10 Tips to Get Along | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | Here are 10 tips to improve how you relate to other people.
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A Chain | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Required: | a length of chain |
| Script: | You've heard the saying "A chain is only as strong as its weakest link". That's absolutely true. With this chain, I can pull a car or lift a heavy load - I can perform many tasks. But, if I try to lift something that is too heavy, one of the links will break - the weakest link will let down the rest of the chain. In Scouting, each scout works on personal advancement to strengthen himself and improve his skills. Personal advancement increases the strength of each link in our chain so we can accomplish more. But, there will always be a weakest link. No matter what the task at hand, some person will be less skilled than the others. Someone will not be able to tie a certain knot, or kindle a fire, or hike as fast, or recite as well as the others. At some point, each of you will be a weakest link - I guarantee it! Being the weakest link is not a shameful thing - it is an opportunity for improvement. One of the best things about Scouting is that our "chain" is better than a simple metal chain. When we have a task to do, we are not really limited by our weakest link. The other stronger or more skilled or more experienced links support the weaker links. They help them, teach them, and guide them. As a result, we accomplish much more than if we each just did our specific task and left the rest. Do your best to not be the weakest link - for yourself and for your patrol and for your troop. Learn skills, take on challenges, grow! But, be aware that around here the weakest link one day might be the strongest the next - and the strongest may be the weakest. |
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A First Class Scout | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | As I look around the group, I can see that some of you are wearing a First Class rank patch. That marks you as having earned the rank. But, I was wondering about what makes a scout a First Class scout - what marks someone as having really reached that level of maturity? I came up with three things: 1. How you regard yourself. A First Class scout has a high code of conduct. He just won't allow himself to act in ways he knows are not right. I can tell a First Class scout by the quality of guy he is. 2. Your attitude toward others. He likes people and is concerned more with them than with himself. He really enjoys looking for that Good Turn to do each day and he's the kind of guy you like to have around. 3. Your vision. A real scout looks to the future, to the next campout, to the next merit badge, to the next school year, planning on how to succeed and determined to Be Prepared for what is coming. When you are sure of yourself, concerned for others, and ready for new adventure, then I'd say you're a First Class Scout! |
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A Good Big Brother | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Notes: | Looking out for others. |
| Script: | Upon graduation from college a few years back, a young man received a gift from his older brother. It was a shiny brand new Corvette - the car of his dreams! One morning as he approached the car he saw a young boy about 11 or 12 peering through the windows into the car. "Is this your car?" the lad asked when he noticed the man. "Yes it is!" the man responded. "Wow! This is a nice car!" remarked the lad, "How much did it cost?" "I don't know." answered the man. "It's your car, but you don't know how much it cost?" exclaimed the young lad. "No," stated the man, "you see, my brother bought it for me." "I wish...I wish...I wish" stuttered the boy. The man thinking he would say, I wish I had a car like this. "...I wish I was like your brother!" finished the boy! Amazed at the boy's response, he offered to drive him around the block. As they were driving, the lad asked if he would drive him home. Thinking he wanted to show off that he was riding in a new car to his friends, the man agreed. They drove more than a few blocks to where the boy lived and as he turned onto the street the man noticed that it wasn't the best kept neighborhood. The houses were dirty and broken. He pulled up in front of the boys house. "Please wait," the boy yelled as he ran into the house! "Oh, he's probably going to get his family to show off the new car", the man thought to himself with a smile. Then the front door opened and out came the young lad. In his arms, he carried a small crippled boy, probably about 5! The lad brought him out to the car, and stated as he hugged his younger brother, "See, just like I told you! It's a brand new car! And someday, I'm going to buy you one just like it!" How unselfish this boy was...to be the kind of brother that looked after others first - to be more concerned with helping than having. |
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A Scout Is... (collection of minutes) | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | A Scout is Trustworthy A Scout is Loyal Scouts, what's the second point of the Scout Law? That's right, 'A Scout is loyal.' Our Scout handbook explains that a Scout is loyal to his family, Scout leaders, friends, school and nation. I'm going to add one more thing to that list - a Scout is loyal to his team. The team might be his patrol or sports team. Your patrol or soccer team can't be as good as it should be if you goof off a lot or constantly complain about your teammates or your patrol leader or coach. A winning patrol and a winning team, must have a winning attitude. That means that every member must be willing to do his part and not spend time griping because the patrol's plans or the game are not going his way. That doesn't mean that you have to be close friends with everybody in your patrol or team or even like all of them. But it means that when you join, you commit yourself to the success of the patrol or the team and pledge to give it your best effort. In Scouting and sports, it's teamwork that makes winners. So whenever you're with your patrol or sports team, remember, 'A Scout is loyal'. A Scout is Helpful A Scout is Friendly What's the fourth point of the Scout Law? That's right - 'A Scout is friendly. ' Do you have as many friends as you'd like to have? Real friends, I mean? The kind of guys you're glad to see, and who are glad to see you? Well maybe not. Lots of us would like to make more friends, but somehow it doesn't seem to happen. Well the secret of making friends is simple - being friendly. If you're a put down artist, or if you're always trying to rip off everybody or get the better of them in some way you're not going to have many friends. Nobody like to be put down or ripped off. The Bible gives the key to making friends. It's called the Golden Rule - 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. ' That's a great rule to remember in everything you do. And it's a perfect prescription for making friends. A Scout is Courteous A Scout is Kind Scouts, our Law say's 'A Scout is kind. A Scout understands that there is strength in being gentle. He treats others as he wants to be treated. He does not hurt or kill harmless things without reason.' Some of you may already be hunters. No doubt others will hunt as you get older. I have a question for you: Is a hunter following the Scout Law when he shoots wild creatures? (Get answers. ) It seems to me that the key words in this point of the Law are, 'without reason'. A Scout does not hurt or kill without reason. If you're going hunting for food, or to kill pests that are destroying property, or are hunting animals that are dangerous to man, you're not hunting without reason. So you are not violating the Scout Law. But never aim at a target you don't intend to hit. And if your target is a living creature, be sure you're not killing it without reason. A Scout is kind, and he does not blast away just for fun. He shoots only for good reason. A Scout is Obedient The Scout Handbook explains being Obedient this way: 'A Scout follows the rules of his family, school and troop. He obeys the laws of his community and country. If he thinks these rules and laws are unfair, he tries to have them changed in an orderly manner rather than disobey them.' So, you may not agree with some rules - if that's the case, then you should work to understand them and then work to get them changed. Simply disobeying them creates chaos and possibly danger. Examples of rules to obey are Traffic Rules. If you decide that that big, red, octagon sign isn't going to stop you, then you'll be in big trouble. If you decide to see what its like to drive in England and use the left-hand side of the road, you'll be in big trouble. These are rules that everyone understands and follows to keep traffic moving safely. They are arbitrary rules - we could have decided that green meant STOP and red meant GO, but now that they are in place, we all obey them. The same is true in your family, school, troop, and whenever you interact with people. If you are a hermit in the mountains by yourself, then you can do whatever you want. But, in society, we obey rules and work to change those that may be unjust or unfair. A Scout is Cheerful Two brothers once decided to leave their hometown and move to the city. Outside the city the first brother met an old man. 'How are the people here?' asked the first brother. 'Well, how were the people in your hometown?' asked the old man in return. 'Aw, they were always grumpy and dissatisfied,' answered the first brother. 'There wasn't a single one among them worth bothering about. ' 'And,' the old man said, 'you'll find that the people here are exactly the same!' Later the other brother came along. 'How are the people in this city?' he asked. 'How were the people in your hometown?' the old man asked as before. 'Fine!' said the other brother. 'Always cheerful, always kind and understanding!' 'You will find that the people her are exactly the same!' said the old man again, for he was a wise old man who knew that the attitude of the people you meet depends upon your own state of mind. If you are cheerful and frank and good-humored, you'll find others the same. A Scout is Thrifty If I were to turn the thermostat in my house up to 80 and open all the windows on a cold, winter day, which part of the Scout Law would I not be following? (Thrifty) I'd be wasting lots of energy, just throwing heat, gas, and money away. That is an obvious one. What am I doing when I build a huge campfire? I'm burning a lot of wood that will not be available to other scouts. I'm destroying material that would eventually create new soil. I'm not being Thrifty. Thrifty is not just about money. Thrifty means to conserve and get the most use out of all your resources. Would someone please tell me, in a nutshell, what 'Leave No Trace' is? (Leave No Trace is a program intended to preserve the outdoors spaces through minimizing our impact when we are hiking and camping.) When our troop follows the principles of Leave No Trace, we are being Thrifty users of the wild places. Keep your eyes open for other, interesting ways you can be Thrifty and let me know what you come up with. A Scout is Brave In the Scout Law we say, 'A Scout is brave.' What does that mean to you? (Get answers. ) Usually we think of bravery as overcoming fear to take some action that saves a life of helps someone in some way. Most of the time we're talking about overcoming fear of physical harm to ourselves. But there's another kind of bravery. It's bravery to overcome the fear of ridicule from our friends. It's the courage that's required to do what you know is right, even if your friends make fun of you. It may even be tougher than being brave in a crisis because you usually have more time to think about it. I know it's sometimes hard to act right when everybody is urging you to do something you know is wrong. It takes a courageous Scout - or man - to withstand the pressure from friends. It's not easy - but it's the mark of a good Scout. Let's try to do our best to be brave in every situation - the emergency and the pressure from friends. A Scout is Clean (Hold up two cooking pots, one shiny bright on the inside but sooty outside, the other shiny outside and dirty inside. ) Scouts, which of these pots would you rather have your food cooked in? Did I hear someone say 'Neither one. ' That's not a bad answer. We wouldn't have much confidence in a patrol cook who didn't have his pots shiny both inside and out. But if we had to make a choice, we would tell the cook to use the pot that's clean on the inside. The same applies to people. Most people keep themselves clean on the outside. But how about the inside? Do we try to keep our minds and our language clean? I think that's more important than keeping the outside clean. A Scout of course, should be clean inside and out. Water, soap, and a toothbrush takes care of the outside. Only your determination will keep the inside clean. You can do it by following the Scout Law and the example of the people you respect - your parents, your teacher, your clergyman, or a good buddy who is trying to do the same thing. A Scout is Reverent |
