PLAY! Play a card game, play outside, play a musical instrument, play hide and go seek. I want you to remember how important it is to play. The more you advance in your education and eventual career path, play happens less and less over time.
It's easy to get bogged down in the day to day responsibilities of life. There are calendars with appointments, meetings, PowerPoint decks, paperwork, studying, etc that need to get done.
It's important to be silly, laugh, and have fun. It helps you destress, improves brain function, and boost creativity. It's lifts the spirit and your mood.
Embrace the opportunity to play.
A scout is Cheerful.
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Scoutmaster Minute, 22 October 2024
This weekend I was in line at a fast-food restaurant. The man in front of me gruffly barked out his order. No good afternoon. No please. No thank you. Absolutely no niceties at all. It was both brutally efficient and glaringly rude. It made me wonder about the effect on the worker behind the counter; I imagine getting treated like that is demoralizing after a while. Some people are extremely callous to food industry workers, and I submit that you can make some fairly accurate inferences about someone's character in the way he or she treats wait staff.
It takes so little effort to be courteous. The cost of a smile, a thank you or a helping hand with a door is nominal, yet the return on investment is often incredibly high. That pick-me-up may make all the difference in the life of the receiving individual that day.
As humans, we seldom do well alone without the support of society. Kind words and actions are the hallmarks of the best of humanity. It is the support and comfort of being around others with shared interests, hopes and dreams that give rise to families and communities. Do your best to make a positive impact on society in the way you interact with others.
A Scout is Helpful, Friendly, Courteous and Kind.
It takes so little effort to be courteous. The cost of a smile, a thank you or a helping hand with a door is nominal, yet the return on investment is often incredibly high. That pick-me-up may make all the difference in the life of the receiving individual that day.
As humans, we seldom do well alone without the support of society. Kind words and actions are the hallmarks of the best of humanity. It is the support and comfort of being around others with shared interests, hopes and dreams that give rise to families and communities. Do your best to make a positive impact on society in the way you interact with others.
A Scout is Helpful, Friendly, Courteous and Kind.
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Scoutmaster Minute — October 15, 2024
I was teaching my youngest Isaac the other day how to tie a bowline knot. It was one of the requirements for his Weblos adventure. As I was teaching him how to tie the bowline knot he was struggling with first learning how to tie the knot.
Like with most new skills it takes practice to learn how to do them. As I was encouraging him and guiding him he said to me "Why are you such a perfectionist?"
Sensing the exasperation in his voice I turned to him and said. I'm not a perfectionist. I am giving it all of my best effort. When you do something you need to give it your full and best effort.
You will get flabbergasted and frustrated just as Isaac did when you are learning a new skill, school work, extra curricular activities, etc. Use your resources and ask for help. Often times stepping out of your comfort zone requires assistance. Ask for help. Doing your best doesn't mean you have to do it by yourself. Asking for help is brave. We all need help along way.
The next time your find yourself struggling, flabbergasted, or frustrated, ask for help.
A scout is brave.
Like with most new skills it takes practice to learn how to do them. As I was encouraging him and guiding him he said to me "Why are you such a perfectionist?"
Sensing the exasperation in his voice I turned to him and said. I'm not a perfectionist. I am giving it all of my best effort. When you do something you need to give it your full and best effort.
You will get flabbergasted and frustrated just as Isaac did when you are learning a new skill, school work, extra curricular activities, etc. Use your resources and ask for help. Often times stepping out of your comfort zone requires assistance. Ask for help. Doing your best doesn't mean you have to do it by yourself. Asking for help is brave. We all need help along way.
The next time your find yourself struggling, flabbergasted, or frustrated, ask for help.
A scout is brave.
Tuesday, October 8, 2024
Scoutmaster Minute, 8 October 2024
We have all heard – 'The truth will set you free.' This is a translation of the Christian Bible's Book of John, Chapter 8 Verse 32. Its use has been co-opted by many universities in their mottos, referring to truth as knowledge of fact. Others use the saying purely to say that telling the truth and living truthfully will free one's consciousness.
Let us consider those connotations and let us reword as 'Lying will imprison you.' A lie will wrack you with guilt. A lie will cause you distress from having to remember and recall the falsehood, sometimes carefully crafting other lies to cover up for the first lie. Often, when the truth comes out as it most often does, the pain of deception is so much greater than the injury of the initial truth.
I think it is no accident that Trustworthy is the first point in the Scout Law. Trust is the basis of everything good. Let us endeavor to tell the truth always, so others can place their trust in us.
A Scout is Trustworthy.
Let us consider those connotations and let us reword as 'Lying will imprison you.' A lie will wrack you with guilt. A lie will cause you distress from having to remember and recall the falsehood, sometimes carefully crafting other lies to cover up for the first lie. Often, when the truth comes out as it most often does, the pain of deception is so much greater than the injury of the initial truth.
I think it is no accident that Trustworthy is the first point in the Scout Law. Trust is the basis of everything good. Let us endeavor to tell the truth always, so others can place their trust in us.
A Scout is Trustworthy.
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Scoutmaster Minute -- 1 October 2024
We are very capable creatures, yet sometimes we are our worst enemy when it comes to getting things done. Deadlines loom, projects need completing, and the stress of it all is simply crushing, but procrastination and/or the fear of failing keeps us from reaching our potential. Tonight I leave you with some quotes on 'doing':
"We never fail when we try to do our duty, we always fail when we neglect to do it." – Lord Robert Baden-Powell
"It always seems impossible until it's done." – Nelson Mandela
"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." – Helen Keller
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." – Thomas Edison
"Believe you can and you're halfway there." – Theodore Roosevelt
"Can't never did anything, until he tried." – F. Lee Hayslip
Try your hardest and if your first effort does not connect, 'swing the bat' again until you make contact. When the volume of work seems hard to keep up with, make a checklist and take pleasure in completing a task and filling in a box. Do not let your doubts talk you out of doing you best and being all that you can be.
On my honor, I will do my best…
"We never fail when we try to do our duty, we always fail when we neglect to do it." – Lord Robert Baden-Powell
"It always seems impossible until it's done." – Nelson Mandela
"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence." – Helen Keller
"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." – Thomas Edison
"Believe you can and you're halfway there." – Theodore Roosevelt
"Can't never did anything, until he tried." – F. Lee Hayslip
Try your hardest and if your first effort does not connect, 'swing the bat' again until you make contact. When the volume of work seems hard to keep up with, make a checklist and take pleasure in completing a task and filling in a box. Do not let your doubts talk you out of doing you best and being all that you can be.
On my honor, I will do my best…
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