A Scoutmaster's Minute?
Jess Olonoff (jolonoff@GATE.NET)
Mon, 5 Feb 1996 14:43:20 -0500
To all,
I came upon this today and thought it might make a very good
Scoutmaster's Minute. It might make a good crossover ceremony as well.
Lessons for Life From Geese
As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird
following. By flying in a V formation, the whole flock adds a 71%
longer flying range than if each bird flew alone.
Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can
go where they are going quicker and easier when they travel on the thrust
of one another.
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and
resistatance of trying to fly alone and quickly gets back into formation
to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediatly in front.
Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation
with those who are headed where we want too go.
When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another
goose takes over at the point position.
Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership
because people, like geese, are interdependent upon each other.
The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to
keep up their speed.
Lesson: We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging--not
something less helpful.
When a goose gets sick or wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of
formation and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with
him until he is either able to fly again or dies. They they launch out
on their own, either with another formation or to catch up with the
original flock.
Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we'll stand by each other like
they do.
Regards, Jess
Jess Olonoff, CM Pack-206 | Eagle - 1970, T-10 Tulsa, Okla.
Riverglades Elem. - Parkland, Fla. | Ta-Tsu-Hwa - Ordeal '69, Brthrhd '70
Lighthouse Dstrct - S. Fl. Council | Scout in NYC-Brooklyn 61-66, Tulsa 66-71
jolonoff@gate.net | Scouter Boca Raton 73-74, Parkland 94-
http://www.gate.net/~jolonoff | O-Shot-Caw - Lodge 265
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |