Get your own Free HomepageThank You: Two important words that tell someone else that you are appreciative, courteous and thoughtful. We do many good turns for others...but do we always take time to thank others for a good turn for us?
A Smile: A smile costs nothing, but creates much. It happens in a flash, but the memory sometimes lasts forever. It cannot be bought, begged, borrowed, or stolen, but it is something that is of no earthly good to anyone unless it is given away. So, if in your hurry and rush you meet someone who is too eary to give you a smile, leave one of yours. No one needs a smile quite as much as person who has none left to give.
The Law: Nations, states, communities, and even families have laws...rules by which people must live in order to have harmony. Laws are based on your rights and the rights of others. If a law is broken, our freedom can be taken away. Every individual has laws, too--his personal moral standards--the laws by which he lives. If those laws are broken, we are unhappy and disappointed in ourselves. You have promised to obey the Law of the Pack. By doing so, you'll have a much happier life and be respected by your fellow Cub Scouts, and be a citizen of whom your community and nation can be proud.
Fitness: A Cub Scout keeps himself strong and healthy--not just for his own sake, but also so that he can be a more useful citizen. When you are physically fit, you can be more helpful to those around you.
Do Your Best: One of the hardest things for anyone to do is to stick to what he knows is right, while his friends are coaxing him or his enemies are threatening him to do just the opposite. A Cub Scout Always does his best.
Freedom: We shouldn't take our freedom for granted. Our rights of free speech, to worship as we choose, to enjoy the freedom we have as Americans too often is taken for granted. There was a time in our history when men could only hope for these freedoms...and now they have become a reality. Our freedom is a result of courage and sacrifice of thousands of our forefathers. Let's remember what it cost those men to provide the freedom we have today.
Cheerful: We have a choice. We can be pleasant or unpleasant. Which do you choose? You can be grouchy and grumbly, or you can be happy and cheerful. Which would you rather be? It's up to you.
The Sky is the Limit: Cub Scouts, it wasn't long ago that we heard some people say: "The sky is the limit." That meant that a man could make anything of himself that he wanted...at least on earth. Well, that limit is now off. There is no limit to what you can aspire to do, either on earth or in space. Our astronauts have shown us that.
Colonel "Buzz" Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, was a member of Troop 12 in Montclair, New Jersey. He said to a group of Scouts: "Set your goals high and settle for nothing less than accomplishment. Don't settle for mediocrity."
How well you perform as a man will depend on how you accept the new challenge which says, "The sky is not the limit." A Cub Scout who does his best in everything he undertakes now is preparing himself for that new challenge. If you want to aim for the stars, you must remember that you are building your launching pad right now by your willingness and initiative in every task you tackle.
Courage: When we begin to feel that life is hard and the task before us is more than we can handle, stop and remember the pioneers that forged the trails West. They left in covered wagons for a life in the unknown. They knew not what wa ahead of them, but with courage they moved on. They faced the mountains, hot dry deserts, dried up water holes, a lack of fresh food, the fever, dying oxen and livestock, Indian raids, outlaws that took their belongings, and sand storms, just to name a few. But they drew upon their faith in God and their courage and determination to get the job done. Remember it takes courage to accomplish your goals in life, even when our goals seem impossibly high. Have courage, and you'll reach your goals.
The Pocketknife: Cub Scouts, I hold in my hand a pocketknife. This is a valuable tool because it can be used for many useful things. It is a dependable tool as long as the blade is kept sharp and free from rust and the working parts are in good condition. But, if it is neglected and becomes dull and rusty, it can be a dangerous tool. The same principle applies to us. We have a body, which when kept in good condition, will serve us well. But if we fail to take care of ourselves, we can become rusty and dull like a neglected pocketknife. Do your best to keep fit!
