Thanks to: jim speirs
Every moment, a child is born somewhere on earth. At the same time as you were born, another child was also born in another country. As a new born child, you knew no prejudices, no hatred or envy. As you grew, you began to discover borders. You learned what is "home" and what is "far away".
You found that borders are important to us. They make us feel safe, if we are on the right side. Sometimes it could be exciting to try the borders. What is on the other side? Are the apples more tasty there?
Most borders are invented by human beings. Through the years, people have hurt one another and our planet by disagreeing, arguing, and fighting wars about borders.
In Scouting, we have friends all over the world. There are 26 million Guides and Scouts and, even if we don't know them all, we have something very important in common, in spite of borders and different backgrounds.
We have a lot to share and teach each other. Everyone can do something to make the world more peaceful; together we can do something great.
(Message of peace from the Swedish Guide and Scout Association)
We believe in freedom of all people, whatever culture they are from, and that everyone has equal rights.
We believe that everyone should share in the wealth of Canada, and that we are enriched by other cultures.
We believe that we should love each other, whatever race or nationality we are, and that God loves us the same.
We believe Canada is a great country because of our acceptance of people from many backgrounds.
We believe that we should celebrate our differences and not feel threatened by different cultures.
We believe that different languages are an important part of our world; we should not prejudge people; no two people are the same; looks do not determine who (people) are, and different cultures and languages express the variety of our world.
We believe God put us all in this world to treat it beautiful, and we should welcome immigrants from all over the world.
We believe that all people should treat each other as they would want to be treated.
We believe that eventually everyone will believe these things.
(Grade 5, Prince of Peace School, Scarborough, Ont. (Provincial Notes.))
Thank you, God, for all the wonderful things I have.
Please bring good health and happiness to all people in the
world.
May all people have good food and warm clothes.
May everyone have nice friends.
May all people learn to read and write.
May the whole world be at peace.
This is my prayer.
Kneel always when you light a fire;
Kneel reverently and thankful be,
For God's unfailing charity.
Tall trees that reach the sky,
Mountains and lakes nearby;
Draw near my friends,
Come sing, my friends,
Our campfire time is nigh.
The fire is lit, come lift your voice;
Let song and skit beguile the hours;
The fire is lit, so let's rejoice,
Our hearts are full, the night is ours.
Train Yell: A chant for the whole group, this is a good one to use at the final campfire to thank the camp cook.
Coffee coffee (4 times slowly)
Cheese and biscuits (4 times a bit faster)
Fruit and custard (4 times getting faster)
Beef and carrots (6 times faster still)
Fish and chips (8 times very fast)
Soo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oup! (one lonely whistle)
Grrr!
The leader begins at the left of the circle and moves around
it from person to person building a "Grrr". When
everyone is growling the leader raises both arms and the crowd
yells: "Ate ... Grrr-ate!"
For the warmth of the fire,
For the joy of singing,
For the laughter of games
For the fun of yells,
For the happiness of campfires shared,
We thank you, God.
Once you have been a camper,
Something has come to stay;
Something has come that nothing
Will ever take away.
We came as strangers, we became friends, we part as brothers.
The day was long; we've worked and played,
And round this fire, we've good friends made;
We've shared a friendship fine and deep,
And now this circle leaves to sleep.
You need enough sugar to give everyone in the circle a small handful. After the closing, ask the group to gather around the dying embers. Pass around the jar of sugar and quietly ask people to take some and hold onto it. When everyone is ready, together toss the sugar on the fire. You can compare the flashing sparks and quick flames to happy thoughts or simply enjoy these happy thoughts in silence.
May you sleep deep and wake refreshed,
With the sun shining down on you and a happy heart.
by B.H. Fisher
There is a place on earth for us,
Where sparkling water pours,
O'er rocks and sands of wilderness;
It's called God's great outdoors.
"Here is the home of fighting fish,
Dens where the bruin snores,
Huge mountain crests where eagles seek
To share God's great outdoors.
Yes, here is where the wild game roams,
Where gypsy bird life soars.
Where the sun, the wind, the rain, and snow
Meet in God's great outdoors.
Here's where the din of raging storms
Is hushed by tranquil shores,
Where life and death are next of kin,
Mixed in God's great outdoors.
(with thanks to Tom Furlong, St. John's, Nfld.)
"The Lakota (Sioux) was a true naturist--a lover of
nature... The old Lakota was wise. He knew that man's heart away
from nature becomes hard; he knew that lack of respect for
growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans
too."
(Chief Luther Standing Bear)
. (Thanks to Scouter Larry Hemeryck, who sent us the Afterword to Song of the Paddle, by Bill Mason, from which this quote is excerpted.)
We could do an immense service to our world if we would let
nature heal, counsel and teach again."
(Henri Nouwen, Clowning in Rome)
And won't we all be better off when we can see
"Tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything."
(Shakespeare, As You Like It)
This prayer may fit during Trees for Canada activities when you talk about how the project benefits not only your section or group and community, but also Scouts in developing countries who receive some of the proceeds for their projects to improve the lives of people in their communities.
Dear God, we pray that all children will sleep peacefully tonight;
We pray that all children will eat well tonight;
We pray that all children will grow to know you;
We pray that all children will have a chance to grow strong and know the love of others as well as your love.
Thank you for the life you have given us:
We are lucky.
