Scoutmaster Minute -- 21 November 2023

As the old saying goes, the grass is always greener on the other side. This saying goes back to the First Century BC and the Roman poet Ovid who said, "the harvest is always richer in another man's field." The saying speaks to the perspective of someone who is not happy with his possessions and covets what another has, when in fact he should be content as others are envious of what he has.

I must wonder if this was the perspective of the Pilgrims when a harsh winter resulted in the death of half of the Plymouth settlement. Did they think that they were better off staying in England, facing persecution for their beliefs? Yet, after picking up the pieces and with the help of the Patuxet Indian Tisquantum and the Wampanoag chief Massasoit, the Pilgrims accepted food donations and planted crops from Indian-donated seeds. This harvest in 1621 yielded well, and the Pilgrims celebrated with a feast. This feast, shared with the Wampanoag tribe, was a time of giving thanks – a 'thanksgiving dinner' that lasted three days.

It is easy to get caught up in wondering if the grass is greener on the other side. Particularly with technology, the phone or game system we just had to have a year or two ago seems so antiquated when the new one comes out and we can't stop thinking about how much we can't live without it. Yet, most of the rest of the world would be ecstatic to have what we have, and therefore we should temper our wants accordingly.

This is the season that we focus on being thankful and praising God for our many blessings. I challenge you to look beyond the season and give thanks throughout the year because when we take pause to inventory what we have we often find that our needs are much less than our desires.

A Scout is Reverent.

Scoutmaster Minute -- 14 November 2023

I would like to draw your attention to a passage from the novel "Our Mutual Friend," the last completed work of Charles Dickens. In the book he writes, "No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else." Sometimes it is easy to feel insignificant, particularly when starting a new school or a new job and people walk past you without a smile or any form of acknowledgement. Considering the life of Charles Dickens, one can see this. His father was thrown in debtor's prison when he was 12 years old, necessitating Charles to drop out of school and start work in a factory working ten hours a day. I imagine the despair of young Charles, thinking that his aspirations are cut short by the need to drop from school to support his family. Maybe he thought that it was the end of his potential, and he would need to spend a lifetime toiling to make a living doing tasks that brought him no joy or fulfillment. Fortunately, his father received some inheritance three years later, buying his release from debtor's prison and allowing Charles to go back to school where he went on to develop the foundation to become one of the most well known and influential writers in the world. This experience, and his interaction with others who had and who had not, influenced the characters in his books.

I can think of a couple of lessons from this. One, Charles Dickens recognized that one's wealth, or lack thereof, does not dictate how much one has to give back to society. Consider that there are some people who are very wealthy that do little or nothing to contribute to others' wellbeing, other than purchase products and employ servants. Two, young Charles did not let the setback of a three-year withdrawal from school keep him from pursuing his dream and realizing his potential. Our past forms our thinking but does not have to dictate our future.

In closing, consider the words of Scouting's founder, Lord Baden-Powell, who said, "Nobody is too small to do a good turn, even if it is only to smile." I submit that your worth to society is not what you have, but what you give.

A Scout is Helpful.

Scoutmaster Minute, 7 November 2023

It is so precious, yet its cost varies wildly, and sometimes is nothing. It is time. Your parents may be paid for their time, and that is the income that sustains your family. All of us want free time -- time to focus on the things we love and enjoy. Some people just want our time, or time with us. Often this is the case of our older relatives, who have a wiser outlook on time spent and time left. This weekend we spent our time in service, namely Scouting for Food. The service we provided helped enable life-sustaining food to get to the needy. Without that time, and the time of many others, we would not have been able to accomplish what we did. Thank you for taking time out of your busy weekend to help those in need.

A Scout is Helpful.