Scouting honor Trail

A Scout is Trustworthy

Sophocles once said, “I would prefer to fail even with honor than to win by cheating.”

When we have thoroughly grasped the idea of honor itself, it becomes an easy matter to understand that "a scout's honor is to be trusted"; for we know that our honor is actually our sense of obligation to duty and to God. It is a debt that we owe which we can not fail to pay without losing everything that is worthwhile in life; for, according to the standard of men of honor, life without honor is not worth living, -- not because it means disgrace or contempt in the eyes of others, but because it means that we feel ourselves to be dishonest and untrustworthy. 

A truly trustworthy scout can be trusted with any task at any time. Trustworthiness must be consistent. It takes much time and many experiences to build a trustworthy reputation, and that reputation can be lost in just one instance of untrustworthiness. Whether you are trusted with a large sum of money or a small campsite chore, you must stand by your reputation and carry out the task given you with complete trustworthiness. 

The really trustworthy scout is he who in every case and in every detail would rather do right and lose, than do wrong for his own personal advantage. Our great president, Abraham Lincoln, was a person of this type, and we revere and love his memory not only for his great deeds as a statesman and leader, but for the trustworthiness which sprang out of his love for the right and his human affection for others. 

 

A Scout is Loyal

John Wayne said, “ The very word loyalty is life itself, for without loyalty, we have no love of person or country.”

Loyalty means to be faithful. When we say a Scout is Loyal, it means they remains steadfast in his adherence to what is right. Being loyal is a character trait that can be often tested, and often misdirected.

 

A Scout, as any other youth, wants to be part of something important, something great, something that is 'the best'. As young children might argue that "My Dad can beat up your Dad", so older youth might debate about whose school football team is better. That kind of loyalty is more of a self-promoting exercise rather than being firmly supportive of the person or organization. True loyalty happens when nothing is personally gained.

 

A Scout is loyal to family, friends, Scout leaders, school, and nation.

A Scout, when he hears others putting down a friend, should step up and defend that friend's name.

When a Scout is asked to be loyal to his leaders, he needs to support them and their decisions

Scouts need to be loyal to the laws of our country and the people that represent those laws. Whether or not a Scout agrees with the law.

By being loyal to the Scout Law, and holding its points dear, a Scout is naturally loyal to those around them in a right and good manner. Blind loyalty is not loyalty at all, but loyalty founded on truth, compassion, and honor is truly loyal.

 

A Scout is Helpful

Scouts must be prepared at any time to save life, help injured persons, and share the home duties. They must do at least one good turn to somebody every day.

"And they are to do their duty before anything else, even though they give up their own pleasure, or comfort, or safety to do it. When in difficulty to know which of two things to do, they must ask themselves, 'Which is my duty?' that is 'Which is best for other people?' -- and do that one." 

From a baby's first cry of hunger, they continually looks out for themself with a self-centered view of things. Human nature is to preserve oneself. A Scout is challenged to put others first, possibly at odds with their own needs. This being helpful is an outward demonstration of the inner honor being developed in a Scout. Doing a Daily Good Turn takes real effort to search for need and then commitment to fulfill that need. A Scout that has not learned to care about other people and be willing to sacrifice some of their time can not live this part of the Scout Law.

Audrey Hepburn said “As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.”

A Scout is Friendly

A Scout is a friend to all. He is a brother or sister to other Scouts. A scout offers his friendship to people of all races and nations, and respects them even if some beliefs and customs are different from their own."

Helen Keller said “Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.”

A Scout should be friendly to everyone they meet, giving them the benefit of the doubt and believing them to be worthy of friendship first until their character becomes known. If a Scout pre-judges someone on their skin color, language, clothes, looks, family name, or other superficial aspect, then he is not following the Scout Law. Offering friendship to be taken, rejected, or lost to all people is expected of a Scout. It is going out on a limb and knowing that some people will reject you.

The law says that a Scout is friend and light to all. Sometimes the best way to be a friend is to demonstrate high values and refuse to join in those activities and behaviors that are of low character. A friendship will not grow in such a relationship, but the low character may rise when faced with the choice of continuing inappropriate actions or relating with a Scout of high character. And, later on, a real friendship may slowly grow.

A Scout is Courteous

Being courteous is being thoughtful. It is opening doors and holding them open for the next person. It is noticing that the bus you are on is filling up and you have a seat while the elderly are standing. It is saying "Pardon me" when you bump into someone in a crowd. It is giving a firm handshake when you make the acquaintance of someone.

It is important that Scouts show courtesy to all people. Whether they are cute or frumpy, young or old, girl or boy, popular or lonely, skilled or unable to participate. Whether a rich businessman or school janitor, the Scout greets him cheerfully and sincerely.

Ghandi said, “When restraint and courtesy are added to strength, the latter becomes irresistible.”

 

A Scout is Kind

Anne Frank said “In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.”

Kindness should be first practiced by a Scout in their own home. It can be a difficult challenge to show kindness to those in your family. Whether it be irritating siblings or misunderstanding parents, making constant efforts to be kind to those people with whom you have a conflict is hard work. Each of us is bound to fail sometimes, especially when we are in such close quarters for such a large part of our time. At those times of failing to be kind, kindness can still make a comeback through sincere apologies and forgiveness. The point of 'Forgiveness' is not in the Scout Law, but it is a real demonstration of kindness.

It's much easier to be kind to friends, teammates, other scouts, and family acquaintances that are seen occasionally. There is less personal commitment and less intimacy so it is less work to overlook their shortcomings and differences in beliefs and behaviors.