The Value of a Badge: A badge in Cub Scouting is a piece of embroidered cloth. If you were to try to sell one of the badges, you'd find that it wouldn't bring much money. The real value of the badge is what it represents...the things you've learned to earn it...how to keep healthy, how to be a good citizen, good safety practices, conservation and many new skills. Does your badge truly represent all these things? Were you prepared to meet each new test at the time you passed it, or did you try to just get by? Maybe you were prepared when you passed the test, but through neglect you have forgotten the skill now. If this is true, then the badge you wear has little value. Don't wear a cheap badge. Wear one that has real value...one that represents what you can really do. Wear a badge that shows what you really know.
Cheerfulness is catching: A while back there was a TV program on General Eisenhower. When he first took command in World War II things were not going well. The Germans had been steadily winning and he had a big job ahead of him. It was up to him to turn this around and start winning. He found out something very soon. If he acted like he felt this attitude spread and pretty soon the people around him were gloomy and depressed. He decided he should act cheerful and confident no matter how bad things looked and no matter how he felt. And this attitude spread, too. Pretty soon other people felt more confident and cheerful. It's the same for us. If we act depressed, or unsure, or angry the people around us will be the same. But if we act cheerful, even if we don't feel it, this cheerfulness is catching.
Mark W. Arend, Scoutmaster, Troop 736, Beaver Dam, WI, from Scouts-L
Practice it First: I recently saw a program on TV about President Harry Truman and one event stuck in my mind. When he first ran for office in the early 1920s--it was for something like County Board--some of his army buddies thought it would be impressive for him to arrive for a speech by airplane. Now, this was in the early days of flying and a lot of people had never even seen a plane, much less flown in one. He agreed and at the appointed time the small plane circled the fairgrounds and landed. The candidate got out of the plane, sort of staggered across the field, leaned over a fence, and threw up.
This was not the impressive entrance he had planned.
But Mr. Truman learned something from this experience. Sometimes ideas that sound good don't work out well when you go to try them. So it's a good idea not to do it for the first time in front of a crowd. Practice it through first to see if this idea is really going to work as well as it sounds or are there some bugs to be worked out.
Mark W. Arend, Scoutmaster, Troop 736, Beaver Dam, WI, from Scouts-L
We all need fantasies to keep reality in perspective.
We function like bicycles: unless we are traveling at a certain speed, we fall over.
If you want to soar like an eagle, you need to earn your wings every single day.
Builders
Isn't it strange that princes and kings
And clowns that caper in sawdust rings,
And common people like you and me,
Are all of us builders of eternity.
To each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass and book of rules,
And each must make, e're this life is flown,
A stumbling block or a stepping stone.
Anonymous
A Careful Scouter
A careful Scouter I ought to be,
A little Scout follows me.
I do not dare to go astray,
For fear he will go the self-same way.
Not once can I escape his eyes,
Whatever he sees me do, he tries.
Like me he says he's going to be,
That little Scout who follows me.
He thinks that I am good and fine,
Believes in every word of mine,
The bad in me he must not see,
That little Scout who follows me.
I must remember as I go,
Through summer sun and winter snow,
I am building for the years to be,
That little Scout who follows me.
Anonymous, paraphrased from the following poem by Lee Fisher
A Little Fellow Follows Me
A careful man I want to be,
A little fellow follows me;
I do not dare to go astray,
For fear he'll go the self-same way,
I cannot once escape his eyes,
Whate'er he sees me do he tries;
Like me he says he's going to be,
The little chap who follows me.
He thinks that I am good and fine,
Believes in every word of mine;
The base in me he must not see,
The little chap who follows me.
I must remember as I go,
Through summer's sun and winter's snow'
I am building for the years to be
That little chap who follows me.
Lee Fisher
A Leader
A leaeder is best
When people barely know that he exists,
Not so good when people obey and acclaim him,
Worst when they despise him.
"Fail to honor people, they fail to honor you,"
But of a good leader, who talks little,
When work is done, his aim fulfilled.