(from Australian Scout magazine)
Fay's Principle: If you try to please everyone, no one will
like it.
Louis' Logic: The chance of a piece of bread falling
buttered-side down is directly proportional to the amount of mud
in which you are standing.
Bowman's 6th Rule of Orienteering: A short-cut is the longest
distance between two points.
Thanks to Troop Scouter Stewart Bowman, 8th Whitby Scouts, Ont.
Dear God,
Whenever we say, "It's not fair",
We should remember those who have nothing to eat;
Whenever we say, "It's not fair",
We should remember those who sleep in the street;
Whenever we say, "It's not fair",
We should remember those in the middle of a war;
Whenever we say, "It's not fair",
We should remember those who are sick and poor.
Help us to remember how lucky we are
And not to say, "It's not fair."
(written by British Cub Scout Owen Shadick for the 4th Barnehurst Pack Prayer Book. Thanks to Scouting (UK) magazine.)
I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand. (Confucius)
What you are is God's gift to you;
What you make of yourself is your gift to God.
Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
When you are sad, condemned, disappointed, and disillusioned,
remember that it is the crushed grape that yields the wine.
(Colin McKay, Scouting (UK) magazine)
One hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank
account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the car I drove.
But the world may be different because I was important in the
life of a child.
(The Loop, S. Saskatchewan Region)
The greatest good you can do for another is not just to share
your riches but to reveal to him his own.
(Benjamin Disraeli)
You're my leader, so please help me
To learn to treat everyone equally;
And if I make someone cry,
Please explain to me why;
You're my leader, so please help me.
You're my leader, so please teach me
To be the best Beaver I can be;
As we grow, we are sharing,
We are learning to be caring;
You're my leader, so please teach me.
You're my leader, so please learn with me,
And you'll be the best leader you can be;
When you think of all we've done,
Please remember all the fun;
You're my leader and you're important to me.
(from the 1st Gibbons A Beavers, Alta.)
Dear God,
help us to carry your spirit in our lives, that we may share it
with others by living it ourselves.
Help us to offer all that we have and are in your service.
And help us to live the spirit of Scouting so the spirit will
live on through us.
(From "A Memorial to a Scouter". by Laird Vanni )
The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that, at the centre of the universe dwells God, and that this centre is really everywhere; it is within each of us. This is the real peace, and the others are but reflections of this.
The second peace is that which is made between two individuals, and the third is that which is made between two nations. (But) there can never be peace between nations until there is first known that true peace ... within the souls of people.
(Black Elk)
Peace is like a spider's web,
Vulnerable yet indestructible;
Tear it and it will be rewoven;
Peace does not despair.
Begin to weave a web of peace;
Start in the centre
And make peace with yourself
And your God.
Take the thread outwards
And build peace within your family,
Your community,
And in the circle of those you find hard to like.
Then stretch your concern into all the world.
Weave a web of peace and do not despair.
(from Scouting (UK) magazine)
I don't want to change you;
You know better than I what is best for you:
I don't want you to change me;
I only want you to accept me and respect my way;
Then our friendship will be rich,
Based on reality, not a dream.
(13th century Chinese thought)
Dear God,
You made all the people of the world.
And you love them all;
Help me to see the real person
When I meet someone
And not just see the colour of skin
Or difference in eyes:
I look different to others,
Just like they look different to me.
But really, we are all the same -
People of God
(Thanks to Australian Scout magazine)
over all things
under all things
outside all things
within but not enclosed
without, but not excluded
above, but not raised up
below, but not depressed
wholly above, presiding
wholly without, embracing
wholly within, filling.
(Hildevert of Lavardi, 11th century Thanks to the Presbyterian Record)
If we want, we can stay snug in bed every morning,
We can cover our heads and pretend we are ostriches;
If we want, we can say to heck with everything.
But what if life is something else?
What if life is getting up, getting going, facing each day?
Yes, we need to rest;
We need some space to be alone;
We need to unwind sometimes;
But we need all of these things just to keep strong,
To do more, leap higher, live better.
Why get up?
Because we want to live;
We want to move;
We want to change things!
(A liberal translation made from an extract titled "Bof..", published in Pionnier magazine, Scouts de France.)
Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there. (Will Rogers)
The Part Scouts Have to Play
(Message from Pope John Paul to the 17th World Jamboree)
The Scouts... have a special part to play in building the future. The more conscious Scouts are of the noble ideals of their movement and the more united in friendship, the greater will be their contribution to breaking down artificial barriers and to creating a new civilization of solidarity, service, and love.
Opportunity may knock, but you still have to get up off your seat and open the door.
Where there is no vision, people perish. (Proverbs 29:18)
I'd Rather Be
I'd rather be a "Could Be"
If I couldn't be an "Are"
For a "Could Be" is a "May Be"
With a chance of reaching par.
I'd rather be a "Has Been"
Than a "Might Have Been" by far;
For a "Might Have Been" has never been,
But a "Has Been" was once an "Are"
(Thanks to Scouter Larry Hemeryck, Simcoe, Ontario)
Challenge Me
Challenge me, and I'll achieve great heights;
Develop me socially, and I'll serve the community:
Help me to grow, and I'll be healthy and strong;
Encourage me spiritually to strengthen my soul,
And then I'll know that I can make a difference.
Help Us Remember
Help us remember; God, That we are members of a world-wide
organization;
That every Beaver, Cub, Scout, Venturer, Rover and leader has
promised to love and serve you.
