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Show Scouts learn lofty Ideals Each February we celebrate several things including President's Day, Ground Hog Day and then we try to find time to send our sweethearts a valentine. It is also the month that scouting is highlighted. As my boy begins to get more involved in-volved in the scouting program, its worth in his life becomes more apparent ap-parent to me. j-v 4 4 r- - , PAUL CHALLIS Staff Reporter The other night we attended the annual Blue and Gold Banquet This year we celebrated 81 years of cub scouting. There are not a lot of cub scout-aged boys in our neighborhood and so the attendance of nine cubs and their parents seemed seem-ed more like a family dinner than a banquet and yet the excitement on the faces of the boys made it a special event. My boy was involved in a skit and very pleased when h met its successful conclusion. Each scout brought a homemade cake for the cake walk, and as music played the boys enjoyed winning and the chance to take home a uniquely decorated delight. A few weeks ago his den went bowling and he had a blast. If they do anything in sports he really gets into it. He wears his uniform with pride and loves to earn the awards. All aspects of his life have been enhanced by his involvement in scouting. He is trying to get his Bear badge, and it seems the requirements re-quirements are a bit tougher than the Wolf rank last year when he was an 8-year-old. Like most dads, I have gotten involved in the process. We recently finished his Pinewood Derby car (with some help from grandpa) , and he worked on a model car as one of the Bear requirements. re-quirements. These projects provide an opportunity for us to work as father and son, and our relationship has become stronger. England 's Lord B aden-PoweU really started a good thing when he founded the program, just after the turn of the century. He must have understood it could be used as a vehicle to make boys into better men. Scouting is a wonderful help for boys on the road to manhood. Baden-Powell has been quoted as saying, "the end is character with purpose." Woodsman ship and outdoor out-door skills are not the goal of scouting, he added, "just a means to an end." Scouting is a ready-made program pro-gram with flexibility to meet many needs and interests. It helps boys understand the meaning of life, mixed with fun and activities. It also helps young men contribute con-tribute to society. The Scout Law teaches one to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. The Scout Oath commits the scout to similar lofty ideals: "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. I have been involved in scouting as a boy and in several callings in my church as an adult, but it wasn't until I had a boy of my own in the program that I really saw the whole picture and its meaning. I am glad the world pauses once a year to remember re-member the scouting program and honor the founders that made it a part of society. I would also like to honor and salute the many scout leaders that make the program work, week in and week out. Young men deserve adult leaders who show them how truly great they can be and can cultivate the young men's inherent desire to improve, achieve, advance and improve. In most cases that is exactly what they get. Scout leaders give several hundred hun-dred of unselfish volunteer hours .of service each year and make the programs pro-grams a reality. Whether the leaders are helping scouts set up camping gear in the snow, water skiing at Lake Powell, tying knots in the scout room or supervising the collection col-lection of food for the poor and needy, their contributions to the program are priceless. Besides leaders, parents help too by getting the guys involved and to stay motivated in the program and the boys get the main benefits from scouting and society is the ultimate winner. |