Scout knife to carve my name on a tree.
But, in the end, the wall will be cleaned, the fence painted, the tree will grow old, die, and rot away.
What is Neil Armstrong remembered for? (kids call out "astronaut") Michaelangelo? (artist), the Wright Brothers? ("airplanes")
They too left their mark, but in a much more important way.
They made something of themselves. What they created, and what they did will live on forever.
Don't waste your efforts on doing things that have little or know meaning, and only make a temporary blemish on our environment and community. By living up the to Scout Law, you are making of your life something that will stand out much longer than you will ever know.
Now life is also a series of one way streets. Every decision makes a turn onto another... but once the decision is made, you cannot go back.
This is important to remember. Once you say that "unforgiving word," or insult someone by mistake, you cannot take it back. You can apologize forever, but the deed is done.
All these one way streets branch off, but often they can come back together.
Straying from the Scouting Trail happens. Sometimes we end up in the Principal's office, sent to our room, or even dragged down to the local precinct. When this happens, and you move into a one way street that you realize is not the one for you, rememb er that the Scouting Trail has lots of entrance ramps. You will always be welcomed back.
A great American, John Wayne, passed away many years ago. One of his last public appearances was at a dinner. He was riddled with cancer and knew he was close to death.
The purpose of the dinner was to benefit a land purchase for a Scout Reservation called John Wayne Outpost Camp.
At this dinner, Wayne recited the Scout Law. Then he did something unusual, he said the twelve points of the Scout Law are "nice words".
"Trouble is" he continued. "we learn them so young we sometimes don't get all the understanding that goes with them,. I take care of that in my family. As each boy reaches Scout age, I make sure he learns the Scout Law. Then I break it down for him, with a few things I have picked up in more than half a century since I learned it."
Then Wayne proceeded to explain the importance of the Scout Law, breaking it down for the guests at the dinner; much like he would have for his grandson.
TRUSTWORTHY - The badge of honesty. Having it lets you look at any man in the eye. Lacking it he won't look back. Keep this one at the top of your list.
LOYAL - The Very word is life itself, for without loyalty we have no love of person or country.
HELPFUL - Part sharing, part caring. By helping each other, we help ourselves, not to mention mankind. Be always full of help -- the dying man's last words.
FRIENDLY - Brotherhood is part of that word. You can take it in a lot of directions - and do - but make sure and start with brotherhood.
COURTEOUS - Allow each person his human dignity which means a lot more than saying, "yes ma'am" and "thank you sir". It reflects an attitude that later in life you wish you had honored more... earlier in life. Save yourself that problem. Do i t now.
KIND - This one word would stop wars and erase hatreds. Bit its like your bicycle, its just no good unless you get out ad use it.
OBEDIENT - Starts at home. Practice it in your family. Enlarge it in your friends. Share it with humanity.
CHEERFUL - Anyone can put on a happy face when the going is good. The secret is to wear it as a mask for your problems. It might surprise you how many others do the same thing.
THRIFTY - Means a lot more than putting pennies away, and it is the opposite of cheap. Common sense covers it just about as well as anything.
BRAVE - You don't have to fight to be brave. Millions of good, fine, decent folks show more bravery that heavyweight champs just by getting out of bed every morning, going out to do a good day's work and living the best life they know how again st the law of odds. Keep the word handy every day of your life.
CLEAN - Soap and waters help a lot on the outside. But it is the inside that counts and don't ever forget it.
REVERENT - Believe in anything that you want to believe in, but keep God at the top of it. With Him, life can be a beautiful experience. Without Him, you are just biding time.
John Wayne then thanked those at the dinner for putting his name on the outpost camp and said, "I would rather see it here than on all the theater marquees the world over."
One day a mighty eagle was soaring the skies when the little eagle looked up and exclaimed, "Wow, what kind of bird is that!" The prairie chickens hollered out, "Shut up! That's the mighty eagle. You'll never be able to soar like that. Keep scratchin g in the dirt for bugs and worms and seeds."
So the little eagle spent its life only flying a few feet from place to place on the ground as it scratched in the dirt for bugs and worms and seed with the rest of the prairie chickens. Finally, it died, not knowing that within it it had the ability t o soar like the eagle, but lived its life listening to the prairie chick ens around it, and all it did was scratch in the dirt for bugs and worms and seed
He asked an old gentleman sitting in a park just on the outskirts of the town "What are the people here like?"
The old man asked in return "What kind of people are there where you come from?"
The man answers: "Oh, they were mean, selfish nasty people, that's why I left".
The old man looked at him and said "Thats exactly what you'll find here."
Next day another guy comes along with the same question.
When asked about the people where he came from, he answered, "Nice friendly people, really great to be around".
"Then thats what you;ll find here, son"
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Last Updated on April 20, 1997 by Shawn J Ashe |