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A Wrapper A Day | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Notes: | conservation is an ongoing way of life, not just a clean-up project every year. |
| Script: | A Wrapper A Day - that's my motto. When I'm out walking, I try to pick up a wrapper a day - its usually more than that, unfortunately. I have no idea how the wrappers get there, but there's never a shortage of them. I'm over 40 years old and I have never actually seen someone throw a wrapper on the ground. I have no idea what sort of person does it. It just doesn't make sense to me, but there seem to be more than enough of them around. So, I just do what I can when I can - just a wrapper a day. There are 30 of us here. If we all did A Wrapper A Day, that would be over 10000 wrappers in a year - and that would be about 100 pounds. Of course its up to you to help or not and no one will know if you do. But, wouldn't it be great if one day I couldn't find my wrapper for that day? |
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Advancement - One Step At A Time | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | Take 10 seconds to answer this question to yourself: 'Why am I in Scouts?' (time off 10 seconds on your watch.) Would anyone like to share one reason with the troop? Common answers are: To Camp, It's Fun, and To Be an Eagle Scout. If one of your main goals is to become an Eagle Scout, then picture this. Let's say that where I am standing right now is the Scout rank. Over there (about 15 feet away) is the Eagle rank. I'm going to reach that goal. (Stretch your foot toward the goal as far as you can, do the splits. :-) That doesn't work, so keep your feet where you were standing, lay down, and stretch your hands as far as you can toward the goal. Still doesn't work. Ad lib that you're trying as hard as you can to reach it but its too far away. Stand up. Take a running jump to see how far you can go. Still don't make it.) As you can see, I just can't make it - the Eagle rank is too far away. I can give up - OR, I can adjust my goals. Instead of shooting for Eagle right now, I will shoot for Tenderfoot rank by [September 1 or whenever]. (Take a big step forward to Tenderfoot.) Then, I'll learn more skills to reach 2nd Class by [February 1] - step forward. Then, 1st Class. Then, Star. Then, Life. Finally, I can reach that goal I couldn't get to when that was all I was interested in. A Chinese saying is, 'A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.' Know where you want to go and start stepping. You could ask a Scout or Tenderfoot and an Eagle to help you by standing 15 feet apart and having the Scout try to reach the Eagle. |
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Afraid and Brave | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | Who is more brave - the Tenderfoot that walks to the latrine on a campout at 2am or the Life Scout that rescues a drowning little 6 year old girl? Bravery doesn't really depend on the Task being done. It depends on the internal challenge overcome to perform the task. That Tenderfoot may have been very brave to walk all alone in the pitch black to the latrine instead of chickening out and using the bushes right next to his tent. That Life Scout may have had no concerns with going into 5 feet of water. A good definition of Bravery is: "a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger of pain without showing fear." Being brave is not being unafraid - quite the opposite; fear and bravery go hand in hand. When you are afraid and can still do what needs to be done, now THAT is being brave. Whether that is saving someone in danger, sticking up for a new kid at school, or telling someone about your beliefs - there are many situations where you can be brave or cowardly. You find out a lot about who you really are when you find yourself in those situations. One of the bravest things I ever did was getting up the nerve to turn the lights off in my bedroom as a kid, but that's another story. :-) |
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Americans Creed | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | In 1918, when the First World War wast just starting, a man named William Tyler Page wrote the American's Creed. A 'creed' is a statement of beliefs or principles. For many years, the American's Creed was recited at public ceremonies and daily in schools. Listen to what Mr. Page wrote: I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign nation of many sovereign states; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes. I, therefore, believe it is my duty to my country to love it, to support its constitution, to obey its laws, to respect its flag, and to defend it against all enemies. |
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An Hour of Your Time | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | When Mr. Smith came home from work, little Johnny ran up to him and asked, "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?" Very tired from a long day, Mr. Smith replied, "Come on, Johnny, I need to just relax for a minute. Ask me later." After dinner, Johnny came up to his Dad again, "Daddy, how much do you make an hour?" "Johnny, it's not polite to ask people how much they make. But, I make thirty dollars an hour. Why do you want to know?" "OK, Daddy. Could you loan me 15 dollars?" "What? You just wanted to know what I made so you could ask for some? Go to your room!" After awhile, and feeling guilty for getting upset, Mr. Smith went to check on his son. He thought, "Maybe I was too harsh. Maybe Johnny wants to buy something." Opening Johnny's door, Mr. Smith said "Johnny, here, I have the 15 dollars you asked for." "Really?!? Thanks, Daddy!" Johnny took the money and opened his little savings bank to pull out a small pile of dollar bills and coins. "Now I have enough. I have $30!" Holding out the money in his hand, Johnny said, "Daddy, would you sell me an hour of your time?" |
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An Old Prayer | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | Give us, Lord, a bit o' sun a bit o' work and a bit o' fun; give us all, in the struggle and splutter, our daily bread and a bit o' butter. Give us health, our keep to make an' a bit to spare for poor folks' sake; give us sense, for we're some of us duffers, an' a heart to feel for all that suffers. Give us, too, a bit o' song, an' a tale, an' a book to help us along, an' give us our share o' sorrow's lesson that we may see how grief's a blessing. Give us, Lord, a chance to be our goodly best - brave, wise and free; our goodly best for ourselves and others 'til all men learn to live as brothers. |
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Another Year at Camp | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Notes: | This scoutmaster minute is pointing out that every year there are new boys. The scouts that were new need to help those that are new. It's an ongoing cycle, year after year, to grow boys into men. |
| Script: | It was just another year at Many Point Scout Camp. Two summers ago, Troop 479 had its annual week of scout camp at Many Point. They had had a good Webelos recruitment and there were 12 new scouts, only 11 years old. These dozen new recruits were standing around the campsite looking confused. There were two new Assistant Scoutmasters, parents of the boys and not used to camping, on their first scout camp as well - looking confused as well. The camp counselor had just left the site to get some forms he had forgotten. Before he left, he told the new campers to set up the tents, go to the commissary and give the patrol counts, and be ready for swim test in 45 minutes. Troop 479 also had a patrol of young adults at camp, two of whom would become Eagle Scouts in the next year. They sat on a large log by the campfire pit and patiently watched as 12 Scouts & 2 Leaders tried to get their camp area set up. After about 15 minutes of confusion they looked at each other, shook their heads, stood up & walked over to the young Scouts & said "OK, we're going to teach you how to survive a week at camp... & have fun!" Last summer, Troop 479 had its annual week of scout camp at Many Point. Those two Assistant Scoutmasters were over in the adult area and after about 20 minutes they had set up their tents and unpacked their gear. They had been taught well. After setting up their site they walked through the tree line to the Scouts patrol sites to see how they were doing. They had had a good Webelos recruitment and there were 12 new scouts, only 11 years old. These dozen new recruits were standing around the campsite looking confused. There were two new Assistant Scoutmasters, parents of the boys and not used to camping, on their first scout camp as well - looking confused as well. The camp counselor had just left the site to get some forms he had forgotten. Before he left, he told the new campers to set up the tents, go to the commissary and give the patrol counts, and be ready for swim test in 45 minutes. Troop 479 also had a patrol of young adults at camp. It seems like just yesterday they were the "babies" of the Troop. Several of them would make Eagle in the next year. They sat on a large log by the campfire pit and patiently watched as 12 Scouts & 2 Leaders tried to get their camp area set up. After about 15 minutes of confusion, they looked at each other, shook their heads, stood up & walked over to the young Scouts & said "OK, were going to teach you how to survive a week at camp... & have fun!" It was just another year at Many Point Scout Camp. |
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Apes and Bananas | |
| Notes: | Don't get stuck in a rut of doing things the same way year to year. Encourage scouts to try new things. |
| Script: | Here's a fun experiment to try at home. :-) Set up a big cage with stairs in the center leading up to a bunch of bananas hanging from the ceiling. Put 5 apes in the cage. As soon as one of the apes sees the bananas and starts climbing the stairs to reach them, spray ALL the apes with very cold water from a hose. As soon as another ape starts after the bananas, spray ALL the apes again. Whenever an ape makes an attempt, spray ALL the apes. In a bit, if an ape starts to climb the stairs, all the other apes will scream at it and pull it off the steps. At this point, turn off the cold water and replace one of the apes with a brand new ape. This new ape will see the bananas and climb up to them but the other apes will scream and attack him, to pull him off the stairs. He may try this a second time, but he'll learn that if he climbs the stairs he'll be attacked. Replace another ape with a new one and the same scenario will occur. The other apes will stop him from climbing to the bananas - even the other new ape because he has learned that is how it's done. Continue replacing apes until none of them in the cage have ever been sprayed with water. They will still prevent any from getting to the bananas and none will even try anymore. Why? Because that's the way it's always been done around here. |