They will all say, "We did this ourselves."
from Witter Brynner's translation of Laotzu's Book of Toa, written 600 BC
No Difference
Small as a peanut,
Big as a giant,
We're all the same size
When we turn off the light.
Rich as a sultan,
Poor as a mite,
We're all the worth the same,
When we turn off the light.
Red, black or orange,
Yellow or white,
We all look the same,
When we turn off the light.
So maybe the way,
To make everything right,
Is for God to just reach out,
And turn off the light!
Anonymous
Over the Plate
It counts not what you have my friend
When the story is told at the game's far end;
The greatest brawn and the greatest brain
The world has known may be yours in vain.
The man with control is the one who mounts,
And it's how you use what you've got that counts.
Have you got the bead? Are you aiming straight?
How much of your effort goes over the plate?
Grantland Rice
The Comer
He may be now an office boy,
A messenger, or clerk,
The smallest paid in the employ
Of him who gives him work;
But if he toils with willingness
And wears a cheery grin,
He's on the roadway to success,
That chap is bound to win!
No power can keep that fellow down;
He'll leave them all behind,
The higher paid who leer and frown
And tell him he is blind
To do more than he's paid to do
And not to ever shirk;
Who say: "At five o'clock I'm through
With miserable work!"
Not long he'll be an office boy;
Employers quickly see
Who works because the task is joy
And not just for his fee;
And others too will help him climb
To far heights of success--
Wealth will be his, and fame, in time,
Who works with willingness.
Edmund Leamy
Prayer of Sportsman
Dear Lord, in the battle that goes on through life,
I ask but a field that is fair;
A chance that is equal with all in the strife,
A courage to strive and to dare.
If I should win, let it be by the code
With my faith and my honor held high,
If I should lost, let me stand by the road
And cheer as the winners go by.
Brayley
The Bridge Builder
An old man going a lone highway,
Came at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm vast and wide and steep
With waters rolling cold and deep.
The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
The sullen stream had no fears for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
"Old man" said a fellow pilgrim near,
"You are wasting your strength with building here
Your journey will end with the ending day,
You never again will pass this way;
You've crossed the chasm deep and wide,
Why build you this bridge at eventide?"
The builder lifted his old grey head,
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,
"There followeth after me today
A youth whose feet must pass this way;
The chasm that was as naught to me,
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;
He too must cross in the twilight dim--
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him."
Will Allen Dromgoole
Stick To It
It matters not if you try and fail,
And fail, and try again,
But it matters much if you try and fail,
And fail to try again.
Rulon B. Stanfield
Life's Mirror
There are loyal hearts, there are spirits brave,
There are souls that are pure and true;
Then give to the world the best you have
And the best will come back to you.
Give love and love to your life will flow,
A strength in your utmost need;
Have faith, and a score of hearts will show
Their faith in your word and deed.
Give truth, and you gift will be paid in kind,
And honor will honor meet
And a smile that is sweet will surely find
A smile that is just as sweet.
Give sorrow and pity to those who mourn
You will gather in flowers again
The scattered seeds of your thoughts outborne,
Through the sowing seems but vain.
For life is the mirror, of king and slave--
'Tis just what we are and do,
Then give to the world the best you have
And the best will come back to you.
Mary Anne De Vere
God, Make Me A Man
Give me the strength to stand for right
When other folks have left the fight,
Give me the courage of the man
Who knows that if he will, he can.
Teach me to see in every face
The good, the kind, and not the base.
Make me sincere in word and deed,
Blot out from me all shame and greed,
Help me to guard my troubled soul
By constant, active, self-control.
Clean up my thoughts, my speech, my play,
And keep me pure from day to day.
O, make of me a man!
Harlan G. Metcalf
Life Sculptor
Chisel in hand stood a sculptor boy
With a marble block before him.
His face lit up with a smile of joy,
As an angel dream passed o'er him.
He carved that dream on the yielding stone
With many a sharp incision.
In heaven's own light the image shone,--
He had caught that angel vision.
Sculptors of life are we as we stand
With our lives uncarved before us.