Great Teacher; teach us to be worthy of the uniform, To be strong
about what is right;
Help us to do our best in your service, And to be true to our
Scouting promise.
(Adapted from a prayer published in Australian Scout
magazine.)
Won Lee was a stone cutter who lived in ancient China. He cut large stones and he cut small stones. He made them into ornaments for gardens. Some he cut to build houses. He was proud of his work, but sometimes he would think, "If only I had more money" or "If only I had less work."
One day, Won Lee was walking home from work. The sun was very hot and he was tired, so he sat down at the side of the road. He felt the heat of the sun and thought, "It's the sun that gives us the daylight, the warmth to grow our crops. Surely the sun must be the most powerful of all things."
Won Lee said quietly to himself, "God, if only I could be the sun I would love to feel what it is like to be the most powerful, the greatest of all things."
God answered Won Lee. "You may become the sun," He said. And Won Lee became the sun. He felt wonderful; so strong and powerful. He shone down on the world far below. After a few days, a puffy white cloud appeared in the sky. It drifted about and, when it came near Won Lee, it blotted out his rays and cast a shadow on the world. Won Lee was sad. Surely this cloud was more powerful than he? "If only I were the cloud. That would make me the greatest of all things," he said.
God heard and again He answered: "Won Lee, you may become the cloud." So Won Lee floated about the sky feeling very grand.
One day, Won Lee saw a great black cloud coming his way. Soon it surrounded him, and he saw the black cloud dripping droplets of water. The drops fell on the earth and made a mighty river.
Won Lee thought that this black cloud must be very powerful to swallow up a cloud and turn itself into a river, so he said, "If only I were the river.
How mighty I would be. Then I would be truly happy.
Again God heard and answered: "Okay. You may be the river."
So Won Lee flowed along, feeling the mighty rush of water. Then he came to a bend in the river. There was a great boulder jutting out into the river. The great boulder held the river, swirling it back onto itself.
Won Lee thought, "The rock! The rock! At last I have found the mightiest of all things. If this rock can hold back the raging river, then it is the greatest. If only I were this great big rock, I would be happy."
So God made Won Lee into the boulder and he stood there, holding back the water and feeling very great and happy. Then, one day, along came a man who cut a large piece off the boulder. Won Lee was sad. No longer was he the greatest if this man could come along and cut him up.
"If only I could be the man who cut up the stone, I would surely be the greatest," Won Lee thought.
And God said to Won Lee: "But you are the Stone Cutter!"
(with thanks to Australian Scout magazine.)
Thank you, God.
It is a grey day, yet I am happy.
Not because some special thing is going to happen, but because I
am at peace within.
I do not wish I were someone else,
I am glad to be me.
I do not wish I were some place else,
I am happy being where I am.
I am learning to savour the present moment,
and to be glad to be alive and living in it.
Thank you, God.
(from Linda Kish, Lethbridge, Alta.)
A time ago, a man on a hill had a thought. What could he do to help his country, his world? The thought became a plan, and 20 boys sailed off to Brownsea Island. By 1909, those 20 had become thousands of boys and girls, men and women. The plan was now a course of action.
Years later, in the midst of battle, a soldier spares his enemy and tends his wounds, because both are Scouts. The course of action is something more. Wells are dug, schools are built. Many people share, help without fanfare. because that thought is now a way of life.
From that one thought stretches a web of hands, young and not-so young, male and female, all faiths, all peoples. We are an important link in the encircling net. What will we do with our small share of the thought? Whose hand will we, in turn, grasp?
(Scouter Shanie, 902nd Toronto Cubs)
I am only one person, so I can't change everything in this
world.
But, I am one person and I can change some things.
O God, Creator of lakes and dunes
Help us to feel your spirit
In the beauty of nature around us:
Make us calm and,
In the quiet, speak to us:
Help us to listen;
We have so much to learn from you
And also from one another:
Help us to share
Our plans and our decisions,
Our dreams and expectations:
Help us to celebrate
Your presence among us,
And to work together in your name.
(Martha Koenig, from United Church Camping, Spring '85)
When a Pack Scouter in the U.K. found his Cubs always mechanically repeated "For what we are about to receive...." before camp meals, he decided to try a different grace each meal. He prepared some cards with a short grace on each side and, at meals, placed a card on each table. The person asked to say grace picked up a card and chose the one he wanted. The Cubs were always eager to read the cards, he says.
You might ask each of your Cubs to create his own two graces and prepare such a card to bring to camp. These examples are some of the graces our Scouter used to start the idea.
This happy meal will happier be
If we, O God, remember Thee.
We thank you, God, for happy hearts,
For fine and sunny weather;
We thank you, God, for this our food,
And that we are together.
For every cup and plateful,
God make us truly grateful.
As we enjoy this earthly food
At this table you have spread,
We'll not forget to thank you, God,
For all our daily bread.
Go well and safely, go well and safely, Go well and safely,
the Lord be ever with you.
Stay well and safely, stay well and safely, Stay well and safely,
the Lord be ever with you.
The role of Scouter, regard less of rank, requires several qualities and skills: enthusiasm, effort, timeliness, competence, and communicativeness.
You've got all that, you say, and you want to move up in the Scouting hierarchy. But do you really have what it takes? How do you measure up against these characteristics?
National Commissioner
Provincial Commissioner
Regional Commissioner
District/Area Commissioner
Troop Scouter
During your self-evaluation, remember that the whole raison d'etre of Scouting is:
The Scout, who
(Colin Wallace)
Fall, the Hunting Moon of our predecessors. Leaves changing and last year's pine needles falling.... Nature's carpet springing up after each step, leaving no track. Shafts of sunlight striking through beech and birch, spruce and maple.
Smell it! Open your arms, throw out your chests. Drink it in. Help yourself; it's all yours. Did you ever smell anything so wonderful as the fragrance of the pines?
Open your eyes! See the sun on the river. See the eddies past the beaver dam. See that partridge dart off through the trees...
Open your hearts. God is here.
(from an outdoor investiture, published in the May 1949 Scout Leader.)
As the wonders of nature are unfolded to the young mind, so, too, its beauties can be pointed out and gradually become recognized. When appreciation of beauty is once given a place in the mind, it grows automatically in the same way as observation, and brings joy in the greyest of surroundings.
(B.-P.)
A new year is unfolding
Like a blossom with petals curled tightly
Concealing the beauty within:
Let this year be filled
With the things that are truly good;
With warmth in our relationships
With strength to help those who need our help
With humility and openness To accept help from others.
We found this material in a local newspaper in the days leading to Sept. 30, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, which celebrates the creation of man. It opened with a quote from Rabbi Menachem M. Scheneerson: "Our sages teach us that the reason man was created single was to demonstrate how one person equals a whole world." The words that follow provide food for thought as we welcome 1990.
"The foundation of our faith (is) the belief that each one of us has it in his or her power, regardless of wealth or position, to turn the world into a better place, a force for good rather than evil...
"Each year, when we celebrate Rosh Hashanah, we are reminded of our ability. Each year Rosh Hashanah gives us a resurgence of the strength needed to fulfill these goals.
"This is a time for rejuvenation and commitment. A time to clarify our sense of purpose and fulfillment. Not just now, but forever."
Kind and good Lord,
teach me to be humble and generous,
to imitate your example,
to love you with all my heart,
and to follow your path.
There is a destiny that makes us brothers
None goes his way alone,
All that we send into the lives of others
Comes back into our own. (Edwin Markham)
God, we begin a new year well fed and warmly clothed, among
friends, and with more things than we need to keep us healthy and
happy. We are the lucky ones. We pray for others who are not so
fortunate and, more important, we want to work for them. Help
show us the way to make our community, our country, and our world
a place where all people enjoy good food and shelter, good
friendships and peace--where all people have a fair share of the
things they need to be healthy and happy and truly alive.
A Thought: Small deeds done are better than great deeds
planned.
(Peter Marshall)
Thank you, God, for time:
Time for talking and time for walking,
Time for caring and time for sharing,
Time for working and time for playing,
Time for running and time for resting,
You give us time, God;
Help us make the most of it.
(from Scouting (U.K.) magazine)
God bless thy year,
Thy coming in, thy going out,
Thy rest, thy travelling about,
The rough, the smooth,
The bright, the dear;
God bless thy year.
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with God while, across the sky, flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand - one belonging to him and the other to God.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that, many times along the path of his life, there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life. This really bothered him, and he questioned God about it.
"Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way," he said. "But I have noticed that, during the most troubled times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why, when I needed you most, you left me."
"My precious child," the Lord replied, "I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints in the sand, it was then that I carried you."
(from Scouting (U.K.) magazine's A Canny Crack)
Boys have a thousand muscles to wiggle with and only one to sit still with.
Rusty left the house very early that morning with his fishing gear and a determined look on his face. His father had told him the best time for fishing was at sunrise, when everyone was still sleeping and the animals hadn't yet had a chance to disturb the fish.
He went through the woods to the cove where a small stream emptied into the pond and the fish would find plenty of food. As he came to his fishing spot, he saw Silver Beaver sitting quietly by the pond with his eyes closed.
"Keeo, are you all right?" he whispered quietly, afraid his friend was hurt.
Keeo opened his eyes and looked at Rusty. "Good morning, Rusty," he said. "Beautiful day, isn't it?"
"Yes," said Rusty, "but what are you doing by yourself at this time of the morning?"
"I come here often to think good," Keeo replied.
It seemed his beaver friend still had much to learn about speaking human, Rusty thought." You mean, you come here to think well," he said.
"No, I come here to think Good," Keeo said." When things are not going too well or I feel alone and scared, I come here and think of the good things that can happen. And then I feel better."
"I do that in my room when my parents get angry at me," said Rusty. "But what happened this morning to make you upset?"
"Sometimes I just come here to feel good for the day," Keeo replied. "You could call it Good Day Vitamins."
With a big smile, Rusty sat down next to Keeo, took out his fishing pole, and got his own kind of Good Day Vitamins.
(by John Risdon, Gloucester, Ont.)
May the blessed sunlight shine upon you and warm your heart until it glows like a great fire, so that a stranger may come and warm himself at it, and also a friend.
(thanks to Anne Barbour, Essex, Ont.)
When you walk through woods, I want you to see
The floating gold of a bumblebee,
Rivers of sunlight, pools of shade,
Toadstools sleeping in mossy jade,
A cobweb net with a catch of dew,
Treetop cones against the blue,
Dancing flowers, bright green flies,
And birds that put rainbows in your eyes.
