A Scoutmaster Minute to New Eagle Scouts
- M Joseph Benric
- Jun 3, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Oct 30, 2024
Life, Money and Gratitude # 43 A Scoutmaster Minute to New Eagle Scouts
Here's something a little different but worth sharing, enjoy.
Congratulations!
What you have done is substantial.
I was trying to think, what can I say, what can I share with you that would be meaningful and useful.
I came up with Four things:
Two things inspired by the scouts
One from Mike Rowe from dirty jobs
And my own humble suggestion
At the Scoutmaster Conference I typically ask What Would
You add to the Scout Law? The Scout Law states:
A Scout is
Trustworthy,
Loyal,
Helpful,
Friendly,
Courteous,
Kind,
Obedient,
Cheerful,
Thrifty,
Brave,
Clean
and Reverent
So what would you add to that?
My two Favorite answers are A Scout is Grateful.
And, A Scout is Imaginative.
A Scout is Grateful for the things he already has, not the things he wants but the things he already has.
Sometimes we have to step back and take inventory cause the list is vast.
Here are a few things to be Grateful for:
The air you breath
A comfortable bed
A roof over your head
Running water
Clothes to wear
A beautiful day
Food to eat
A supportive family
Laughter and chatter
The Latest technology
Electricity
Opportunities
Sunshine
Wonderful Connections…
A Scout is Imaginative, he comes up with new ideas and interesting solutions.
Albert Einstein had a great quote,
“Imagination is Everything, it is the Preview to Life’s coming Attractions.”
Let me repeat that, you gotta let that sink in.
“Imagination - is - Everything, - it - is - the - Preview - to - Life’s - coming Attractions.”
Think about how amazing that is.
God gave you your imagination, he didn’t give it to anyone else, if your imagination is a preview to a coming attraction in your life then you can make it into reality. Otherwise, the idea would never have come to you in the first place.
Everything that is, was once imagined:
Baden Powel had an idea for an organization that would teach character and self-reliance, the Boy Scouts was born and over 100 years later here we sit.
The Wright Brothers, a couple of bicycle mechanics and their friends, with no formal training, design and build the first motorized flying machine, every one of us has been on a plane.
Steve Jobs envisions a device that can be a phone, a camera, an mp3 player, a calendar, a map and in 2007 the first iPhone comes to market. How many ideas, inventions and advancements have come from the smart phone?
So, I ask you, What’s in your Imagination?
The third item is an excerpt from Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs, from a letter he sent to an Eagle Scout:
Contrary to what many have told you, this award will NOT change the way people look at you. I’m sorry, but it’s true. We now live in a world where everyone seems to get some sort of a trophy, and the majority of Americans simply have no idea how difficult or special your accomplishment truly is. But that’s not a fact worth bemoaning.
Because the truth is, The Eagle Scout Award comes with no magic power or influence. It’s simply a recognition of what you’ve accomplished so far. And while it’s true that many Eagle Scouts have gone on to do great things in life, it’s also true that many others have not.
I know a guy who got his Eagle a couple years before me. His chest literally puffed up and never returned to its normal size. His dad got him into a decent school, and when he finally graduated, he showed off his diploma like it was his first merit badge.
Today, he is a miserable, pompous, pain in the butt with no friends, two ex-wives, and a job he hates. He still has a college football trophy on his mantle, next to his diploma, and an identical copy of that same form letter from Gerald Ford, congratulating him for something he did 35 years ago.
Do me a favor,
Don’t be that guy.
Don’t wait for the world to acknowledge your accomplishments.
When you’re finished with Scouting, donate your uniform to The Salvation Army. In a few years, it’s not gonna fit anyway. Fold up your sash and stow it away somewhere private, along with all the other tokens of what you’ve done so far.
Then, roll up your sleeves, get out in the world, and put what you’ve learned to use.
Live the Scout Law. Remember the Scout Oath. And remember, a Scout is Clean but not afraid to get dirty.
Mike Rowe
Here is my final tidbit, it’s a suggestion that I have for you.
In 1989, I was filling out my Eagle Scout Paperwork and answered a few questions similar to the questions all of you had,
Where do you see yourself in the future?
Where will you be ?
What will you be doing?
How will you serve others?
I answered those questions then handed in my paperwork and forgot about what I had written down. But not really.
Twenty-eight years later, our former Scoutmaster, found a bunch of Eagle Scout Projects in a box and scanned them onto the website. I had not thought about my project or what I had written since 1989.
I read my answers to the questions:
Where will I be? What will I be doing? How will I be serving others?
And Guess What?
Everything I wrote down came true. It sounds a little crazy but that is the power of writing things down.
My suggestion to you is, Define what you want as clearly as possible and Write it down, whatever is in your imagination, your ideas, your thoughts, your dreams, and your goals write it down.
If you really want to show some faith, after you’ve written what you want down, fold the paper in half and write Thank You on it and put it away. Wait 28 years before you look at it again. See what happens.
To close this out, I want you to Enjoy the Day, You’ve earned it.
Tomorrow, get up, get out of bed, and Give Thanks.
Then get out there on your Sacred Honor and do your best to do your duty to God and your country, obey the Scout Law, help other people at all times, keep yourself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.
Be prepared for anything, and willing to do the hard things.
It’s been a pleasure talking to you.
Congratulations and God Bless You.
Until next time, be well.
M. Joseph Benric is the author of Graduation Gift , A Step-By-Step Guide to Financial Literacy for Young Adults
If you're trying to be a positive influence in a young person's life try gifting a copy, and helping them on their journey to financial success.
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