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Astronauts and the Scouting Experience | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | Of the 12 American Astronauts who have walked on the Moon, 11 have been Scouts! Apollo-Saturn 11 Date: 7/20/69 Time: 2 hr. 31 min. 40 sec. Neil Armstrong, Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin Armstrong (Eagle), Aldrin (Tenderfoot), M. Collins (Non-Scout) Apollo-Saturn 12 Date: 11/19/69 Time: 7 hr. 45 min. 18 sec. Charles (Pete) Conrad, Alan Bean Conrad (Cub Scout), Bean (First Class), Gordon (Star) Apollo-Saturn 13 Lovell (Eagle), Swigert (Second Class), Haise (Star) Apollo-Saturn 14 Date: 2/5/71 Time: 9 hr. 22 min. 31 sec. Alan Shepard, Edgar Mitchell Shepard (First Class), Mitchell (Life), Roosa (Non-Scout) Apollo-Saturn 15 Date: 7/30/71 Time: 18 hr. 34 min. 46 sec James Irwin, David Scott D. Scott (Life), Worden (First Class), Irwin (Non-Scout) Apollo-Saturn 16 Date: 4/21/72 to 4/23/72 Time: 20 hr. 14 min. 16 sec. Charles Duke, John Young Duke (Eagle), Young (Second Class), Mattingly (Life) Apollo-Saturn 17 Date: 12/11/72 to 12/13/72 Date: 22 hr. 3 min. 57 sec. Harrison Schmitt, Eugene Cernan Cernan (Second Class), Evans (Life), Schmitt (Tenderfoot) Of the 21 Astronauts who have orbited the Moon, 19 have been Scouts Of the 214 former and present astronauts, 142 have taken part in Scouting. Astronaut Scout Experience: (World Wide) EAGLE: Adamson, Armstrong, Bagian, Bluford, Bowersox, Brady, Carr, Carter, Chaffee, Covey, Creighton, Duke, Eisele, Fullerton, W. Gregory, Griggs, Hoffman, Jones, Lee, Lind, Llewellyn (King's Scout, U.K.), Lovell, McCulley, O'Leary, Onizuka, Oswald, Parazynski, Reightler, Searfoss, See, Tanner, Truly, D. Walker LIFE: Anders, Basset, Brand, Bridges, Casper, Cooper, Evans, Fabian, G. Gardner, Givens, Gregory, Kregel, Low, Mattingly, McArthur, Mitchell, D. Scott, Spring, Springer, Van Hoften, C. Williams STAR: Barry, Cameron, England, W. Fisher, Garriott, R. Gibson, Gordon, Grissom, Haise, Lounge, McNair, Stafford First Class: J. Allen, Bean, Clifford, Coats, Engle, Freeman, D. Gardner, E. Gibson, Hammond, Henize, Linnehan, Nelson, Overmyer, Schirra, Schweickart, W. Scott, Shepard, Veach, Worden Second Class: Bolden, Buchli, Carpenter, Cernan, Culbertson, Mullane, Parker, Pogue, Shriver, Swigert, W. Thornton, White, Young Tenderfoot: Aldrin, Bursch, Hawley, Lousma, McDivitt, Michel, Schmitt, S. Smith EXPLORER: O'Connor, D. Williams CUB SCOUT: A. Allen, C. Brown, Conrad, Foale (Wolf, Germany), Gernhardt, Henricks, Leestma, Lopez-Alegria, McBride, Meade, Readdy, Rominger, Shepherd, Thomas, Thuot, Wolf RANK UNKNOWN: C. Brown, Bull, Clervoy, Garneau, Harris, James Voss GIRL SCOUT: E. Collins, Davis, A. Fisher, Helms, Jernigan, Lawrence, Seddon, Sherlock, Sullivan, K. Thornton, Janice Voss, Weber |
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Back It Up | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Required: | $10 bill Eagle patch or Life patch |
| Script: | You'll need a $10 or $20 bill - or even larger if you want to make a big impression :-) Hold up the bill for all to see or pass it around the circle. Ask, "What is this?" Ask, "What is it worth?" Ask why the bill is worth so much. The bill is really just a piece of paper. It has no value. But, it has been created and certified by the U.S. Government to be 'worth' $10.00 and can be exchanged for $10 worth of food or other stuff. It is Backed Up by the strength of our government. Without that power and trust Backing It Up, the bill would be worthless. Hold up the Eagle or Life patch. Look at this patch. It's just a piece of fabric, not worth anything. But, it's valuable because we know it represents years of learning, leading, and serving. It is Backed Up by the efforts and commitment made by the young man that wears it. When you receive your own patch like this, you will know that the patch itself is not that important. How you Back It Up is the important part. |
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Bad Influences | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Required: | Hatchet Compass |
| Script: | Take out a compass, hold it up in your right hand and ask what it is. Ask them what it is used for. The desired answer is that it gives you direction. Next ask how it gives direction. The desired response is that it points to the North. Looking at the compass, point in the direction that the compass tells you is North. Hold up a hatchet in your left hand and ask the Scouts what it is. You'll get several replies. The desired answer is that it is a tool that we can use both in and out of Scouting. Ask them what it is used for. Bring the hatchet closer to the compass. The compass needle should swing to point at the hatchet. As you say, 'Wait a minute, now North's over there!', turn to the left. The compass needle will still point at the hatchet. Each time you turn, tell them that North has moved again! They will all begin yelling at you that the hatchet is causing the compass to give a false direction. Repeat this to them, 'What's that? The hatchet is making the compass give me an incorrect direction?' After they all agree, tell them the following: Both of these items are tools that Scouting teaches you about, which you can use both in and out of your Scouting life to make certain tasks easier to accomplish. The Scout Oath and the Scout Law are the same thing. They aren't just words that you need to memorize in order to make advancement, they are valuable tools that, like the compass, will help you to have a more enjoyable and profitable life, both in and out of Scouting. Learn to use these tools well and often. Just like you saw with the compass and the hatchet, you will find outside influences that will try to draw you away from the direction you should be headed. Just as you have learned to recognize that iron-bearing metal will draw a compass off course, learn to reconize those things that will draw you off course from the things the Scout Oath and Law teach you about goodness, honesty, cheerfully helping others, being true to your religion, and being a positive and active member of this great country. If you learn to use these two valuable tools, the Oath and Law, that Scouting has given you, you'll be a better person for it. |
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Balanced Diet | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | I expect you all know the 6 food groups. What are they? Bread & Grain, Vegetables, Fruits, Dairy, Meat, Sugar & Fat Great! And we all know its important to include a mix of foods from all those groups in our diets. Why? So we have a well-rounded diet that keeps our bodies healthy. I believe the same sort of thing is true for our lives, not just our bodies. I can think of 6 'life groups' kind of like the 'food groups' - Academics, Athletics, Family, Music, Religion, and Social. If you spent all your time just doing schoolwork, but no social or religious activities, you might get very good at science. But, you wouldn't have the skills to share your knowledge with others. If you just hang around with friends and listen to music, but no athletics, you might be a fun guy but you couldn't throw a ball or swim in a lake. If you look at famous figures that have had personal problems plastered on the front page, maybe you can see what I'm getting at. Some of them have invested all their effort into one activity and neglected the other areas of life. When they make it big, they are not prepared for the rest of life and it all falls apart. So, mix it up. Take a big helping of Academics, a side-dish of Athletics, pour some Family time on top, garnish with Music, have a big glass of Religion, and finish with a Social dessert. Now, THAT's a balanced diet that will give you a healthy body AND life. |
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Be a Blessing - a true story | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Script: | Many of you have heard of a woman in India named Mother Teresa who has devoted her life to serving the poor. She is known around the world. She has shown that you do not have to do big things to be a blessing to others. If someone is hungry you can feed them. If they are dirty you can help clean them. If they are sick you can care for them. If they are lonely you can talk to them. If they mourn someone you can give them words of comfort. You do not have to be rich or famous or a person of great importance to do any of this. You simply have to care about others as much as you care about your own needs. Mother Teresa has cared for many who were sick, fed many who were hungry, and cleaned many who were dirty. She gave up all her worldly possessions when she started doing this many years ago. She was not always famous but she always cared, helping people in the slums of Calcutta, India. Each of you can be a blessing to others as you live your lives. You can say a kind word when someone is down; you can buy a meal for someone who is hungry. When you help someone, keep it to yourself, you do not need to tell others what a good person you are. The world will notice your example by how you treat others. When the opportunities arise, always be a blessing to family, friends and strangers! |
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Become a Yes Man! | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | The words 'No, you can't because ...' are heard way too often in life. How pleasant it would be if the phrase were simply turned around to 'Yes, you can when ...' 'Yes, you can if ...' or 'Yes, you can as soon as ...' Instead of 'No, we can't start the game without the umpire', it would be 'Yes, we can start as soon as the umpire gets here. And if he's not here in 5 minutes Mr. Smith will stand in for him.' Using positive words shows a positive attitude and a positive attitude makes the world a bit better. |
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Being Ready, Able, and Willing | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Preparation: | Ask a senior scout if he will act out choking for your minute. |
| Script: | Scouts, we're going to do a one act play for my minute tonight. Go ahead, [Actor]! ([Actor] enters the room, choking, holding his throat, turning red, not breathing, stumbling to the floor.) OK, great job, [Actor]! (clap, clap, clap) Do you know what was happening to him? Do you know what you should have done to help? Do you believe you would have the courage to try to help him? The Scout Law says a scout is Helpful and Brave. When you see someone that needs help, you help. If it is a scary situation, you are brave and still help. But, if it is a problem you do not know HOW to help, how can you? That is why we have our motto: Be Prepared! Prepared for what? Well, for anything that comes along. Even though you may be WILLING to help, you must put in effort to prepare yourself for situations so you are ABLE to help. Learn your scouting skills, they are good for a lot more than scouting. |
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Between Right and Wrong | |
| Script: | What is the opposite of 'Black'? (scouts should answer with 'White') What is Between Black and White? (answer should be 'Grey') What is the opposite of Liberal? 'Conservative' What is between Liberal and Conservative? 'Moderate' How about the opposite of Hot? 'Cold' And Between Hot and Cold? 'Warm' or 'Cool' As you can see, there are ways to describe the area between two extremes for many common things in our lives. Now, one more try. What is the opposite of Wrong? 'Right' What is Between Right and Wrong? (let scouts try a few answers) There is nothing in between right and wrong. We've never created a word for that. There are shades of grey. There is hot and cold, and we have warm to satisfy the need to avoid the extremes. But there is only right and wrong. There is no middle. |