When you walk through woods, I want you to hear
A million sounds in your eager ear;
The scratch and rattle of wind-tossed trees,
The rush as a timid chipmunk flees,
The cry of a hawk from the distant sky,
The purr of leaves when a breeze rolls by,
Brooks that mumble, stones that ring,
And birds that teach your heart to sing.
When you walk through woods, I want you to feel
That no mere human could make this real,
Could paint the throb of a butterfly's wing,
Could teach a wood thrush how to sing,
Could create these wonders of earth and sky;
There's something greater than you or I.
When you walk through woods and the birches nod,
Please, meet a friend of mine named God.
(Anon)
God is always present in the formless form and speaks to us in
the soundless sound.
Blessed is the person who is able to see Him and listen to Him
everywhere and in everything.
(Swami Nirmalananda)
Lord, in the quiet of the evening,
come into our hearts as we liedown to rest,
and help us to know that, in camping outdoors,
we need not fear. You are with us.
(The Outlook, B.C./Yukon)
God, we thank you for this beautiful weekend.
The smiling faces we see and the laughter we hear echoing through
the trees
fill our hearts with gladness and remind us that, in this
fast-paced world of ours,
there are times when we all need to pause and refresh ourselves
in nature's calm and beauty.
(Greybeard, Sunnybrook, Alta.)
The things that count most in life are usually the things that
cannot be counted.
(Bernard Meltzer)
Take time to work;
It is the price of success:
Take time to think;
It is the source of power:
Take time to read;
It is the foundation of knowledge:
Take time to give to others;
It will bring you happiness:
Take time to love;
It is the sacrament of life:
Take time to dream;
It hitches the soul to the stars;
Take time to laugh;
It lightens the highway to eternal life:
Take time to plan,
And you will have time for all the rest.
(from Jo-Anne Wood, Grandora, Sask.)
(thanks to South Waterloo's Notes 'n News)
Rainbow, rainbow,
The heavenly miracle of -
Rainbow, rainbow,
A rainbow coloured with love.
Gem conjured out of the shadows,
Miracle wrought in the rain,
We see in each shimmering rainbow
Life's wonderful colours again;
Like poppies ablaze in the cornfield,
With midsummer blue skies above,
Like butterflies' wings and all living things,
The rainbow is coloured with love.
Rainbow, rainbow,
That sunshine caught in the rain;
Rainbow, rainbow,
A sunshine caught in the rain.
The Lord made mankind in His image,
To dwell on the earth in His place,
And just as He coloured the rainbow
He coloured the folk of each race.
So children are brothers and sisters,
Whatever the language, they prove,
With eyes shining bright and face black or white,
They radiate friendship and love.
Rainbow, rainbow,
You tell us the sun's close by;
Rainbow, rainbow,
A smile in our troubled sky.
(words by Jack Macfarlane, written to celebrate the rainbow
theme Cub Scouts in the U.K. are following this year. )
(Thanks to Scouting (U.K.)magazine.)
What we need and what, thank God, we've got in most places in our movement, is not merely the spirit of good-natured tolerance but of watchful sympathy and readiness to help one another. We not only need it but we've "got to have it" if we are going to teach our boys by the only sound way, that is through our own example, that greatest of principles - goodwill and cooperation.
(from B.-P.'s Outlook)
May the Lord bless thee and keep thee; may He show His face to thee and have mercy upon thee; may He turn His countenance to thee, and give thee peace. May the Lord bless thee. Amen.
If the Earth were only a few metres in diameter, floating a few metres above a field somewhere, people would come from everywhere to marvel at it. People would walk around it, marveling at its big pools of water, its little pools, and the water flowing between the pools. People would marvel at the bumps on it and the holes in it, and they would marvel at the very thin layer of gas surrounding it and the water suspended in the gas. The people would marvel at all the creatures walking around the surface of the ball and at the creatures in the water.
The people would declare it as sacred because it was the only one, and they would protect it so that it would not be hurt. The ball would be the greatest wonder known, and people would come to pray to it, to be healed, to gain knowledge, to know beauty, and to wonder how it could be. People would love it and defend it with their lives because they would somehow know that their lives, their own roundness, could be nothing without it. If the Earth were only a few metres in diameter...
(from Scouting (UK) magazine)
I am part of Nature.
I am part of everything that lives.
I am bound together with all living things in air, in land, in
water.
My life depends on Nature - upon its balance, upon its resources
and upon the continuity of both.
To destroy them is to destroy myself.
As a member of the human race, I am responsible for its survival.
I am a part of Nature. I will not destroy it.
(from Scouting (UK) magazine)
As our music cheers us, so be the melody of our lives;
As our mirth unites us, so be the harmony of our hearts;
As our spirits rise to the lilt of our song, so may the Great
Spirit uplift us to renewed endeavour;
And may the happy fellowship of this circle go out into all the
world.
(thanks to John Lockie, Ottawa, Ont.)
Mosquito:
Try this at a closing campfire. Each of the eight speakers
holds up a large card showing his or her letter. You can spell
out just about any word that has meaning to the people at your
camp fire.
M is for the memories we share tonight-the memories of camp.
O is for the opportunities we have to grow together, to learn new
skills, and to share fellowship around this campfire tonight.
S is for the super things we have done here and the super people
we have met and made our friends.
Q is for the quiet times we experience together times to reflect
and give thanks.
