What Do I Have in My Pockets?

ON a few of the websites I peruse the authors all tend to in one manner or the other present what it is that they carry every day, the gunbloggers all tend to include their personal firearm in their every day carry details. Since I am not a gun carrying member of society, based solely upon the laws of the state in which I reside, I got to thinking about what it is that I have in my pockets every day, and more importantly, why.

There are several items that I never leave the house without, one is my Gerber Para Frame folding knife, and the other is one of my challenge coins. Today though in addition to one of my challenge coins I am carrying these items:

Yes you are seeing that correctly I have two marbles along with my Wood Badge challenge coin. Why you ask? Well I could be smart and say it’s so that I can never lose my marbles, and some day’s I wouldn’t be far from the truth, but the truth is much more cerebral. I picked up those marbles on the same day I was handed my Wood Badge challenge coin, and they came with a story. We were in formation and the course director began passing around a large jar full of marbles with instructions to take two and pass the rest on. When everyone had two marbles she began:

“There was a man who one day sat down and did a little arithmetic. He figured that most people live to the age of seventy-five, some live longer some live less, but the average is seventy-five. Then he did a little more math and multiplied 75 times 52 and came up with the number 3900 which is the average number of Saturdays that a person has in their live.

It wasn’t until he was in his 50’s that figured out that he had about another 20 years to live, and realized that he only had a little more than 1000 of those Saturdays left. So he went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. He ended up having to visit three toy stores to round-up all 1040 marbles. He took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container in his garage next to his gear. Every Saturday since then, he took one marble out and threw it away.

He found that by watching the marbles diminish, he focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight.

Then one Saturday morning he took the last marble out of the container and threw it away, he figured that if he made it to the next Saturday he would have been given a little extra time, and who couldn’t use more time?”

It was then that she paused and looked at all of us. Everyone there had given up two of their Saturdays to attend this course, two of their marbles had been thrown away, and they were the two marbles we were holding in our hands.

“Take these marbles”, she counseled us “and, make sure that you always focus on the important things in life. You are here, attending this course, because you realize that your life on this earth isn’t just about you. Don’t ever forget that.”

I’m carrying these marbles today, because on Boxing Day my wife was looking in my bin on the shelf where I place all of my stuff when I empty my pockets and asked, “Why do you have these two marbles here?” I told her the story, and realized that maybe I hadn’t remembered fully what they meant, and that quite possibly I was squandering away some of my time here on earth, for you see that man only had the story half right, every day we have here is a gift, not just those left after the marbles are all gone. And every day we need to make sure we are setting aside time to focus on the important things.

To paraphrase one of the tenets of the Wood Badge course, it’s about leaving a legacy it’s about focusing on the important things in life, everyday and not just when you have time to spare.

So that is what I have in my pockets today...what do you have in yours?

Cubmaster Minute

Respect your Future

Wayne Gretzky said, “A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.”

What I mean by “respect your future” is: make choices that will make you happy for a long time, rather than just focusing on the next two seconds. Among other things, that means that in everything you do, you need to be sufficiently upstanding that your conduct doesn’t keep you up worrying late at night.

Cubmaster Minute

Why does Scouting encourage a boy to do Good Turns?

Here is what Lord Baden-Powell, Scouting’s founder, had to say about it:
“The Scouting practices tend in a practical way to educate the boy out of the groove of selfishness. Once he becomes charitable, he is well on the way to overcome or to eradicate the danger of this habit.”

The promise that a Cub Scout makes on joining has as its first point, “To do my best, to do my duty to God and my Country.” Note that it does not say, “To be loyal to,” since that would merely be a state of mind. It clearly says to do something, which is the positive, active attitude.

Baden-Powell went on to say, “The main method of the Boy Scouts movement is to give some form of positive training rather than merely to inculcate negative precepts, since the boy is always ready to do rather than to digest. Therefore, we put into his activities the practice of Good Turns in his daily life as a foundation of
future goodwill and helpfulness to others. The religious basis underlying this is common to all denominations, and we, therefore, interface with the form of none.
“Thus we teach him that to do his duty to God means, not merely to lean on his kindness, but to do his will by practicing love toward one’s neighbor.”

Cubmaster Minute

"When I say ‘I will,' I am taking on a responsibility. When I say, 'I will take out the trash or walk the dog,' it becomes my responsibility I need to make sure I do what I said I would. A simple 'I will' turns into a pledge or a promise-a promise that has to be kept. Keep that in mind the next time you say "I will."