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Big Ego | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | Once there was a very large green bullfrog who lived in a modest sized pond. Even though many other animals and fish lived around this pond the bullfrog didn't have any friends. You see, the friends he once had were gone. They were tired of his constant boasting about how far he could jump, how loud he could croak, and how many flies he could eat. These days, they just tried to stay out of his way. This situation changed when the geese began to migrate through the area. Two geese actually became his friends. They spent many a long day visiting, swimming, and doing the things friends do. Then one day the two geese told the frog it was time for them to continue their migration. The frog was sad and asked if they could take him with them. He suggested that they let him climb on one of their backs and hang onto their neck. Both geese agreed that he was entirely too fat for one goose to carry. Further saddened, the frog began to think and finally came up with an idea. "Listen," he said, "How about we take a string and each of you take hold of an end with your mouth and bite down hard, then I will bite in the middle of the string and you can fly me between you." The geese pondered the idea and decided to give it a try. All were ready and the geese began to flap and run. The frog hopped along with the string in his mouth until he was lifted from the ground and was airborne. "Oh what a feeling", thought the frog. Onward they flew for days on end until they flew over a farmer out in his field. The farmer looked up and upon seeing the geese and frog remarked, "My, my, a flying frog! I wonder who taught those geese to fly such a big frog?" Hearing this, the frog wanting to get all the glory for such a clever idea, said, "I DID!" That night the farmer feasted on very large succulent frog legs. Check your ego, don't let it get so far out of control that you lose your friends or worse yet, end up on someone's plate. |
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Big Rocks | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | (the harder challenges go to the people that have the higher capabilities) Ask for 6 scouts to come forward to help out. Ask them to build a pyramid on their hands and knees. We would expect that they will naturally have their largest, strongest guys on the bottom and their lightest one on top once the pyramid is complete. Do you ever feel that you are doing more than your share? Does it ever seem that you keep getting the harder jobs? Look at this pyramid. Who has the hardest job? (guy in middle bottom) Why is he in that position? Did they put the smallest guy there? (no, the strongest guy) Everywhere you look, structures rely on key parts in order to work:
We use sand to fill cracks in a walkway. We use gravel to build a road. We use rocks to landscape. But, the Big Rocks, the ones that are sturdy, strong, and solid, those are used to make castles, towers, and monuments! When you are asked to play a key role that requires extra work, maybe even more than seems fair, it’s because the person asking believes you are tough enough for the job. |
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Blind Wise Man | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Script: | There once was an old blind wise man living in a tiny village. He amazed people with his wise answers to any question asked of him. He never failed to answer correctly. One day a young boy figured out how he could outsmart the wise old man. He approached the blind man and asked his question. He said, "Old man, in my hand is a bird. Is it alive or dead?" The old man was quiet. The boy asked again, "Old man, in my hand is a bird. Is it alive or dead?" Still, the old man said nothing. The boy asked for the third time, "Old man, in my hand is a bird. Is it alive or dead?" The old man finally answered. He said, "The bird's life is yours to give or take. If I say it is alive, you will crush it and it will be dead. If I say it is dead, then you will open your hands and let it fly away." |
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Boss vs. Leader | |
| Script: | The boss drives his men; the leader coaches them. The boss inspires fear; the leader inspires enthusiasm. The boss says "I"; the leader says "We". The boss assigns tasks; the leader sets the pace. The boss says "Get here on time!"; the leader gets there ahead of time. The boss fixes blame for the breakdown; the leader fixes the breakdown. The boss knows how it's done; the leader shows how. The boss makes work a drudgery; the leader makes it a game. The boss says "Go!"; the leader says "Let's go!" The world needs leaders, but nobody wants a boss. |
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Bound Through Scouting | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Required: | 20 wooden matches in a bundle wrapped with a rubber band. |
| Script: | Scouts, you'll notice the matches in front of you stand easily when they're all bound together with the rubber band. But, look at what happens when I try to stand them after removing the band. (Take the rubber band off and attempt to stand them up. Of course they fall in all directions.) Our troop is like a bunch of matches. As long as we work together as a team, bound together by the ties of Scouting, we will stand together as a strong troop. But if we remove those ideas of Scouting, and each man thinks only of himself, we'll be like that bunch of matches when the rubber band was taken off. As we all live up to the ideals of the Scout Oath, Law, Motto and Slogan, we will be wrapping ourselves with the band that will strengthen our troop and make sure that it stands for the things that make Scouting great. |
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Box of Stuff | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Required: | a small container of pins, screws, bolts, odds-n-ends |
| Script: | See this container? This is my Box of Stuff that sits on my workbench. When I do a project, if there's a few screws left over, I dump them in here. If I have an extra nut or bolt or piece of wire or hinge, it goes in here. Some of these things have been in here, never used, for almost 20 years. But, I know they are here. I know that because I will occasionally need a screw or bolt and I rummage through here until I find one. Every time I do that, I see what else is still here, ready to be used when needed. How does this have anything to do with scouting? Well, everything you're learning in Scouts goes into your Box of Stuff up here in your brain. It's ready for that one day when it's needed. You learned how to fuse the end of a rope. Do you do that every day? No. But, some day when you have a frayed rope, you'll reach into your Box of Stuff and know how to fuse that rope. You know how to identify poisonous plants. Do you do that every day? No. But, on your next hike, you'll recognize and avoid those plants. When you use something from your Box of Stuff, you should also check out all the other things you have in there. Take some time and refresh your skills so you remember you have them. Like some of these pieces of hardware, some skills may sit there unused for years until you find yourself in an emergency when you need to dump out your whole Box and put all of it to use. That's when you'll be glad you have your Box of Stuff full to the brim. |
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Brave | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Script: | "A Scout is Brave" is the 10th point of the Scout Law. A scout has the courage to stand up for what he thinks is right even if others ridicule him or threaten him. It has been said that "Courage is doing the right thing when the wrong thing is the easy thing." Do the right thing. Be Brave. |
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Bridge Builder | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Notes: | We don't do things for scouts to make the path simple, but we provide them with the means to overcome obstacles themselves. |
| Script: | An old man traveling a long highway, Came at the evening cold and gray, To a chasm vast and deep and wide. The old man crossed in the twilight dim, The sullen stream held no fears for him; But he turned when safe on the other side, And built a bridge to span the tide. "Old man," cried a fellow pilgrim near, "You're wasting your time in building here. "Your journey will end with the closing day; "You never again will pass this way. "You have crossed the chasm deep and wide, "Why build you this bridge at even tide?" The builder lifted his old gray head; "Good friend, in the path I have come," he said. "There followeth after me today, "A youth whose feet must pass this way. "This stream which has been as naught to me, "To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be; "He, too, must cross in the twilight dim: "Good friend, I am building this bridge for him." |
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Buddy System | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | Raise your hand if you've heard of a Boy Scout getting lost in the woods. Raise your hand if you've heard of TWO scouts getting lost in the woods together. These are real events that happened in the past couple years... A 7 year old cub scout was lost for 2 hours. He was on a hike with his den and fell behind the others, then slipped and fell. When he got back up, the rest were too far away to hear or see him. Two hikers found him and brought him to safety. An 11 year old scout was lost for 4 days. After using the climbing tower at a camp, he walked the quarter mile to his campsite alone and became lost. He was found 5 miles away out of pure luck. A 12 year old scout slipped in the lake and got his shoes wet. So, his dad told him to walk the 150 yards back to camp and get dry socks and shoes on. That was the last anyone has seen of him. A 13 year old scout was lost for 3 days. On a hike, he fell behind the others and took a wrong turn. Do you see any pattern in all these avoidable events? Every one of them failed to use the BUDDY SYSTEM! Two scouts never get lost. You aren't using the buddy system for yourself - you're doing it for your friend so he doesn't get lost and for his family so they don't worry. Just look at the guys to your left and right - they really need your help, don't they? :-) But, seriously, having a buddy is THE most important rule we have - more important than having a compass or first aid kit or anything else. Did everyone have a buddy at [our last outing]? Do you think everyone will have a buddy at [our next outing]? Darn Tootin'! |
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Carpenter | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Script: | An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he would build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter finished his work, and the builder came to inspect the house, his employer handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you for many years of faithful service!" What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well. So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up with less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently. Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. Your life today is the result of your choices in the past. Your life tomorrow will be the result of your choices you make today. |
