Scoutmaster's Minute
In scoutmaster conferences I ask scouts, "What does it mean that a scout is brave?" A younger scout may give examples of "hollywood" types of bravery: bravery in the heat of battle or rescuing someone from a burning building. As a scout gets older they talk about more "every day" types of bravery.
I grew up in Jacksonvile Florida and was a member of Troop 430. I thought our troop was the best troop ever. We went on outings every month and we had a lot of fun. Although, there wasn't a lot of advancement past First Class. But after spending time with Troop 407, I have come to realize my old scout troop wasn't as great as I thought. In reality, it was more like "The Lord of the Flies".
A kid named Wynn joined our troop. He was a bit odd. But then again, who isn't. Unfortunately, he caught the attention of Mark and Steve. Mark and Steve figured it was their mission to make Wynn's life miserable. They were relentless and put a lot of effort into Wynn's constant torment. I knew what they were doing was wrong, but I was not brave. I said and did nothing.
Here in Troop 407 a scout may say or do something inappropriate. They aren't perfect. When that happens another scout, usually an older one, will simply say, "Don't do that. That's not cool." And that's usually the end of it. It's so easy.
What kept me from saying anything? Was I afraid I'd lose the friendship of Mark & Steve? Well, who needs friends like Mark & Steve. Was I afraid they'd direct their torment at me? No, I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have happened. It would have been so easy for me to make Wynn's scouting experience infinitely better. But I said and did nothing.
The culture here in Troop 407 is drastically different from the culture in my old troop. Sure, they make mistakes but Troop 407 scouts seem to have a genuine interest in every scout having a good experience. I'm pretty sure that none of the scouts you see tonight, thirty years from now will be lying awake in the middle of the night thinking, "I should have done something."
A scout is brave.