U is for the ultimate peacefulness of the outdoors.
I is for the inspiration we receive from nature and from our
friends.
T is for the terrific leaders who have been with us at camp.
O is for "On with the Show!"
Put them all together, and what do you have?
MOSQUITO!
(thanks to Linda Kish, Lethbridge, Alta.)
For Scouts on a hike or canoe trip, a compass is an important tool. Because it gives you a stable reference point (magnetic north), you can set a course and follow it. As long as your compass is accurate and you don't damage it, it will serve you faithfully. If you trust it.
Our faith or spirituality is something like that. We have a point of reference that does not change, God. And we have a compass, so to speak, in our relationship with God. It's something we have learned and continue to learn about, just as we learn to use a compass properly.
We use our spirituality and faith to get us through this grand journey we call life. If we are prepared to trust the things we have learned about God and creative living, our spirituality can guide us through the joys and temptations of life. We can use it to show us what service we may give and what potential dangers to stay away from. We can use it to guide us in our friendships, in our work, in what we say to people and about people, and in how we treat our natural world.
(Scouter Rob Brown, N. Saskatchewan Region)
In this fragile age, it is more important than ever that youth be given the opportunity to interact and to experience. .. to look through the diversity and multiplicity of cultures, religious beliefs, ideologies and systems around them and discover workable principles and elements common and sacred to all.... In this lies the hope that, through youth's natural affinity to find in each other elements that transcend the traditional barriers of nationality, class, religion and cultural differences, this generation will discover the answers that have eluded those before them.
(Jeanne Sauve, Governor General of Canada and Chief Scout, from an address at the University of Alberta, Sept.'87)
An aged man, whom Abraham hospitably invited to his tent, refused to join him in prayer to the one spiritual God. Learning that the old man was a non-believer, Abraham drove him from his door.
Later that night, God appeared to Abraham in a vision. "I have borne with that ignorant man for 70 years, " he said. "Could you not have patiently suffered him one night?"
(The Talmud)
Thank you, God, for the wind that dries and warms the earth so that seeds may grow, giving us food to eat and flowers to see and smell. And thank you for fun outdoors on windy days.
May this fire touch us with the magic of its mystery;
May we see in its dance the ever-changing beauty of the world;
May this fire be good medicine
Where fellowship, adventure, and fun sit side by side.
May this fire tonight remain forever in our hearts,
Even as the first fire kindled by our ancestors
Has remained alight through the ages.
As darkness creeps into our circle of light,
Embers that glow and sigh
Draw our friendship circle closer,
Whisper memories that will not die:
God's magic danced in our fire's flames,
And fills the gathering night
With mystery and a wondrous peace
That bids safe sleep 'til morning's light.
Plato said long ago-I think it was in his Republic-that the effectiveness of the education of a country could best be gauged by the amount of ill-health and crime in the community. His judgment does not seem very far out today. Education, handicapped by the multitude of demands upon it, is doing its best, but it is here that the Scout and Guide movement can lend a useful hand to help it. It is open to us to take up the physical training more definitely, side by side with our character development of the young, and so to do a national service.
(from "The Scouter" November 1934.)
Let no man say,
And say it to your shame,
That all was beauty here
Until you came.
(sign in an English park.)
God requires a faithful fulfilment of the merest trifle given us to do, rather than the most ardent aspiration to things to which we are not called.
(St. Francis De Sales.)
When you get what you want in your battle for self
And the world makes you king for a day,
Then go to your mirror and look at yourself
And see what that guy has to say:
For it's not a man's father or brother or wife
Who's judgment upon him must pass;
The person who's verdict counts most in this life
Is the guy staring back from the glass.
(From South Saskatchewan Region Bulletin.)
It was a pleasure and a privilege to walk with him. He knew the country like a fox or a bird, and passed through it as freely by paths of his own. He knew every track in the snow or on the ground, and what creature had taken this path before him. One must submit abjectly to such a guide, and the reward was great. Under his arm he carried an old music-book to press plants; in his pocket, his diary and pencil, a spyglass for birds, microscope, jackknife and twine. He wore a straw hat, stout shoes, strong grey trousers, to brave scrub oaks and smilax, and to climb a tree for a hawk's or a squirrel's nest. He waded into the pool for the water-plants, and his strong legs were no insignificant part of his armour. On the day I speak of he looked for the Menyanthes, detected it across the wide pool, and, on examination of the florets, decided that it had been in flower five days. He drew out of his breast-pocket his diary, and read the names of all the plants that should bloom on this day, whereof he kept account as a banker when his notes fall due. The Cypripedium not due till tomorrow. He thought that, if waked up from a trance, in this swamp, he could tell by the plants what time of the year it was within two days... He saw as with a microscope, heard as with ear-trumpet, and his memory was a photographic register of all he saw and heard. And yet none knew better than he that it is not the fact that imports, but the impression or the effect of the fact on your mind.
(from Emerson's Miscellaneous Pieces.)