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Carrots, Egg, or Coffee | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | A scout I know wanted to talk. He was bummed about school and family and life in general. Things were just 'too hard'. While he was telling me his troubles, I filled three pots with water and put them over the fire. When the water was boiling, I put some carrots in one pot, an egg in the 2nd, and some coffee beans in the 3rd. Then, the scout and I went for a short walk, just to pass some time. When we returned, I scooped out the carrots into a bowl, the egg into another bowl, and some coffee into a third bowl. Then I asked the scout, "What do you see?" Being a bright scout, he said, "Carrots, an egg, and coffee." I had him feel the carrots and he said they were soft and mushy. I had him break open the egg and he saw it was hard-boiled. I had him take a sip of coffee and he said it tasted warm, strong and rich. Each of these things encountered the same harsh, boiling water. The carrots started out tough and crunchy, but the water made them soft, mushy, and weak. The egg looked the same before and after being boiled, but its inside had become hard. The coffee beans were unique. They changed the water, they made the water into something better than it had been. So, I asked the scout, "Which do you want to be?" Are you tough and sure when things are comfortable, but wilt and lose heart when hard times come? Do you keep your inner feelings hidden under a shell but let hard times harden your heart and kill your spirit? Or, do you embrace adversity and turn hard times into times of growth? Do you work to improve difficult situations? Do you look for ways you can make things better around you rather than retreating into yourself? Tough luck, hard times, gloomy days, heartache, and pain come to everyone - its called 'life' and it happens. People that seem happy or content have just as much trouble in their lives as those that are miserable. They have just found a better way to meet challenges and persevere. They strive to make the most of what life brings them. Enjoy the coffee! |
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Climbing Mt. Fuji | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Notes: | Encourage others |
| Script: | If you ever get to visit Japan, try to make time to climb Mt. Fuji. It is a beautiful mountain, a perfect cone volcano, standing alone on a large plain. To the Japanese, it is a symbol of peace and beauty. It may very well be the most photographed mountain in the world. When you get to the foot of Mt. Fuji, you'll notice there are hiking staffs for sale. Buy one, and start your climb up. It's not really a climb, its more of a strenuous hike on very, very well-travelled paths. Every few miles, friendly attendants at check stations will brand your hiking staff with a symbol of the milestone you reached. They will also encourage you on to the next checkpoint. Along the way, you'll meet many, many people - tourists from around the world - America, Korea, England, China, Brazil. All of them with the same goal in mind. And, interestingly, all of them encouraging one another. The atmosphere is not one of competition, trying to beat someone else to the top - it doesn't matter. Through gestures, smiles, and words, total strangers help push you ahead, give you strength, keep you motivated. Whenever people with similar goals compete less and cooperate more, more is accomplished and the climb is a lot more fun. Have fun! |
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Climbing the Mountain | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Notes: | Recognitions and awards are fun, but what is learned and taken to heart is the real reward. |
| Script: | There was once an Indian village on a wide open desert in the Southwest. A few miles across the desert is a high mountain, towering up out of the desert. One day, the Chief gathered all the young boys that were not yet braves to him. He said; "It is time for you to all climb the great mountain. Tomorrow morning, start right after breakfast, and go each of you as far as you can. Then when you are tired, come back; but let each one bring me a twig off a tree from the place where he turned back." The next morning, away they went full of hope each feeling that he surely could reach the top. But soon the first returned slowly back, and in his hand he held out to the Chief a leaf of cactus. The Chief smiled and said, "My boy, you did not reach the foot of the mountain, you did not even get across the desert." Later, a second boy returned. He carried a twig of sagebrush. "Well," said the Chief, "You reached the mountain's foot but you did not climb upward." The next had a cottonwood spray. "Good", said the Chief, "You got up as far as the clear springs." Another came later with some buckthorn. The Chief smiled when he saw it and said: "You were climbing; you were up to the first slide rock." Late in the afternoon, one arrived with a cedar spray, and the old man said, "Well done. You went half way up and reached the forest." Before sunset, one came with a switch of pine. To him the Chief said, "Good, you went to the high forest; you made three quarters of the climb." The sun was down when the last finally returned. His hand was empty as he approached the Chief, and the other Indian boys began to laugh and tease that he had not even tried the climb. But his face was radiant, and he said: "Great Chief, there were no trees where I climbed; there were no twigs, but I saw the shining sea far away." Now the old man's face glowed, too, as he said aloud and almost sang: "You have been to the top. It is written in your eyes, and rings in your voice. My boy, you have seen the glory of the mountain. You need no twigs for proof." |
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Close to the Edge | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | America has often been referred to as the "land of opportunity". The longer I’m around, the more I believe that this statement is quite true. If you’re willing to work hard enough, you can do just about anything you want to. Most of you scouts probably haven't decided what you want to pursue in terms of a job or a career. You still have time to decide. But consider the possibilities: We live in an exciting time! Consider the future of the medical field, for example. There are, and will continue to be, enormous opportunities. New drugs to fight diseases are constantly being developed. New techniques are being tried to improve health and reduce cost. Maybe you could be the researcher who finds a cure for cancer, or finds the key to immunizing against viruses. Space exploration is filled with discovery. The Mars rovers are still sending back enormous amounts of data about that planet. Someone had to design, build, launch, and control those vehicles. Bright minds. The Cassini/Huygens space probe, which has traveled about 3 billion miles over 9 years to circle the planet Saturn, has recently sent back pictures that indicate the possibility of subterranean water on one of Saturn’s moons. Other scientists have managed to capture particles of solar wind and returned them to earth. The same with comet particles, which might yield clues into the origin of the solar system. So, what does this have to do with you? I think it has everything to do with how big you dream. These opportunities and countless others like them can be yours. But... there’s always a "but" ... Most people have their comfortable routines. You know when you have to get up, go to work or school, do homework, go to bed. You probably enjoy watching TV or playing computer games, or just hanging out with your friends. But have you really pushed yourself to do more than just enough to get by? Have you really tried to see just how much you can do? Improve your skills? Become stronger? Stand out from the crowd? The author Kurt Vonnegut said, "I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center." I challenge you to get close to the edge – but not too close – and push yourself to become a better you, a stronger you, a happier you. You won’t know what you can do until you try. I’ll be watching you, too - from the edge. |
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Coasting is All Downhill | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Notes: | You have to put forth effort to advance. |
| Script: | Have you ever been in or seen a Soapbox Derby? You know, where you ride a cart down a hill. Or, have you ever ridden a sled down a long hill? Or, how about floated down river in an innertube? These all have three things in common. They're all fun. They all require no effort - you just sit there and coast. And, they all take you downhill. Just like in those activities, you can coast doing other things. You can coast through school, just getting good enough grades. You can coast through sports, just playing the games. You can even coast through life until your time is done. But, just like riding in a cart - coasting through life is all downhill. To achieve a goal is uphill - there's no coasting. There's work, effort, and sometimes sacrifice. But, there is also great reward! When you coast, you don't just stay even, you lose - you go downhill. Remember, Coasting is All Downhill |
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Collection of Quotes | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | Some quotes to consider: Eleanor Roosevelt: No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Albert Einstein: We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them Unknown: If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got. Franklin Roosevelt: Never underestimate a man who overestimates himself. Abraham Lincoln: Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing. Abraham Lincoln: Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power. Menander: The character of a man is known from his conversations. Jack London: A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog. Eddie Rickenbacker: Courage is doing what you're afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you're scared. John Wayne: Courage is being scared to death - but saddling up anyway. Mark Twain: Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear. Ralph Waldo Emerson: A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer. |
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Common Ground | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Notes: | Look for similarities in others on which to build friendships. |
| Script: | Have any of you travelled to Europe? I was fortunate to spend 40 days with a backpack travelling from country to country. I met a young man from Switzerland and we became friends so I visited his family's home towards the end of my trip. It was quite interesting when I tried to speak with his father because his native language was Italian and I spoke no Italian. Fortunately, we discovered that we each spoke a little French so we used that common ground to communicate. I also noticed he had Algebra books on his shelf because he was a teacher but they were written in Italian! It didn't matter much though because I could understand the formulas since math is the same everywhere. I had a fun few hours talking about math with a Swiss man because we found common interest and common language. It sometimes takes extra effort, but I challenge you to find what you have in common with others instead of the obvious things that are different and see what happens. |
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Confidence | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | If you think you're beaten, you are, If you think you dare not, you don't. If you'd like to win, but think you can't, It's almost for sure, you won't. If you think you're losing, you've lost. For out in the world we find Success begins with a person's will, It's all in your state of mind. If you think you're outclassed, you are, You've got to think high to rise. You have to stay with it, In order to win the prize. Life's battles don't always go, To the one with the better plan. For more often than not, you will win, If only you think you can. |
