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Mister Wong
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I was a Boy Scout. It was a long time ago, but I was a scout in the sixties and the early seventies. I got out of it because my interests began to change, and so my progress stalled on my way to Eagle - the highest rank a scout could achieve. I got bogged down with other things and failed to reach my goal. So I fell short of Eagle ending up at the rank just below - Life. But some of the things that I did get out of scouting have lasted my entire life. I can still tie some crazy knots, pick out and identify a few trees, bugs and rocks, and pitch a tent like no-body's business. But the two things that are still clear in my mind are the Scout Oath and the Boy Scout Law. And those two I have failed to practice consistently on a daily basis. And they are actually good guides for ANYONE to live by.
The Scout Oath goes as follows:
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight
Even though I have not recited it out-loud in more than 35 years, I still have it memorized. That's because before each meeting, each event, after we paid tribute to our God and Country, we repeated this oath. After awhile it became ingrained in our minds. Putting those words into action were the most important thing a scout could do.
The second piece was the Scout Law. It too, was important, and complimented the Scout Oath, very well. It goes as follows:
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly,
courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty,
brave, clean, and reverent.
Not just words, but laws to live by. As you read the Scout Oath and the Scout Law, be sure to take in the words of both. And imagine, as you are reading them, how much better your life would be if you followed this oath and this law. And as a consequence, how much better would our businesses, corporations and organizations would be if we all internalized and practiced these simple edicts.
They have had a tremendous impact on my life and each time I read them, I lament those occasions where I fell short. Believe me they were many and often. It is hard to live a life unscathed, but it is even harder to life a life wrapped in self-pity and doubt. So when I fall short, I dust myself off, read them again, and make the pledge that I will do better. And that is always my intent and goal as I move forward. Sometimes I do well, sometimes I don't. But I never, ever stop trying.
There's a lot we can learn from the Boy Scouts. While many organizattions have come and gone over the years, Scouting, more than 100 years later, is still going strong. You think they might be on to something?
You can get to know scouting better by going HERE.
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