One day when I went out to my woodpile, or rather my pile of stumps, I observed two large ants, the one red, the other much larger, nearly half an inch long, and black, fiercely contending with one another. Having once got hold they never let go, but struggled and wrestled and rolled on the chips incessantly. Looking farther, I was surprised to find that the chips were covered with such combatants... a war between two races of ants, the red always pitted against the black, and frequently two red ones to one black. The legions of these Myrmidons covered all the hills and vales in my woodyard, and the ground was already strewn with the dead and dying, both red and black. it was the only battle which I have ever witnessed, the only battlefield I ever trod while the battle was raging; internecine war; the red republicans on the one hand, and the black imperialists on the other. On every side they were engaged in deadly combat, yet without any noise that I could hear, and human soldiers never fought so resolutely. I watched a couple that were fast locked in each other's embraces, in a little sunny valley amid the chips, now at noonday prepared to fight till the sun went down, or life went out. The smaller red champion had fastened himself like a vise to his adversary's front, and through all the tumbling on that field never for an instant ceased to gnaw at one of his feelers near the root, having already caused the other to go by the board; while the stronger black one dashed him from side to side, and, as I saw on looking nearer, had already divested him of several of his members. They fought with more pertinacity than bulldogs.
(from Walden or Life in the Woods, by Thoreau)
So much of our education is merely the acquisition of knowledge in order to pass examinations. The true education, to fit us to live happy and useful lives, must be taught outside the classroom and Scouting with its open-air "out" life and its multifarious activities is, I am convinced, the surest and best method that has ever been devised.
(Lord Powallan)
My idea in making Scouting for Boys informal is to discourage this infernal creeping in everywhere of formality and red tape. We want elasticity and not hard and fast rules, nor even the semblance of them. And wherever I go, I get evidence that our success with Scoutmasters is largely due to our abstention from red tape.
(from a letter, 1910)
Give me the clear blue sky over my head and the green turf
beneath my feet, a winding road before me, and a three hours'
march to dinner.
(William Hazlitt)
Learning is not a spectator sport...
(Joe Mior of Toronto)
Put me in touch with the heart of a boy,
Let me study his doubts and his fears.
Let me try to show him the way of life
And help him avoid its tears.
For the heart of a boy in its buoyancy,
Is one that is pure and free;
So put me in touch with the heart of a boy,
The heart of the man to be.
(from Pictou County District Council, N.S.)
(adapted from the Scouter's Five Minutes, and from B.-P.'s Outlook.)
Have you ever thought how a camp helps your boys to practise living the Scout law?
For example, trustworthiness. There's hardly any place where things are as open and available as a camp, if a fellow wanted to steal. But somehow the camp atmosphere helps a Scout to be trustworthy.
A Scout demonstrates loyalty every time the flag is lowered at camp.
And where else offers as many opportunities for him to be helpful? Other Scouts need help on achievements; new campers need encouragement; some boys need a lift here and there.
How about friendliness? Well, every once in a while a fellow in camp needs a friend-the kind of friend his fellow Scouts can be to him.
A Scout finds chances to be courteous any time, anywhere. At camp there are chances to be kind to animals. And courtesy is involved in treating the outdoors and the campsite with respect.
Obedience is important in many camp activities; swimming, boating, canoeing.
Finally, there's no place like camp to bring out the cheerful spirits of boys.
B.-P. summarized the values of camping when he said,
"It is in camp that the Scoutmaster has his opportunity for
inculcating under pleasant means the four main points of
training; character, service for others, skill and bodily health.
But beside all, it is his golden chance to bring the boy to God
through the direct appeal of Nature and her store of
wonders."
Thanks to Scouting in New South Wales, Oct. 1980, we have this delightful piece written by the nine-year-old daughter of a Cub leader in response to her teacher's request to prepare a composition answering the question, "What did you do last weekend?"
"Nothing! My mum went away for the weekend with Mr. Haylen (her mother's group leader). Daddy didn't mind because he knows him. Mum also went away with thirty other men and says that if she doesn't do these two weekends, all her others will be a waste of time.
"We are packing our bags and going to grandma's place next weekend. If mum passes her tests after her weekends, she will be able to wear a bootlace and two bits of wood around her neck."
One can only hope that the teacher who received this effort is also involved in Scouting!
Please God grant me-
The spark to imagine
The daring to innovate
The discipline to plan
The skill to do
The will to achieve
The commitment to be responsible
The leadership to motivate
(Thanks to Bob Slater, London, Ontario)
The chaplain and his young son were camping just outside a small seaside town. Not far away was a tiny church that had no minister, so the chaplain offered his services for the Sunday. No fee was payable.
As the chaplain and his son were passing out of the door after the service, the son noticed a small box which had on it the words "For Contributions".
"Father, don't you think you should put something in the box?" the son asked.
"Certainly," the chaplain said. He dug into his pocket, pulled out a dollar, and put it into the box.
The two had gone a little way back to the camp when a man came running after them.
"It's our custom to give the minister whatever is dropped into the box," he said when he caught up with them. "I found this dollar and here it is." And he handed back the money the chaplain had donated.
After the man had left, the boy looked up at his dad. "Father," he said, "if you had only put more into the box, you would have got so much more out."
And isn't that true about everything - Scouting, living? The more you put in, the more you will get out.
(by the Rev. Bill Sutherland, from Scottish Scout News, with thanks.)
Leader: Lord, we know that this world we live in doesn't belong to us: it is Your creation.
All: But sometimes we don't take care of it as well as we should.
Leader: We forget that animals and plants are living things that belong here too
All: And they also have a right to some space on this planet.
Leader: Help us to be wise in the use of our resources
All: by planting trees for those we cut down; by putting on a sweater instead of turning up the heat; by shutting off lights in empty rooms; by recycling instead of throwing away; by walking carefully through the woods to disturb as little as possible.