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Crab Behavior | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Script: | It is interesting how crabs think and work together. I've gone crabbing on the west coast. You can put a crab in a bucket about 12 inches deep and it will easily reach up over the lip of the bucket and succeed in climbing out. But an interesting thing happens when you have 2 or more crabs in the same bucket. As the first crab reaches up to pull itself out and starts to succeed, the other crabs reach up to pull the other crab back into the bucket. They will each take turns trying to climb out while the other crabs spend their time pulling the crab that is having success back down into the bucket. Are you a crab? |
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Crickets | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Script: | Crickets are interesting animals. They're only an inch long yet they can be heard throughout the forest by rubbing their wings together. You can tell the temperature by listening to crickets. On warm nights, they chirp faster than on cool nights. If you count the number of chirps in 15 seconds and add 40 to it you'll get the temperature. I like to think about why crickets chirp. It's their way of saying "Here I Am". Like crickets, each one of us has ways of saying "Here I Am". Some say it through sports, some in music, some in reading, some in art. One way we all say "Here I Am" is through Scouting. When you wear your uniform you are showing everyone that you believe that it's important to be a good person. I think the best way to say "Here I Am" is by working hard, being kind, and being cheerful. Next time you hear a cricket, try to remember he is saying "Here I Am" and think how you are saying "Here I Am" in your life. |
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Criticizing Others | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | An American Indian saying goes: "Before you judge someone, walk a long distance in his moccasins." Settlers changed that to "Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes." What does that mean to you? When you notice someone doing a job poorly, maybe it's cooking a meal, or lashing a camp gadget, or leading a meeting, it's awful easy to point out their failures. It's easy to giggle when a scout forgets how the Scout Oath begins, or criticize another scout making mistakes in a skills instruction, or talk to your neighbor when you don't respect the leader of a meeting. It takes much more effort on your part to try to help the situation. Before you make life difficult for that guy on the hotseat, try to imagine yourself there. Could you do better? Sure, you could, but how? Would you plan better? Would you talk more clearly? Would you make everyone pay better attention? Whatever ways you can see that scout might improve, those are the things you should help make happen. I see this often in this troop. A young scout will timidly start to lead the troop in the Scout Law and an older scout's louder, deeper voice will support him. Two scouts will step in with a new game when the one responsible for the game doesn't show up. I even see scouts working to stay quiet and attentive while an old man drones on. :-) Patience and understanding are two virtues each of us can work on. |
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Cross Your Arms | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Notes: | There are many ways to accomplish a goal. Follow your leader's plan. |
| Script: | Ask everyone to stand up. Ask everyone to relax and fold their arms. Say, "Now, don't move. Look at which of your hands has the fingers on top. Is it the right or left hand?" Ask them to re-fold their arms with the other hand on top. How does that feel? weird, different, awkward? Which way is 'Correct'? Which way is 'Wrong'? Which way accomplished the goal of 'Fold your Arms'? Every scout here is different and has different ideas on how to accomplish goals we set. The leader's job is to take those ideas and decide to use the one that fits his style best. And, then the scouts's job is to follow him, doing their very best to make the plan succeed. It may not be the exact way you would do it, but if it meets the goal then it is a good plan. |
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Difference Between Scout and Dog | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Script: | I knew a dog named Scout. When you think about it, a dog is a pretty good scout. If treated right, it is trustworthy, loyal, and friendly. Dogs are normally kind, not mean, and they are naturally cheerful. If trained right, it can be helpful, obedient, courteous, and clean. A dog is rarely wasteful, so thrifty is definitely there. Many rescue dogs have risked or even lost their lives to save a person, so I guess they are brave. The one thing a dog can't be is reverent. Dogs have no concept of God. We include Reverent in the Scout Law because it is an important thing. Remember, a dog can get 11 out of 12. |
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Disneyland Garbage | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Notes: | conservation is an ongoing chore, but if we keep on it, it is much easier overall. |
| Script: | Way back in the late 1950s, when Disneyland was new, there were already litterbugs - its not a new thing. As a matter of fact, at Disneyland, trash became a problem. The goal at Disneyland was to have the park look brand-new every morning when it opened. That meant that every night, people would pick up trash, clean, and repair. During the day, there were no people walking around picking up trash because there were plenty of trashcans all over. But, some people still chose to throw trash on the ground. And, that trash built up by the end of the day so there was more than what could be cleaned up overnight. Someone decided that the only way the trash could get picked up would be to work on it all day. So, Disneyland started having people pick up trash during the day. The results were amazing! The workers picked up far less trash than what had previously been on the ground. As it turned out, when people looked around and saw a wrapper on the ground, they were more inclined to drop their trash instead of finding a trashcan. Once workers kept those few initial wrappers picked up, almost everyone used trashcans. Things haven't changed - why do people leave their popcorn buckets in movie theaters? Why do smokers throw their butts out at stoplights? Because they are lazy and someone else is doing it. If we put in some effort to keep our community clean whenever we can, there will be much less trash overall. Do what you can, when you can. |
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Do The Right Thing | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Script: | (This is NOT a true story. It has been circulating for many years, but is just a story and should not be presented as fact.) A long time ago, there lived a poor farmer in Scotland who was out working his fields when he heard a cry for help. He went to where the plea for help was coming from and found a boy caught and sinking in a bog. He worked his way through the bog and with the aid of a staff was able to free the boy. After doing so, the farmer went back to work in his fields and didn't think anymore about it. The next day, a fine horse-drawn carriage pulled up in front of the farmer's hut. Out of it stepped a well-dressed nobleman who was the father of the boy the farmer had rescued the day before. The grateful father wanted to reward the farmer for rescuing his son. But the farmer, as desperately poor as he was, would not accept money for helping someone in need. The nobleman still wanted to reward the farmer for saving his son and was trying to think of some way to do so when the farmer's own son came to the doorway of the hut. Seeing him, the nobleman then made this proposition to the farmer; let him take the boy and he would educate him. The farmer hesitated at first but then finally agreed. Through the education that the farmer's son received he became a scientist. The boy grew up to be Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin. A number of years after, the nobleman's own son was stricken with pneumonia which was a death sentence before penicillin. The nobleman's son that was saved was Sir Winston Churchill. Each of us, as we live our lives, will have opportunities to help people and will have to make moral decisions like the poor Scottish farmer did. As badly as he needed money, his personal code that he lived by would not allow him to accept money for helping someone else in need. If he would have taken the money, his son would not have received an education and the world would not have penicillin which has saved tens of millions of lives - not to mention the life of Winston Churchill who led England through the darkest days of World War II against Nazi Germany. The Scottish farmer died without ever knowing that one small moral decision he made changed the world and saved millions of lives. As you live your life never underestimate the power of doing the right thing. |
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Doing Silly Tricks | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Notes: | The moral of this story is that while growing up we learn stupid tricks that don't serve us in our current situation. We need to recognize them and let go of them. It teaches the scouts about how our actions are viewed by others. |
| Script: | There was a small bear that lived in the woods with his mother. His mother had taught him to find food: grubs in logs, berries on the bushes, salmon in the stream etc. One day a traveling circus was camped near the woods and they trapped the small bear and took him away in a cage. The trainer taught the bear many tricks. Every time bear properly performed the tricks he was rewarded with treats. The little bear became used to the people and his captive life. One day the trainer accidently left the cage door unlocked and the little bear wandered off. The little bear layed down and slept for the night. When he awoke, the circus was gone. He discovered that he was right back in the woods where he was born and he was hungry. So he stood on his head and waited for food, but nothing came. He tried rolling over, but still nothing. He tried all the tricks he had learned but nothing. The other animals of the forest watched all this with quite some amusement. Finally a squirrel asked him what he was doing. The little bear told the squirrel that he was hungry and was doing tricks for food. The squirrel showed him a berry bush and told him its time to stop doing silly tricks and start taking care of himself. |
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Don't Quit | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low, and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh, When care is pressing you down a bit, Rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is strange with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learns, And many a failure turns about, Into success 'cause we stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow, You may succeed with another blow. Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of the clouds of doubt, And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far. So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, It's when things seem worse that you must not quit. |
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Don't Get Hooked | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Required: | a big fishhook a piece of cloth |
| Script: | (Stick a fish hook in a piece of cloth and show how difficult it is to back out the way it went in. ) Scouts, it was easy enough to poke this fishhook into the cloth, but you can see how hard it is to back it out. It's just like a bad habit - awful easy to start, but awful hard to stop. Some guys your age have started to smoke, use drugs, drink, and other bad habits. It was easy to start - as easy as it was for me to put the fishhook into the cloth. Across our land millions and millions of smokers have tried to stop smoking and have failed. The same thing is true for drug users. They just couldn't get the hook out. If it's so hard to stop and if so many want to quit, then why start - why get the hook in - in the first place? Some people think it's manly to smoke or use drugs. Take a look around you. Look at who is smoking and ask yourself if you want to be more like him or more like yourself. |
