Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The 13th Scout Law

The BSA Scout Law contains 12 points in which a Scout should practice everyday:
Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Clean
Reverent

Television star and Eagle Scout Mike Rowe disputes that a scout cannot be "clean" and must get dirty to be a scout.
Makes sense coming from someone that has a television show called "Dirty Jobs."
During my Eagle board of review, I was asked about what Law I would add to the Scout Law and my reply was "Observant."
That is still my answer today.
Thinking back at attending a maple syrup making camp last year, Camp Director Neil Walker had asked the scouts to find and bring back a leaf from a sugar maple.
The scouts all ran off into the woods and after searching and area where oak trees were the dominate tree; Neil called them back and said that had they been more observant, they would have noticed that they were standing beneath a sugar maple that was tapped and collection of sap was in progress.
"Thomas Jefferson once said that 'you have to be smart to be lazy,'" said Neil Walker.
I have to agree with Neil, sometimes we forget to observe the little things around us.
We, as a people, tend to make things more difficult than things have to be.
Defining types of trees in the winter can be more difficult unless you know trees by their bark and knowing what the leaf is like in the Spring, Summer, or Fall can make things so much more easier for distinguishing a tree from a birch to beech.
I find that this is a proven fact as trees, by nature, dont' like to walk around much. They are quite happy to stay put.
So in life; add the 13th Scout Law of being "Observant" to your daily routines.
You will see things differently.

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