Leader: Help us, Lord, to respect nature and her needs, and to remember that what we take from nature was placed there by Your hand.
(from Anne Barbour, Essex, Ont.)
Come, come. light up the fire,
Come, come, join in the ring,
Here find dreams to inspire,
Stories to tell, music to sing.
The stars shining over us,
Their light shines before us,
Oh God of nature,
Grant to us a perfect peace.
(from the campfire booklet put together by the Odawa Service Team, National Capital Region, Ont.)
We're hopeless at racing,
Me and my friend;
I'm slow at the start,
He's slow at the end:
He has the stitch,
I get sore feet,
And neither one of us,
Cares to compete:
But cooperation's
A different case;
You should just see us,
In the three-legged race!
(from Scouting (UK) magazine)
(Scouter Anne Barbour, 1st McGregor Cubs, Essex, Ont., shared this Scouts' Own yarn.)
Let me show you something I have in my pocket. It's not very big. In fact, I can almost lose it in my pocket.
Ah, here it is-a safety pin. It came from the bottom of the trinket box that sits on my counter and collects tiny things I can't find a use for at the moment, like paper clips and thumb tacks and screws. You'll find a pin like this one at home, maybe in a sewing basket or dresser drawer or even in a trinket box like mine.
Now when you look at this tiny piece of metal, it seems very insignificant. And, sometimes, that is just the way we feel in this big bustling world. Right now, this pin and the pins you have tucked away at home don't have a purpose. One day that will change though.
Perhaps you will be rushing off somewhere and, at the very last minute, you will realize that there's a button missing from your coat. You won't have time to search for a matching button and sew it on, so your mother will say, "Go to my sewing basket (or dresser drawer or trinket box) and get a safety pin." The pin will be waiting and it will hold together your coat wonderfully until you can find a button and sew it on.
If you ever feel like this safety pin-as if you have no purpose-remember that, one day, when you least expect it, your time will come. You will have a chance to do something worthwhile, some little helpful thing that will be very important to someone.
Your job is to be prepared for that moment. Then, when your chance comes along, you will be ready to do your best to help out. I think you will be surprised to find how often those opportunities to help will pop up, if you are prepared to meet them.
There is a story that the devil once announced he was going out of business and offered to sell his tools to anyone who would pay the price. On the night of the sale, the tools were all attractively displayed. They were a nasty looking lot-malice, hatred, envy, jealousy, deceit-each marked with a price tag. A little off from the rest lay a harmless looking wedge-shaped tool, much worn, and priced higher than any of the others.
"What is it?" someone asked the devil.
"That's discouragement," he replied.
"Why is it priced so high?" the prospective customer asked.
"Because," said the devil, "it is more useful to me than any of the others. I can pry open and get inside a person with it when I could never get near him with any of the others. Once inside, I can use the person in whatever way it suits me best. That's why it is so worn, you see. I use it with nearly everybody, because few people yet know that it belongs to me."
It is probably not necessary to add that the devil's price for this tool was so high that there were no bidders. And he is still using it.
(told by Colin McKay in Scouting (U.K.) magazine)
God is sharing;
Beavers are sharing:
God is loving;
Beavers share his love.
(from Scouter Susan Doucette, 1st Masstown Beavers, N.S.)
A Scouter is a person who, week after week, month after month, provides fun, adventure challenge, and learning for our active children;
A Scouter hurries home, eats a quick meal, puts on uniform while answering the phone five times, and arrives smiling to meet the youngsters, all in 30 minutes;
A Scouter gives up weekends and home comforts to teach children about woodcraft, nature, and camaraderie;
A Scouter is somebody who can put up a tent in the rain and dark, find lost boots, dry wet bedding, handle asthma, blisters, homesickness, and children's excitement on four hours sleep-and go home talking about the next camp;
A Scouter is a person who waits in the cold with the last kid, whose parent forgot the time;
A Scouter attends meetings to learn and plan, has an expandable basement and a head full of ideas;
A Scouter can lead a song, teach a skill, play a game, perform a ceremony, listen to a child, and say a prayer;
A Scouter willingly fills the gap so that a child will not be let down;
A Scouter is committed, caring, hardworking, sturdy, strong, reliable-with a wealth of knowledge, a store of skills, and a heart of goId;
A Scouter gets little spoken thanks, but knows the spirit is passed on.
(Jean Buydens, Victoria, B.C.)
If I had to live my life over again,
I'd try to make more mistakes next time.
I would relax, I would limber up, I would be sillier than I have
been this trip.
I know of very few things I would take seriously. I would take
more trips. I would be crazier. I would climb mountains, swim
more rivers, and watch more sunsets.
I would do more walking and looking.
I would eat more ice cream and less beans.
I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones..
I've been one of those people who never go anywhere without a
thermometer, a hot-water bottle, a gargle, a raincoat, aspirin,
and a parachute.
If I had to do it over again, I'd go places, do things and travel
lighter than I have.
If I had my life to live over, I would start barefooted earlier
in the spring and stay that way later in the fall.
I would play hookey more. I wouldn't make such good grades,
except by accident.
I would ride on more merry-go-rounds.
I'd pick more daisies.
(by an anonymous friar in a Nebraska monastery, )
Scouting will add years too your life and life to your years.