A Scout Is Helpful

[fgoodwin]

A Scout Is Helpful

 

http://www.timesnews.net/community_article.php?id=423

 

Published 2006-07-28 21:58:14

By Kurt Stevenson

 

Warriors Path - A View of Scouting Through The Eyes of Scouts

 

Since 1910, Scouting has had several basic fundamentals. Lord Baden-Powell set up these principles to insure the integrity of Scouts everywhere. These are known in Scouting as the Scout Law, the Scout Motto and the Scout Oath

 

In this series of articles we have examined the first 2 points of the Scout Law. before we continue, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to the thousands of volunteers across the country for their countless hours put in helping the youth of today become the leaders of tomorrow.

 

The Scout Law states that a Scout is: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean and Reverent.

 

As we continue to examine the Scout Law, let us look at the 3rd of the 12 points, Helpful.

 

The Scout Oath states that a scout will "help other people at all times." The Scout Slogan "Go A Good Turn Daily" works hand in hand with this part of the Scout Law.

 

A scout does things willingly, without being paid or otherwise rewarded. Being helpful to others may be something as simple as helping your sister with her homework. taking the trash out to the curb for your neighbor or just clearing the table after dinner. The daily good turn is an obligation of honor intended to teach us to form the habit of helping other people at all times.

 

After a while -- because the habit had begun to form in his mind -- he would see many more opportunities for helping other people than he used to see before he had begun the practice of doing his good turn; and, as he took advantage of these opportunities and did a good turn whenever he got a chance, the doing of the good turns would get to be the regular thing, and missing one's chance would get to be the exception.

 

The "Scout Law in Practice" says that: "A scout must be prepared at any time to save life, help injured persons, and share the home duties. A Scout must do at least one good turn each and every day

To be helpful to others under certain circumstances requires special knowledge; for instance, one cannot often save a person from drowning unless one is a good swimmer oneself; and one cannot come to the aid of a person wounded in an accident or in battle, unless one knows how to do bandaging, and how to carry wounded or sick people with the least possible strain and discomfort to them.

 

For this reason, all the useful crafts for Life Saving such as First Aid, Swimming, Resuscitation, Catching Runaway Horses, Checking or Preventing Panics, Firemanship, etc., are especially to be cultivated under this law. That is, if we want to obey the law and be helpful to others, we must learn how to do it under various different circumstances. It is by learning and being interested in knowing how to do these things, when there may be no immediate occasion for them, that we prepare ourselves to carry them out when serious emergencies arise!"

 

When asked what being Helpful means to him, Nathan Goodwin, Advancement Co-chairman for the Warriors Path District said he felt, "that a Scout is concerned about the needs of others."

 

Being a scout is more than just putting on a uniform and going camping or hiking. To learn more about Boys Scouts and how to join,contact the Sequoyah Council office at 952-6961 or log on to www.scbsa.org