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Donkey in a Well | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | A farmer had a donkey that unfortunately fell into an abandoned well. It brayed and brayed until the farmer heard him and came running over. The well was deep and the farmer couldn't figure out how to hoist the donkey out. Besides, the donkey was getting old and the farmer had other donkeys. And, the well was abandoned and should be covered up anyway, so ... The farmer called his neighbors over with their shovels. They all gathered around and started shoveling dirt onto the donkey, which was still braying away in fear. After awhile, the farmers couldn't hear the donkey any longer. They continued to fill the well with dirt until suddenly the donkey stepped up and out of the well! As the farmers shoveled dirt onto the back of the donkey, he would shake it off and step up onto the new dirt until the dirt lifted him out. You will get dirt shoveled on you in your life - lots of dirt, all kinds of dirt. When you feel like you're stuck in a well, just shake all that dirt off and take a step up. If someone says you can't do something, shake it off and step on it. If you do poorly, shake it off, step on it, and try again. When you stop trying, that's when the dirt will bury you. So, shake it off, step up, and never give up. |
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Drafting and Leading | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | I'm going to mention a few things that all have something in common. When you think you know what that common theme is, raise your hand. - a marathon - interstate truckers - a bike race - a flock of geese - a NASCAR race Each of these use 'drafting' to decrease the effort required to achieve a goal. Trucks, cars, bikes, runners all benefit from following closely behind someone else that is cutting through the wind resistance. In a road bicycle race, the lead rider in a pack uses over 30% more effort than those behind him. Truckers draft to conserve fuel and increase profits. The downside is that the lead rider gets tired before the rest. If they continue to follow him, the entire group slows down. To keep up the speed, the leader falls off the point when he tires and the next in line takes over with a reserve of power to keep up the speed. The followers need to trust the leader to lead in the right direction. They also need to recognize when he is getting tired and step up to take the lead. Your Patrol Leaders serve for 6 months at a time. While they are leading, the rest of you get to draft along not expending as much energy while they are working hard. We rotate new, fresh, energized leaders to the point position often so we keep up speed and the troop keeps going. We don't want to slow down to a crawl because no one else would take the lead. Get ready for your next turn at point so you keep the group rolling along. |
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Dynamite - I Can Stop Anytime | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Required: | 7 red road flares 1 foot of fireworks fuse duct tape or electicians tape |
| Preparation: | sand off the labels from the flares. tape the end of the fuse to one flare about 3 inches down the side. put that flare in the center of the flares and wrap in a bundle with tape so it looks like a bundle of dynamite and where the fuse ends is not visible. |
| Notes: | [The idea of this scenario is to startle the scouts by doing something really stupid so you'd better have a super trust relationship in place before doing this.] Always wear a heavy glove and keep the hot end pointed away. When the fuse reaches the end, it burns out. |
| Script: | I wouldn't do this inside any building. Pass the 'dynamite' around carefully for each scout to hold. Offer to cut a little piece of the fuse off and light it so that they can see it. Let the discussion run its course - the scouts should be full of comments. After a few minutes, make some comment about thinking that you can pinch out the fuse if it's lit, and then light the fuse. As the fuse moves closer to the 'dynamite', say things like 'no, its ok! I can stop it anytime!' After the fuse burns out, call them back and tell them about the flares. Then explain how the dynamite is like a lot of things in life: exciting, but unpredictable. Discuss how it could be compared to drugs, alcohol, gangs, ... |
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Eagle and the Prairie Chicken | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Notes: | The moral of the story is that you should stretch your boundaries and try new things rather than listening to the limitations that others have put on themselves. |
| Script: | There once was an indian brave that was walking down the trail when he discovered an eagles egg had fallen out of it's nest. He looked up and saw that the nest was too high for him to return the egg. So he placed the egg in a nearby prairie chicken nest. When the egg hatched, the little eagle thought he was a prairie chicken. Prairie chickens stay on the ground and eat only worms and grubs. So, as the eagle grew, he ate nothing but worms and grubs and walked around with the other prairie chickens. One day, he looked up in the sky and saw some eagles soaring high above. He asked one of the prairie chickens, "How can they fly up there while we are down here eating worms and grubs?" The prairie chicken answered, "They are the eagles, they can do that but we must stay down here. We are prairie chickens and that is what we do." So, the eagle spent the rest of his life flying very little and eating worms and grubs just because he was told that was all he could do. |
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Elephant Chains | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | At a circus, as a boy, I saw that a baby elephant was chained close to its mother with a metal ring around its ankle and a very heavy chain to a pole. The mother, though, had only a rope from her ankle to a pole. I wondered why they were tied up so differently. I was told that the older elephants learned long ago as babies that they can not break free so they no longer try, even though the flimsy rope would be simple to break now. The baby doesn't know that yet so it needs to be chained securely. Over time, the baby will give up and stop trying. If you find that you fail to do something, don't assume you'll never be able to do it. Try it again tomorrow or next week. Don't be held back any imaginary chains that stopped you when you were little, but you can now easily break. |
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Everybody's Canoe | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | A young Indian was busy carving a canoe out of a log. As he worked, members of the tribe passed by. Everybody had a piece of advice to offer the young man. "I think you are making your canoe too wide," one of them said. The young brave, wishing to show respect for the advice of an elder, narrowed down the canoe. A little later, a warrior stopped by. "I'm afraid you are cutting the stern too full," he said. Again, the young brave listened to his elder and cut down the stern. Yet another adult stopped, watched awhile, then said, "The bow is too sheer." The young brave accepted this advice as well and changed the line of the bow. Finally the canoe was complete and the young brave launched it. As soon as it hit the water, it capsized. Laboriously he hauled it back onto the beach. Then he found another log and started all over. Soon, a member of his tribe stopped by to offer some advice, but this time the young brave was ready. "See that canoe over there?" he asked, pointing to the useless craft on the beach. "That is everybody's canoe." Then he nodded at the work in progress. "This one," he said, "This is MY canoe!" |
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Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | This is a story about four people named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Somebody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done. |
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Everyone is Significant | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | One day in a high school Economics class, our teacher handed out a 10 question quiz. All the questions were true/false or multiple choice questions so it was a pretty easy quiz. The last question was: 'Choose the first name of the person that cleans the school.' with 5 names listed. I had seen the janitor in the halls often. I figure he was about 60, probably 5ft. 9in., and wore glasses. Other than that, I didn't know anything about him, let alone his first name. So, when I turned in my quiz, I asked the teacher if the last question was just a joke or what? He said the question was worth 10% of the quiz. I and a few other students voiced our opinion that it wasn't a fair question - how are we supposed to know the guy's name? The teacher replied that in whatever careers we choose we will meet many, many people. Every one of them is significant. Each deserves your attention and care, no matter their position or how it benefits you. Even if it is just smiling and saying 'Hi' in passing. Recognizing someone's existence and worth as a fellow human is an important lesson to learn. |
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Failing | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Script: | Although you may not remember, you've failed many times in your life. Guess what happened the first time you tried to stand? Do you think you caught the first ball thrown to you? How about your first time on a bicycle? This "failing" is called "learning". We aren't experts the first time we try something. We have to fail a bit and get better as we develop skills. Did you know Babe Ruth struck out something like 1,330 time? But, he hit over 700 home runs. If he had stopped playing baseball because he struck out so much, where would he have been? Don't worry about failing when you try new things. Worry more about the opportunities you miss if you are afraid of failing. |
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Filling My Jar | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Required: | a glass jar some rocks pebbles sand water or for more fun, use doughnut holes, M&Ms, sugar, and milk |
| Preparation: | Before doing this, make sure you have enough rocks, pebbles, sand, and water that will fit in the jar. Put pebbles, sand, and water into separate cans so the contents can not be seen. |
| Notes: | This was WAY fun to do with doughnut holes. I don't know if the scouts got the point, but they loved watching. |
| Script: | There is only so much a person can do. I have a real job (put rock in jar). I teach a Sunday School class (add a rock). I volunteer at school (add a rock) I run to stay in shape (add a rock) ... continue listing other main things you do. So, there, I'm full. I can't do anything else, even if someone asked. I expect most of you are the same way. You are so busy, you can't possibly take on anything else. Your jar is full like mine. But, maybe if its not too big, I can do it. Like drive for a weekend campout, or arrange a fundraiser, or help at church one week, or plan a service project, or organize a parent's picnic. (add pebbles to the jar as you list the activities. Shake the jar to settle them until it is full.) Wow, I guess I could do a little more than I thought. But, now, that's it, really. I couldn't possibly do more. Just like you, I'm doing too much now. Well, maybe if its just a small thing, I could. Like shoveling my neighbor's walk, or leading a game at a meeting, or helping someone with schoolwork, or cleaning the church for an hour. (pour the sand in as you list the items. Shake to settle). Huh! Well, what do you know. Looks like I could do a bit more than I thought. I guess I just needed to make the time. As you can see, my jar is definitely full. I did more than I thought I could and I'm really able to accomplish a lot. No way could I fit anything else in. But, now I don't have time for just relaxing. How can I just have fun? There's no room left. (Pour water in as you list things). I want to watch TV, play video games, see a movie, play football, ... So, what does this mean? It seems I can do much more than I thought and I still have a little time to play. The point is that you need to get the big rocks - the important things - scheduled into your life first. Decide what is most important to you and make time for it. Then, fill in your time with other worthwhile, meaningful activities. That time left over is your relaxing time. Be careful not to fill your life with the little things first or there won't be room for the big, important things. |
