When my Cub Scout son was told to write up his first attempt at cooking French toast, here was his report:
1. Get together bowl, fork, frying pan, two eggs, milk, six pieces of bread;
2. Wash your hands;
3. Break two eggs into bowl;
4. Pick out pieces of shell;
5. Wash your hands;
6. Add milk, stir gently with fork;
7. Wipe up what spilled on table;
8. Wash your hands;
9. Grease frying pan, turn on medium fire;
10. Dip bread into egg mixture, put in pan;
11. Wipe up what dripped on stove and floor;
12. Wash your hands;
13. Turn toast over, cook other side, serve;
14. Change your shirt because you wiped your hands on it.
Mrs. John Blower, Cub Scout Parent, Clinton. Conn. U.S.A.
I don't know what got into me
I sprayed a fly with DDT.
It fell, and there beside the road
'Twas swallowed by a tiny toad.
A hognose snake came flowing by
And ate the toad, and from the sky
A hawk swooped down and snatched the snake
But dropped it writhing, in the lake
Where naturally a pickerel lay
And put the writhing snake away.
I caught the pickerel in the pond--
A fish of which I'm very fond
And baked it, as I now recall,
And ate it, DDT and all.
I don't know what got into me--
Just some more darned DDT.
Anon.
Allow Us Oh Lord:
To have the time to work
which is the price of success.
To have the time to think
which is the fountain of power.
To have the time to plan
which is the secret of perpetual youth.
To have the time to read
which is the fountain of eternal wisdom.
Allow Us Oh Lord:
To have the time for friendship
which is the road to happiness.
To have the time to dream
which is to drive our carriage to the star.
To have the time to love and to be loved
which is a privilege of the gods.
To have the time to look around us
the day is too short to be selfish.
To have the time to laugh
which is the music of the soul.
from BULLETIN, Interamerican Scout Committee World Scout Bureau.
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the rain fall soft upon your fields,
And may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.
This North American Indian legend might be a good campfire tale for Cubs. Beavers will enjoy it, too, and you can talk about how it relates to their motto.
Long ago, the people had no fire and no light. They suffered and shivered during the cold of winter and had to eat their food uncooked. Even worse, they lived in darkness all the time.
There was no sun or moon or stars in the sky. A great chief kept them locked up in boxes and took great pride in the thought that he alone had light.
The great chief had a beautiful daughter and was very proud of her, too. All the people loved her.
Now, in those days, Raven had magic powers. He was a great friend of the people and the chief. He wondered how he might make their life more comfortable. One day, he saw the chief's daughter come down to the stream for a drink. He had an idea. He put a magic spell on her and, in time, she had a son.
The old chief was delighted and, as the boy grew, his grandfather became devoted to him. He gave his grandson anything he wanted.
One day, the child asked the old chief for the box containing the stars. Although he didn't like the idea, the chief could not deny his grandson. He gave him the box.
The child played with the box for awhile, tossing it and rolling it around. Then, he opened it, released the stars, and flung them into the sky. The people were happy. Now they had a little light, although it still wasn't much.
After a few days, the child asked the old chief for the box that held the moon. Again the old chief hesitated, but again the boy got what he wanted. And, as before, he played with the box awhile, then opened it, released the moon, and flung it into the sky. The people were very happy to have even more light. Still, it was not a lot, and the moon disappeared for long periods of time.
Finally, one day the child asked his grandfather for the box that held the sun. "No," the chief said. "I cannot give you that." But the boy wept and pleaded, and the old chief could not stand his tears. He gave his grandson the box. This time, the boy didn't even play with it first. As soon as he could, he released the sun and cast it into the sky.
The people were overjoyed. Now they had plenty of light and heat, too. They ordered a feast of the sun, and all the people celebrated with great jubilation.
Even the old chief was happy. He had not known that the sun, the moon, and the stars could mean so much to the comfort and happiness of his people. And, for the first time, he thoroughly enjoyed himself, too.
Dear God, We thank you for stars and moon at night, And for
pleasant morning light;
For rest and food and loving care,
And sun that makes the day so fair.
"There is no pleasure that comes near to that of preparing your own meal over your little fire of wood embers at the end of the day, and no scent like the smell of that fire. There is no view like that from your lair on the woodland hillside. And there is no sleep like that in the open with a warm blanket or a good thickness of paper beneath you.
words of B.-P.
(These excerpts come from the American Coast Guard Pamphlet CG-428)
Boat Loading Commandments
Verily I say unto thee...
Spreadeth out the people and things evenly in the little boat for he that spreadeth the load not wisely bringeth much woe unto the Coast Guard and himself.
Wisest is he that keepeth the whole load in his boat as low as possible. Thy first command to thy people in the boat shall be, "SIDDOWN!"
Suffer thee not the fools who would ride on the bow for they are non-believers and are not long for this world.
Regard not the number of seats in thy boat for oft they mislead and may bring thee to the sin of overloading.
Commit thou to memory these words...
for they shall bringeth thee comfort and keep thee from
committing a boating "no-no"!
Once upon a time a great king had a heavy throne. He also had a little boat. He liked to go out in his boat sitting on his throne. One day, while he enjoyed the boat and the water, a sudden breeze sprang up and rocked the boat. The heavy throne slid to one side of the boat.
The little boat tipped over, causing the king to lose a lot of things, not the least of which was his dignity.
MORAL: People with small boats shouldn't stow thrones!
He that planteth a tree
is the servant of God,
He provideth a kindness
for many generations,
And faces that he hath not seen,
Shall bless him.
Henry van Dyke
I am the heart of your hearth on the cold winter nights; the friendly shade which screens you from the summer sun; and my fruits quench your thirst as you journey on.
I am the beam which supports your house, the board of your table, the bed on which you sleep and the timber which builds your boat.
I am the handle of your hoe, the door of your home, the wood
of your cradle and the shell of your coffin.
I am the bread of kindness and the flower of beauty.
You who pass by, please listen to my prayer:
HARM ME NOT!
the forest reserves of Portugal have been posted with this notice for more than 1000 years!
There are two lasting gifts we can give children: one is roots, the other is wings!
There is so much good in the worst of us,
And so much bad in the best of us,
That it hardly becomes any of us
To criticize the rest of us.
Last modified 11/30/95