Cubmaster Minute

Lord Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting said: “Honesty is a form of honor. An honorable man can be trusted with any amount of money or other valuables with the certainty that he will not steal it.” When you feel inclined to cheat in order to
win a game, just say to yourself: “After all, it is only a game. It won’t kill me if I do lose.” If you keep your head this way you will often find that you win after all. It’s great to win, but if you can’t win, be a good loser.

That is certainly a different attitude than the phrase many of us I am sure have heard that goes ”Winning is everything."

Some people have decided that they must win whatever game they're playing, no matter what it takes. Sports coaches and even parents sometimes put a lot of pressure on their kids to win. But there is something much more important than winning. That something is doing your best. As we get ready for a new school year, let's all decide that we're going to make this a year when we do our best, whether it's in the classroom, on the playing field, at home with our families, or at our place of worship. Never forget that if you are honest and do your personal best, then you are a winner, no matter what the final score happens to be.

Cubmaster Minute

Don’t Give Up
To be good at anything, you have to believe that you can do it, and then practice it until you can. There’s no easy way to become an expert. You just have to keep at it, over and over. There will be times you’ll think that you just can’t make it. But don’t give up a task because it seems hard. There are few things worth doing that are easy to do at first.

Cubmaster Minute

Baden-Powell on Health & Fitness

Baden-Powell thought it important to help boys become strong and fit young men of good character. He once said, “A boy is not a sitting-down animal.” And he also felt that games should be “Fun with a Purpose.” Many of the games he introduced were physically very active, but he also felt “It is important to arrange games and competition so that all Scouts of the troop take part.” So as we include fitness activities in our program, let’s remember to help every boy “Do His Best” and give everyone a chance to shine!

Cubmaster Minute

We can learn something about resourcefulness and character from George Washington – when he found himself with not enough gun powder to make any resistance to the British, he chose to “act the part of a winner.” He kept the enemy from knowing what the dire situation the Continental Army was in – and had his troops “act” as if they had real strength by constantly appearing to be preparing to make an attack.

At another time, when his army was trapped between a far superior British force and the river, he quietly arranged to have every available boat of any kind brought to Brooklyn, and under cover of night and a dense fog, moved men, arms, ammunition, supplies, horses and carts to the other side of the river without the loss of a single man.

Even when you do have resources, the first step in reaching your goal is to BELIEVE you can do it – and picture yourself succeeding!

Cubmaster Minute

"Do Your Best"

When you give the Cub Scout Promise, the words “Do your Best” are often lost among all the other very important words. Let’s stop for a minute and carefully consider these words.

Best describes effort and action above our usual performances. You are the only person who can possibly know whether or not you have done your best. Every time you repeat the promise, you agree to do your best. Your best is just that: The very best that you can do. Think about the meaning of the promise that you repeated at the beginning of the Pack Meeting. Decide that you will always do your best, no matter what the job is that is facing you.

Cubmaster Minute

Respect yourself and respect other people. This means that you should realize that everyone is unique, and everyone has his or her own ideas and abilities, and that this is a good thing, rather than a bad thing. Celebrate diversity! The fact that people are different and possess different talents means that when you work as a team, together you can achieve more than any one of you could alone.

Cubmaster Minute

America promises us freedom to worship, to learn, to assemble, and to debate any issue. It is a land where people from other countries can find a home, where there is work to do, where we can express our opinions, and where we are free to come and go as we please. Our wonderful heritage, earned for us by our forefathers, is sometimes taken for granted. Unless we cherish this legacy and use it wisely, it may be lost to future generations. People working together with imagination, vitality, and persistence, have produced marvelous inventions and wonders of technology beyond anything our forefathers might have dreamed of. Working together, we can preserve and protect our beautiful land for future generations.

Cubmaster Minute

Most of us have seen Canadian Geese heading north for spring. They fly in a V formation. When you see geese flying along in a V formation, you might consider that science has discovered why they fly that way:

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in V formation, the whole flock creates at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own. Each goose in each position in the V has a responsibility to help all the others.

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going faster and easier because they are traveling on the trust of one another.

When a goose falls out of formation it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power from the bird in front. It’s like riding the draft in NASCAR. If we had as much sense as a goose we would stay in formation with those who are headed in the same direction that we are.

When the head goose gets tired, it rotates back and another goose flies point. We need you all to cooperate and work together. It is your responsibility to help the others in your den and pack. It makes sense to take turns doing demanding jobs whether it’s with people or with geese flying north. No matter if you’re the head goose or one in formation, we’re all going for "True North" together.

