Are each of the12 Points of equal importance?

[Eagledad]

Happy Scouting All

 

>>This may sound a bit dumb, but I think of a round plastic sheet full of water which is held up by 12 lines. If you slack off on one, you will lose a little water. Jim

[ASM59]

I think it depends on the individual. For me there is a clear winner: "A Scout is reverent". At least for me all the other points of the law can be thought of as resting on this one. If I am living my life with reverence, the rest of the 11 points will come naturally.

 

During Scoutmaster conferences, I like to ask Scouts what part of the Scout Law they think is most important. I also like to ask which part is hardest for them to live and what part has been easy to live lately. These questions can really spark some interesting conversation and give some real insight into how a Scout is doing.

 

ASM59

[scoutmasterjerry]

The 12 points of the Scout law are equally important no matter what... HOWEVER you need to apply them in context. Cheerful as a palbearer... you are right, you may want to be a bit more reverent.

 

Its called Context.

 

The Scout law is applied as a rule and therefore should be used in the context that best fits.

I always tell my Scout Troop to use the Scout law as a 12 point service Check.

Are you being Trustworthy?

Is what I am doing loyal to my Family, Troop, Patrol?

This behaviour Helpful to accomplishing our goals?

Am I being friendly?

Is my attitude courteous?

Have you been Kind?

 

You get the picture.

 

They are equally important... just as thow shalt no kill is just as important as thow shalt no steal.

 

The great thing about the Scout law is that is NOT a list of things NOT TO DO! It is a list of things that we SHOULD DO! It is a list of IMPORTANT values to make you a better person and make those around you better.

 

My vote.. YES they are equally important.

 

Happy Scouting!

 

[packsaddle]

ScoutmasterJerry, Welcome to the forums. It will be good to read your contributions.

[Cheerful Eagle]

An interesting question. I've come to the conclusion that there should be some punctuation added to the law.

 

A scout is trustworthy: loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

 

It seems to me that the qualities following "trustworthy" describe what it means to be worth trusting in different circumstances. For example, you can trust a scout with the patrol food shopping because he is thrifty. Or, you can trust a scout to retire a flag, because she is reverent.