A SPECIAL SCOUT EXECUTIVE’S MINUTE

BY JOHN ANDREWS

There are needless and tragic deaths that occur across America every day. George Floyd’s death, and the arrest of a law enforcement officer on charges of his murder is the newest, and perhaps most powerful national symbol of this terrible reality to date. We mourn this, and through Scouting’s values and curriculum we strive to prepare our children to shape, and lead, in a better world than this.

How do we give young people hope that they can accomplish that? How do we equip them to competently respond to the needs of others when there are so many individual perceptions and contributing factors and so much anger, sorrow, misunderstanding and mistrust?

Of course we look to the Scout Oath and Law. We remind young people that almost all of the twelve points speak first to be the importance of being a caring person. That to help other people at all times is a way of life that exemplifies servant leadership, and that this path to leadership is powerful and can build trust and understanding and equality.

We ask our Scouts to examine their beliefs and form their values and to put their values into action with a good turn daily. We build transformative bridges by inviting every young person, everywhere, to be a part of the family of Scouting. Maybe every troubling question in every person’s mind in this and coming days can be answered in the simplest way: “A Scout is Helpful. A Scout is Friendly. A Scout is Kind.”