13th point of the Scout Law

[Proud Eagle]

The thread about the most important word in the Scout Law made me think of this.

 

At my Eagle Board of Review, I was asked a simple, yet difficult question. If I could add one point to the Scout Law, what would it be?

 

I have since served on two Eagle Boards and that same question was asked on both occasions. (Once by the same person who asked me, the other time by me.) I think it is a good question to ask. So what would your answer be? Don't tell me the Law is perfect, come on, you can think of something. Now explain why that 13th point should be added.

[frank10]

A scout is forgiving

 

 

[mk9750]

I ask this question at every BOR - Tenderfoot through Eagle. It is very rewarding hearing both the thought that goes into a Scout's answer, and the growth he shows from Tenderfoot to Eagle.

 

For me, I haven't figured out how to make an adjective out of the word, but I would say a Scout exhibits perserverence.

 

Mark

[OutdoorThinker]

At camp our motto was "the thirteenth point of the scout law is a scout is flexible."

 

[dsteele]

The 1970's Handbook -- the one with the green cover, that I grew up with had several box-type quotes about what was almost in there. By that I mean, BP's thoughts on stuff.

 

BP thought about adding a 13th Point to the Scout Law -- a Scout is not a fool. He decided, according to the handbook, that that particular law was unnessecary given the other 12 were true.

 

I think he also took into consideration that all the other 12 points are positive values and that being "not" a fool was playing "not to lose."

 

I think that there's a difference between playing to win, and the avoidance of losing.

 

I play to win. Some people play so they don't lose. Not losing doesn't mean you win . . . it just means you don't lose.

 

12 points, easy to remember but hard to live up to is enough for me. I am not a good enough man to try to come up with a 13th.

 

I think the 12 have it covered: Integrity, Honor, dignity, Humanity, Godliness -- it's covered.

 

A Scout IS . . .

On my Honor . . .

 

Do we really need anything else?

 

Yeah -- our wives (spouses)

 

DS

 

 

[AK-Eagle]

mk9750

Could the word you are looking for be Resolved?

Looking in my thesaurus that seems to be the best fit

 

Actually Lord Baden Powell only had 10 points to the scout law.

BSA added Clean and Reverent. BP liked the additions but stuck to his orginal law.

 

Countries like the UK and Australia you'll see the orginal 10.

 

 

 

[Overtrained]

I have seen this in various forms over time. In my current troop, the tradition is the Scoutmaster develops a 13th point for each Eagle based on their uniqueness. This is then delivered to them at their Eagle Court of Honor.

 

My thirteenth point would be: A scout is Honorable

[packsaddle]

Overtrained, I like that one. I was thinking, "A scout is honest".

[hops_scout]

A Scout is adventurous(sp?)

[Eamonn]

I tend to think that we have it covered by what we have.

I have a hard enough time keeping these 12.

Still I over the years heard and seen ideas for a 13th Law.

The one that comes to mind first is

"A Scout is hungry"

Hungry for knowledge.

Hungry meaning keen,eager and ambitious.

Eamonn

[ozemu]

AK Eagle is right about the present case - 10 laws here.

 

I think you guys have it all wrong. Why not try to whittle yours down a couple? (grin)

 

Our PLC agreed to my request that we recite the (10) laws every opening parade after the flag is broken. Been doing that for over 12 months and most know the law by heart. Which around here is not the norm. Allows us to use the law in SMs minutes, Scouts Owns etc a lot more than I have seen in the other Troops I was in. Just a thought.

 

Then again how about - A scout thinks, (therefore I am)

[Rooster7]

A Scout is humble.

 

I would like to see humility embraced and taught more. This trait allows a Scout to put himself in another's position. He's not as apt to judge others who have are in lesser or unfortunate circumstances. He's not as apt to seek the spotlight (as some Scouts seem to do with political issues lately). He's not as apt to brag about all of his achievements (which I see quite often). He's more willing to help others because he realizes that other person could be him or someone he loves. In fact, if "humble" was added to the Scout Law, we could probably remove a couple of the others.

[scoutldr]

A Scout is not arrogant.

[OldGreyEagle]

I embrace humility, in fact of all my charactor strengths, which are numerous, I prize my humility above all else.

 

I am the District Advancement Chair, I get this phone call one night around 7:30pm from a local scoutmaster, seems he has an Eagle Board of Review all present except for the District Representative (yours truly). I thought it was for the following week, he had for that night. I tell him to hang in there and in 20 minutes we convene the Board of Review, after profuse appologies on both sides. We arent sure who made the mistake, he had it written in his book as one date, and I in mine as the other.

 

So, we start. I get to the point where I ask what would you add to the Scout Law and the scout says with out a moments hesitation, "Punctual", it took a good 5 minutes to get us back on track. The scout blushed immediatley after he said Punctual and turned a deep crimson, but not near as scarlet I am told as I.

 

The Scout received his Eagle and the Scoutmaster and I still laugh about it at Roundtables etc.

[dan]

I would not add any, but I would remove Obedient.

 

You must obey.