A Scout should understand that kindness towards animals and the natural world in general will most likely result in no direct personal response, but will have lasting impact for others.

An enemy can also be shown kindness. Maintaining a gentle demeanor when provoked and refusing to lower your honor to fight or exchange insults takes a strong person.

 

A Scout is obedient.

 

“A Scout follows the rules of his family, school, and troop. They obey the laws of their community

 and country. If they think these rules and laws are unfair, they try to have them changed in an

orderly manner rather than disobeying them.

 

Aristotle said, “Wicked men obey from fear, good men from love.”

 

Obedience is defined as “being submissive to the restraint or command of those in authority:

willing to obey.” When a scout is obedient he submits his actions to those in authority. A main

focus of the scouting program, is not only to learn to be obedient to those in authority, but to

learn to be a good leader when authority is given to you. A Kenyan proverb states, “He who

refuses to obey cannot command.” Good leaders tend to be the ones who focus on making good

choices, they have honor. Honor is an important teaching of scouting. Honor is doing your best.

We all promise to do our best when we say the scout oath. Having honor is not only being

obedient to others, but also to yourself. Having honor is being obedient even when no one else

will know the choice you make.

 

Remember, Obedience and Honor and honor through obedience.

A Scout is Cheerful

Who couldn't be cheerful on a warm spring day in the hills, resting under a tree in a lush meadow with blue skies overhead, a snow-fed stream trickling by, and birds twittering above? I'll bet you have a trace of a smile just thinking of it. That is "the bright side of life" and we need to look for it in whatever situation we find ourselves.

Whistling while taking out the garbage, telling jokes while scrubbing the crusty cookpots, and sharing a story while carrying water back from the creek are all examples of a cheerful Scout. We don't often have time to sit under a tree, but it seems we have plenty of opportunities to do uninteresting tasks. A Scout is asked to approach those tasks with cheer.

Being cheerful is not the same as being happy. I'm certainly not happy about cleaning the latrine and I don't enjoy the job, but I can be cheerful while doing it. I can choose to grumble and complain and wallow in self-pity, or I can tackle the task with vigor.

Remember, Sebastien Chamfort said, “The most wasted of all days is that in which we have not laughed.”

 

A Scout is Thrifty 

"A scout is thrifty. They do not wantonly destroy property. They work faithfully, waste nothing, and make the best use of their opportunities. They save their money so that they may pay their own way, be generous to those in need, and achieve worthy goals. They may work for pay but must not receive tips for courtesies or good turns." 

If our circumstances are such that we have barely enough to live on, and it is our duty to spend as little as possible for the sake of other members of the family, it is a good rule not to think of what we would like to have so much as to keep in mind the question. "What can I do without?" Even when the circumstances of the family are somewhat easier, it is always possible to deny ourselves some personal gratifications, and by so doing procure the means of adding to the comfort of the others. 

Aesop said, “ it is thrifty to prepare today for the wants of tomorrow.”

 

A Scout is Brave

Mark Twain said, “Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear—not absence of fear”

A Scout can face danger although they are afraid. They have the courage to stand for what they think is right even if others laugh at them or threaten them. Because of the bravery of the men and women in the military, we each have the right to believe as we choose. A scout will bravely protect the rights of others being bullied, even if he disagrees with their beliefs.

A Scout's moral ideals also help them to be brave when faced with challenges whose outcomes may only ever be known by themselves. Whether walking past a crying child without stopping or glancing at a classmate's test, fear can make us take the easiest, safest path. Fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of looking foolish, fear takes many forms and may cause bad habits. Making excuses and blaming others for mistakes rather than accepting the blame for actions and apologizing for mistakes are habits formed of fear. The Scout brave enough to accept the consequences for his decisions is brave indeed.

 

A Scout is Clean

"A Scout is clean. A Scout keeps his body and mind fit. They choose the company of those who live by high standards. They help keep their home and community clean."

There's no way to camp, hike, and play in the outdoors and not get dirty. Getting dirty is half the fun, whether it's tramping down a muddy trail or wiping dust off a sweaty brow. Many honorable jobs also result in a dirty body - Mothers, farmers, mechanics, miners, and so on. This natural kind of dirt is not the heart of this point of the Scout Law, but it still needs to be managed.

If it's not dirt, earth, and grime that makes a Scout dirty, what does? It's a simple chore to scrub dirt off skin, but a much more difficult task to clean up filthy thoughts, habits, and behaviors that accumulate in our lives.  By keeping the mind and heart clean and not allowing the emotional grime to settle in, the problem is kept at bay.

A Scout is Reverent

Joan of Arc said “One life is all we have, and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.”

Becoming a complete citizen includes fulfilling expectations of the church to which a person belongs.  Faithfully performing his religious duties demonstrates their reverence while in civilization. A Scout is reverent toward God. They are faithful in their religious duties and they respect the beliefs of others

As a scout experiences the wonders of the outdoors, stormy weather and calm blue skies, pounding surf and trickling streams, bitter cold and stifling heat, towering trees and barren desert, they experience the work of God. Appreciating life in its multitude of forms, from the smallest insects to gigantic wildlife, a scout comes to terms with his place in the world. 

Although Reverent is last in the scout law, it should never be last in our lives. A truly reverent scout can experience a reverent moment in a crowded shopping mall just as easily as he can in the great outdoors, for it is not their surroundings that make the reverence, but it is the thoughts that are in their head and the feelings in their heart.