Scoutmaster Minute -- 31 January 2023

As we all know, the groundhog is the official weather forecaster of our time. But let's be honest, this guy is not exactly a meteorologist, he's just a burrowing rodent with a knack for seeing his shadow. But hey, who are we to judge? We've all had our share of bad hair days, right?

But despite the groundhog's questionable credentials, we still trust him with the fate of the weather. And that's because the groundhog is the ultimate example of perseverance. He may not always get it right, but he never gives up. He keeps coming back year after year, just like the scouts among us, always ready for adventure and prepared for any situation.

But let's not forget that the groundhog is also a master of preparation. As he hibernates for the winter, he is getting ready for the big day, stocking up on food, and getting his burrow just right. He knows that when February 2nd comes around, he needs to be ready to make his appearance, just as scouts must always be ready for any situation that comes their way.

So, as we wait for our furry friend to make his appearance, let's remember the important lessons of Groundhog Day and how they relate to the Scout Law. The Scout Law teaches us to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. By following the Scout Law, we can learn from the groundhog to always be ready for anything, to never give up, and to be resilient in the face of challenges.

In addition, groundhog day also reminds us the importance of being resilient. Sometimes, life throws curveballs our way, just like the groundhog who may or may not see his shadow. But we must always be ready to adapt and keep going, just as the Scout Law teaches us to be brave and cheerful.

So, today, let us celebrate Groundhog Day and the lessons it teaches us. Let us continue to strive for excellence in all that we do, just as the groundhog emerges from its burrow year after year. And let us always remember the Scout Law and strive to live by its teachings.

Scoutmaster Minute -- 24 January 2023

It is always neat to see my cat kneading a place to lay down.  It looks like he is kneading dough.  This is a common action of cats, it is ingrained in their DNA.  Similarly, some other animals do things naturally.  Consider birds that fly south during the winter or salmon who swim several thousand miles back to their places of birth to spawn.  Even relatively small-brained insects pass on memory -- think of the Monarch butterflies who migrate back to Michoacan, Mexico; Florida; and Southern California in the cold months.  We humans do not tend to have as much natural tendencies.  Where some mammals are up in walking the same day they are born, humans sometimes take more than a year to learn to walk.  Yet, our big brains do develop and we learn speech and other skills.  Our brains have allowed us to make up for lack of fur, claws, fangs, and speed to develop clothing, weapons and forks and knives, and vehicles.  Our brainpower has allowed us to domesticate other animals to serve us -- except in the case of my cat, who is convinced that I exist to do his bidding.

Our big brains do not work unless we exercise them.  We must use it in conjunction with our ears and listen.  We must use it with our fingers and take notes.  We must use it with our eyes and read.  We must use it with our mouths to ask questions to clear up misunderstandings.  Lastly, we must engage our brain and exercise judgement.  Among other things, this allows us to survive in the elements where our furless bodies are ill equipped.  

We are in the season of winter camping.  This is the time where unpreparedness can have disastrous consequences.  We have wisdom of thousands of years of humankind passed down and distilled into a packing list, yet this does us no good if we do not read it and/or exercise proper judgement to follow it.  With that big brain, let us use judgement so we can Be Prepared.

I will keep myself mentally strong.

Scoutmaster Minute -- 16 January 2023

Civil Rights pioneer, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on 15 January 1929.  Every year we celebrate his birthday as a federal holiday on a Monday in January. You may not know, but Dr. King was also a Boy Scout.  We do not have complete records, but we know from Atlanta Area Council recharter documents that at least from age 11 to 13, Dr. King was a registered Scout in Troop 151 in Atlanta, chartered by Ebenezer Baptist Church where his father, Rev. Martin Luther King, Sr. was the pastor and Chartering Organization Representative.  Later in life, Dr. King would go on to pastor the same church.  Interesting fact, at age 15, Dr. King graduated high school early and was accepted into Morehouse College.  As I think of Dr. King's life and the Scout Law, the point that stands out most is "A Scout is Brave."  Consider the following statement from Dr. King in 1962, "People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don't know each other; they don't know each other because they have not communicated with each other."  Dr. King sought to correct racial injustice, and his impact on our society was because he had the courage to stand up and make himself heard.

A Scout is Brave

Scoutmaster Minute -- 10 January 2023

This weekend, I was under the weather.  It was the kind of 'under the weather' that meant that I had little energy or strength and just needed to lay in bed and rest.  It was during this time that I remembered how nice it is to benefit from the kindness of others.  My wife brought me hot food and hydrating beverages.  My son volunteered to go to the grocery store to get the items I needed to buffer the symptoms and get better.  It is truly a blessing to have people who care for you.  This reminds me of the saying 'if you can be nothing else, be kind.'  When you see someone struggling, remember that the last thing that person needs is someone to dog-pile on more misery.  Show compassion, and when you are able, put action behind your kindness and do what you can to reduce the pain and suffering of others.

A Scout is Kind.

Scoutmaster Minute, 3 January 2023

Recently, a disgruntled Twitter employee leveraged the social media platform she worked for to express her discontent with its new chief executive officer.  As you may suspect, the company terminated her employment.  Yes, she has the freedom of speech guaranteed by the First Amendment to our Constitution, but her employer also has the freedom to choose who it employs.  Over and over I see this.  During the last week I have seen it twice on Facebook, with one instance the Facebook friend hash-tagging his employer after delivering a scathing opinion.  It is an extremely bold move, and one that an individual must be prepared to live with the repercussions -- not just with the current employer but also with future employers.  Yes, the Internet is forever.  When you put something on social media, you must be prepared for it to be dug up and potentially used to cast judgment on your work ethic, values, and suitability for employment and/or access to sensitive information.  This extends to "keyboard warriors" who think they have anonymity when posting vile and combative language on chat forums, but occasionally they are exposed to show who they really are.  Let me repeat, the Internet is forever.  Keep your input to the world-wide web clean.  A good rule of thumb is to not post anything you would not want your grandma to read or you would want posted on the front page of the Washington Post.  This will ensure that you do not type your way out of a job, scholarship, relationship or other opportunity.

A Scout is Clean.