Cubmaster Minute

I’m sure you’ve all seen the Olympic Circles – the symbol of the Olympic Games. Have you ever noticed how the circles intertwine?

There was purpose it that design. Although athletes come from many countries, some that disagree with each other politically – or may even be at war with one another – during the Olympic Games, the village housing the athletes is a place where people of different religious beliefs, different social status and different cultural traditions can eat and talk together. There are no walls to separate them from athletes from other countries. We need to provide that same kind of atmosphere for our scouts – so they can work together, play together and learn together – so they can work together as a team.

In other words, Cooperate!

Cubmaster Minute

We shouldn’t take our freedom for granted. Our right of free speech, to worship as we choose, and to enjoy the freedom we have as Americans. Our freedom is often taken for granted. There was a time in our history when man could only hope for these freedoms. And now they have become reality. Our freedom is a result of the courage and sacrifice of thousands of our forefathers. Let us remember what it cost these men to provide our freedoms today and help keep our land free for those citizens of tomorrow.

Cubmaster Minute

We hear a lot of talk about being a good sport, but just what does it mean? A good sport learns the rules so he will not violate them. He competes with all his heart striving to outclass his competitors. If he wins, he doesn't act smug but instead compliments the losers for the fine showing they made. If he loses, he should accept the fact and find out why. Maybe he can win the next time.

A sportsman accepts defeat, congratulates the winners, studies how to improve, and determines to do better the next time.

Cubmaster Minute

Part of the magic of Cub Scouting is the opportunity boys have to try out different talents, such as painting and drawing, music, puppetry, fixing things, landscaping and photography. Let’s always remember to celebrate the courage to try something new, the perseverance to keep practicing till you are really good, and the good sportsmanship to applaud the other guy when it’s his turn to shine.

Cubmaster Minute

You all know that the Cub Scout Motto is “Do Your Best.” But if you ever start to feel like you aren’t old enough, important enough, or experienced enough to make a difference, even if you do your best, go outside and look for an ant. Here is a tiny creature that can be squashed underfoot, washed away by a little stream of water, or easily buried by a spoonful of dirt. But he never gives up – wash him away with a little water, and he will struggle back to his feet and search for the ant trail. Buried under a shovel of dirt, he will dig his way out and continue on his way. Put a brick or a leaf in his path, blocking the ant trail, and he will find a way around or over the obstacle and continue on his way. So think of the ant if you are tempted to give up or think you can’t succeed – just pick yourself up, dig your way out, or find a way around, under or over that obstacle – don’t ever give up!

Cubmaster Minute

The words, "Aim for the Stars" have an important meaning to Cub Scouts. Think of Thomas Edison who tried and failed hundreds of times before he perfected the electric light bulb. He never quit trying. A Cub Scout, who tries to do his best and keeps trying, is preparing himself for greater responsibilities when he becomes a man. What you do and how well you do it becomes your launching pad to "Aim for the Stars."

Cubmaster Minute

A badge in Cub Scouting is a piece of embroidered cloth. If you were to try to sell one of these badges, you'd find that it wouldn't bring much money. The real value of the badge is what it represents … the things you've learned to earn it … how to keep healthy, how to be a good citizen, good safety practices, conservation, and many new skills. Does your badge truly represent all these things? Were you prepared to meet each test at the time you passed it, or did you try to get by? Maybe you were prepared when you passed the test, but through laziness and neglect, you have forgotten the skill now. If this is true, then the badge you wear has little value.

Don't wear a cheap badge. Wear one that has real value… one that represents what you can really do and know.

Cubmaster Minute

What is the most powerful thing you can think of? Is it a locomotive that can pull a hundred railroad cars? Or is it a mighty rocket with giant engines that roar and belch fire? Is it a nuclear energy plant with enough power to light up a whole city? Or is it the sun, with enough energy to warm a whole planet?
As powerful as all these things are, there is a limit to their energy. A locomotive and a rocket can run out of fuel, and the fuel rods of a nuclear plant wear out after a while. Even the sun sets after a few hours, leaving half the world cold and in darkness.
But there is another power source that never runs out of energy and that will never leave us in the cold. That power is God, and it’s important that we learn how to connect with God’s power. We learn how to do that by regularly attending our place of worship and living by the values we learn there.
Why don’t you ‘plug in’ to the greatest power in the universe by worshipping God this week.