BE PREPARED FOR ANY OLD THING

(adapted from "Woods Wisdom - Scoutmaster's Minutes")

In the past I've sometimes mentioned a man named Robert Baden-Powell, who started Boy Scouting in England more than eighty-five years ago. He was a most interesting man. If you're curious about him, you could learn a little more by reading page 432 of the Boy Scout Handbook, Eleventh Edition.

Anyway, he was once asked about the Scout motto, Be Prepared. For what, he was asked, is a Scout supposed to be prepared?

"Why, for any old thing," Baden-Powell replied.

That's a tall order. Life holds a lot of surprises, and you probably won't be prepared for all of them. But in Scouting you will learn how to deal with many of them. You will be prepared to give first aid in an emergency, rough it outdoors, direct a stranger to his destination, give service to our community and the nation, help clean up our environment, and to provide many other Good Turns for people.

Preparing you for life is what Scouting is all about. Learn as much as you can, and you'll be ready to meet life's challenges.

Last Revised 12/10/02

John D. McCarthy