Waiting the hour when at God's command
Our ife dream passes o'er us.
Let us carve that dream on the yielding stone
With many a sharp incision--
Its heavenly beauty shall be our own,
Our lives that angel's vision.
George W. Doane
The Campfire
Did you ever watch the campfire
When the moon has fallen low,
And the ashes start to whiten
'Round the embers' crimson glow,
When the night sounds all around you
Making silence doubly sweet,
And a full moon high above you
That the spell may be complete?
Tell me, were you ever nearer
To the land of heart's desire,
Than when you sat there thinking
With your face turned toward the fire?
R. L. Stevenson
The Knight of Today
I envy not the knight of old
Who lived for honor true,
Who rode away to distant lands
His Great Good Turn to do.
I envy not the soldiers brave
Who kept our country free.
For chances here will prove my strength,
They ever challenge me.
I shall not long for days gone by,
My chance to serve is here.
And with my motto "Be Prepared"
My duties written clear.
Walter MacPeek
Masterpiece
If this my masterpiece can be,
A verse that all the world will see;
Thoughts so clear and strong and right
To give my fellows new insight
In problems, purposes and hopes,
To help the stumbling man who gropes,
I thn can feel some value wrought,
I shall not have lived my years for naught.
Then comes a little tousled head,
Just freshly roused from sleep and bed.
He wants to climb upon my knee,
A host of trinkets to show me.
He wants to pat my thinning hair
And move me over in my chair.
He wants to draw his daddy near,
And hold his watch up to his ear.
"No masterpiece tonight," I say,
And lay my manuscript away.
No verse to guide men's stumbling feet,
No phrase to stay men from retreat.
"No masterpiece in words," I say,
But aiding in his simple play,
Responding as he romps with me,
His life a masterpiece shall be.
Anonymous
It's All in a State of Mind
If you think you are beaten, you are,
If you think you dare not, you won't;
If you like to win, but don't think you can,
It's almost a cinch you won't.
If you think you'll lose, you're lost;
For out in the world, you'll find
Success begins with a fellow's will;
It's all in a state of mind.
For many a game is lost
Ere even a play is run,
And many a coward fails
Ere even his work is begun.
Think big and your deeds will grow,
Think small and you'll fall behind;
Think that you can and you will;
It's all in a state of mind.
If you think you are out-classed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise;
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.
Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man,
But sooner or later, the man who wins
Is the fellow who thinks he can.
Don't Forget
Get to understand the lad--
He's not eager to be bad.
If the right he always knew
He would be as old as you.
Were he now exceedingly wise,
He'd be just about your size.
When he does things that annoy,
Don't forget--he's just a boy.
Could he know and understand,
He would not need a guiding hand.
But, he's not you and hasn't learned
How life's corners must be turned.
Doesn't know from day to day
There is more to life than play
More to face than selfish joy.
Don't forget--he's just a boy.
Being just a boy he will do
Much you will not want him to.
He'll be careless of his ways,
Have his disobedient days,
Willful, wild, and headstrong too.
Things of value he'll destroy,
But, don't forget--he's just a boy.
Just a boy who needs a friend;
Patient, kindly to the end.
Needs a father(mother) who will show
Him the things he wants to know.
Take him with you when you walk,
Listen when he wants to talk.
His companionship enjoy.
But, don't forget--he's just a boy.
Anonymous
I am a Den Leader
Oscar Wilde: "The only thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself."
Mark Twain: "The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug."
Will Rogers: "Everything is funny, as long as it happens to somebody else."
Will Rogers: "I never met a man I didn't like."
Ben Franklin: "The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of the wise man is in his heart."
Ben Franklin: "He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else."
Winston Churchill: "I am always ready to learn, but I do not always like being taught."
Lyndon Baines Johnson: "If there is one word that describes our form of society in America, it may be the word--voluntary."
Anonymous: "Even a stopped clock is right twice a day."
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