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Finish the Story | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | Once upon a time, a man lived in a small town where there was no Boy Scout organization. It was a very small town. This man had a son who did well in school but was pretty shy. One day, when the boy was just starting 6th grade, the man got a job in another town - it happened to be our town right here. So, his family moved and found a nice house in the neighborhood right next to where our troop meets. Not long after they moved in, this boy saw our troop outside playing a game during one of our meetings. He watched from his backyard, being the shy kind of kid he was. But, he wasn't dumb. He found out when our next meeting would be and just happened to be sitting on the curb out by the front door before our meeting. And, there he sat, bouncing a ball and waiting. Then, a car pulled up and a scout got out, heading to our meeting. That Scout was you. And, you'll have to finish the story in your head. Is that boy still sitting out there or not? And, one other thing to think about - that boy may not be sitting on the curb out front. He might be sitting in the desk behind you at school or in the seat ahead of you on the bus or playing the trumpet next to you in band. |
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Finish Your Task - a true story | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Script: | Way back in the 1968 Olympics, Bob Beamon set a longjump record that many thought would never be broken, but eventually it was. A young boxer named George Foremen won a gold medal and paraded around the ring with an American flag, instilling pride in many Americans. But, one athlete named John Stephen Akhwari from Tanzania, a marathon runner, probably made the longest lasting impression on people during those Olympics. While he was running his race, he stumbled and fell, severely injuring his knee and ankle. After receiving first aid, he did what no one expected and he got back in the race. Long after everyone else had finished and left, he limped into the near empty stadium to the cheers of a small crowd that was still there and he finished his final lap. When asked why he continued the race after he was so badly hurt with no chance to win he replied: "My country did not send me 7,000 miles to begin a race - they sent me to finish the race". Do each of you accept responsibility to finish a task when you start one or do you take the easy way out when the going gets tough? Do you keep your promises when you make them, even the ones you make to yourself? A man who doesn't keep his word will not be respected and will not be trusted. What kind of man does each of you want to be remembered as? |
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First Step | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Notes: | Need 4 scouts to help. |
| Script: | (Tell 4 scouts that you will be calling on them and all they need to do is take one big step forward when their name is called.) Billy, what would you do to start out on a hike? (Billy takes one step forward.) Bobby, how would you start doing a Good Turn? (Bobby takes one step forward.) Barry, how would you get a camping trip going? (Barry takes one step forward.) Ben, what's the first thing you'd do to reach First Class? (Ben takes one step forward.) Yep, it's as simple as that - whether you want to run a marathon, climb a mountain, learn a trade, build a bridge, make a website, design a solar sail, or travel to jupiter, its all the same. To accomplish anything, there is always a first step, and it is the most difficult one to take. If you're going to progress in Scouting or in Life, you must get started with that first step. |
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Flags | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts, Webelos Scouts |
| Script: | Who can tell me what day falls on June 14th? That's right it's Flag Day. Another question, why do we celebrate Flag Day on June 14th? Because it was on that day in 1777 that our nation got its first official US Flag. The Continental Congress which made the laws in those days, specified that the flag would have 13 stripes, alternating red and white, and 13 white stars on a blue field. Our flag was born very soon after we became an independent nation, and millions of people have fought for the flag as our symbol of freedom. That's why I hope your family owns a US Flag, and you will fly it proudly on Flag Day and on the other appropriate days through the year. In that way, we can show our pride as Americans and our determination to live as free men. In a similar show of pride, each patrol should have and display their patrol flag at our troop functions. A patrol flag shows unity and organization. If your patrol does not have a patrol flag, there's a fun project for your patrol to do this month. |
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Flea Training | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | I'm sure you've heard of a flea circus. That's where tiny little fleas are trained to perform amazing tricks. But they're too small to really see, so its kind of silly. But, people do supposedly catch fleas and train them. And, those people have observed a strange habit of fleas while training them. Fleas can jump extremely high (that's how they get from animal to animal) so when a flea is caught, it is put in a jar. Without a lid, its simple for the flea to escape by just popping right out of the jar. So, the flea trainer quickly puts a lid on the jar. When the flea jumps, BANG, it hits the lid and falls down. Over and over, the flea will jump and BANG hit the lid. Until, after some time, you can see that the flea is jumping just almost to the lid, but not quite. He jumps and jumps, not quite hitting the top, but jumping as high as he can. Now, that seems like a pretty smart flea to me. But, what's strange is to see what happens when you take the lid off. The flea continues to jump just almost to where the lid was. It won't jump any higher. The flea hit a limit to what it could do. He decided that he could not go any higher and then never tried to improve. Even though the limit was gone, he was stuck in a rut - doing just what he always did and not challenging himself. If you find that you can't do something today, don't assume you will never be able to do it. Try it again tomorrow or next week. You might hit the lid occasionally but you won't be held back any imaginary limits that you outgrow. |
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Frappings of Life | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Required: | 2 poles 1 rope for lashing a senior scout and a new scout |
| Preparation: | Tell the senior scout that you are going to ask him to use a square lashing to hold to poles together so he is prepared. |
| Script: | I've asked [Eagle] and [Tenderfoot] to help me out for a minute. [Eagle] would you please start a square lashing on these poles? Now, those wrappings look very good to me. They hold the poles close together and lay them out in the right shape. I'm sure they'll hold the poles together just fine. But, stop for a second [Eagle]. [Tenderfoot] would you please wiggle those poles and see how tight the lashing is? Hmmm, the sure have a lot of loose play in them - not as good as they could be. [Eagle], go ahead and add the frapping turns. I was satisfied with the wrapping turns, but this extra effort of adding the frapping is making a difference. The entire lashing is getting tighter, stronger, and more secure. [Tenderfoot], now give those poles a wiggle and see how they hold. Not bad! That extra effort made a much better result. Some of the newer scouts may have thought the lashing was done after the wrapping turns and it was 'good enough'. But, whether in lashing or in life, don't forget the Frapping - that little extra effort that makes what you do the best you can make it. |
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Getting Discouraged | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | If you sometimes get discouraged, consider this fellow. Try to figure out who it is as I tell you about him
Despite all this, imagine how many people all over the world have been inspired by this awkward, rumpled, brooding man who signed his name, "A Lincoln" |
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Give or Take | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | We talk about giving and taking in Scouts. On the way to First Class, scouts are mostly taking - learning skills, figuring out how scouting works, becoming a patrol. After First Class, scouts are expected to start giving more - demonstrating leadership, teaching other scouts, serving their community. This isn't just so scouts balance the Give-Take books before they turn 18 and leave the troop. The giving is where the character building happens. People that only take, eat well. But people that give, sleep well. Think about it. |
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Good Samaritan | |
| Intended for: | Boy Scouts |
| Script: | A long time ago, a man was traveling down a road when he was ambushed by thieves. They robbed him and almost beat him to death. As he lay there bleeding, several people passed by him without stopping to help. Then a man who believed in doing Good Turns happened along. Using his own clothing, he made bandages and bound the victim's wounds. Sound like a familiar story? the rescuer was the Good Samaritan. This is a famous story because one man had compassion for a suffering stranger. He had the three things required to help someone - skills, knowledge, and willingness. He had first aid skills. He diagnosed what needed fixing. He cared enough to get involved. In Scouting, you are learning to be a Good Samaritan, too - to care enough to help a person who needs it, to know what to do, and to know how to do it. Part of the Scout Oath - "to help other people at all times." Don't just say it, Live it. |
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Goose Sense | |
| Intended for: | All Scouts |
| Script: | Do you know why gees fly in a V formation? As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in V formation the whole flock greatly increases its flying range by reducing the amount of work each bird needs to do. If 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 ahead of him. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are. People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going more easily because they are traveling on the thrust of one another. When the lead goose in formation gets tired, it rotates back in the V and another goose flies the point. We should each take on the extra work of leading in our turn to benefit the group. Geese honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. They aren't yelling at them - they are encouraging them and trying to help them along because they know they will soon be in that position. If we have the sense of a goose, we will support each other, encourage each other, and lead in our turn. |
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