What Have We Done to Live Up to the Scout Oath and Law?

Let's spin off from what EagleInKY started. What have you done (as a scouter or scout) to show that you are living the Scout Oath and Law? Don't be modest.

Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind:

I'll start off. Last night, leaving from the mall, as I was pulling out from the parking lot, I saw a man struggling to get the buffer machine on to his pickup. Without thinking, I stopped my car and asked if I could be any assistance. He smiled and said, "Yes, thank you." It was quite heavy even for the both of us, but we got it on to his truck. Both of us got dirty with the grease from the buffer machine. He said in broken English, "thank you very much." I smiled and returned to my car. Later that night, my wife told me that in the car my middle son said proudly,"Yup, that's Dad, always the scout!" My oldest chimmed in, "Yeah, he always does thing like that." That made me felt very proud to have my three boys witnessed that.

Trustworthy, Helpful, Courteous:

By the way EagleInKY, I, too, wrote everything that was wrong with my house in details, listing what I will be fixing and what I will be crediting (how much), when I was selling our first home. Of course our realtor objected, I told her that I cannot unconscienably sell a house in good faith without revealing everything. We ended up selling the house for $10k more than what the same house would have sold for.

So how about it ... what have you done to show your scouting spirit?

1Hour

ps: Who knows. We might get a whole bunch of good stories for our Scoutmaster Minutes.(This message has been edited by OneHour)

Coming back from a rappelling activity with the older Scouts we saw an overturned car.

I stopped - told the Scouts to stay put (I didn't know what they might see in the car) and went to help.

After the Ambo arived I returned to the car and my son (12 years old) promptly told me that next time he was coming to help. The others also said much the same adding that they have their junior first aid qual so why couldn't they help.

I explained that it could have been much more gory.

On Sun last we were picking up rubbish at a local park. I showed an 8 year old Cub how to count the orange ends on syringes. He did and came up with one more than there were needles. We started searching carefully and we found the missing needle. I picked up all of the needles but we found a lot.

Helping in emergencies and showing young people how to protect themselves and others. I hope that counts.

We had bought a fixer-upper while we were both in school. I thought it would be a one month job based on my detailed plans and research but that one month just barley got me started. The first thing I did was rip out the bathroom, a big, big mistake. We wound up using our little portable commode and I draped plastic around a ladder and used a hose for a shower. I couldn't finish the plumbing because the city required copper and I didn't have the tools, so I had to hire a plumber. I could go on and on but the point was I got a job and we moved.

We still owned the house and I got a job back where the house was located. We returned and I tried to get the courage to continue working on it but I had lost heart. We bought another house. We sold the fixer-upper for a 6k lose. I sold it myself while using the logic of an ox. I listed all of the problems and talked myself out of all the money and work I had spent putting the bathroom back in it.

I began working on the new house, repainting it outside and inside over the next two years. I finished the fence in the backyard, a stockade type. I planted trees and put in shrubs and flowers. We found another place and moved. The second house sold for a tidy profit. There was very little wrong with it. I listed those things also. The new owners were especially happy and said it was the cleanest and best kept house they had found on the market. They agreed to pay full price. The lose on my last house had been returned and then some.

I feel pretty good about being a Scout.

FB

Okay here goes sorry if it's long,

A Scout is Trustworthy - The summer I turned 18, I worked consturction on the night shift. I was a little reckless and did some donuts with the forklift and left skid marks everywhere. The next day every employee was called in to the owner's office to be questioned. I worked with many people of questionable character and he was certain it was one of them. I came in that night and he had fired the whole evening shift confident that none of the 3 of us at night had done it and that they were lying. I confessed and took my punishment. When I left several people on the crew that had been fired were hangin aroudn in the parking lot and I relayed the story. One of the crew (who was probably the least trustworthy) looked at me and said "I didn't think it was you, but I knew that if it was, you'd tell him." It made me feel good to know that my character stood out.

Two day s later I got a call from the owner, who said that if I'd come in and clean up the skid marks he'd hire me back. He didn't want to lose someone like me.

A Scout is Helpful/Do a Good Turn Daily - This plays out in so many ways. Perhaps one of the most common recently is the use of my tow strap. I pull about one person a month off the road, out of an intersection or to a gas station.

A Scout is Reverent, Duty to God - Hmmm. Just look at my Username

Be Prepared - Thanks to the first aid I learned as a Scout I have had two occasions where I can clearly attest to those skills saving a life. One was simply a matter of restoring an open airway and the person began breathing. The other was a major head trauma from a motorcycle accident in the desert. It was over 30 minutes before the sherrif showed up and then he left to tell the medics where to land the helicopter, 20 more minture later. I had to restore breathing and stop hemreging from the head. Apparently I did things right because they worked around me for almost an hour. Two people who can be thankful for my SPL's, and Scoutmasters.

Physically fit - Oh here's where I have stumbled. Even as a Scout I was always one of the heaviest. In the years to follow I went the wrong way going well into the 300's. This past year, as I have become involved once again, I began to think about my role model vs. my rolls of fat. Since January of this year I have lost 35 lbs and treadmill at least 3 times a week, sometimes 5. While I have a ways to go, I'm on the way. It was a great joy to go hiking with my son and another boy a couple of weeks ago and not feel winded after topping a hill.

I believe without a doubt that God put me in Scouts to form me into the person that I am. So much of the positive things in my life are a direct reflection of being in Scouting from Seven to Twenty-one.

This is an older story but while reading this thread it popped into my head.

Although this may be the most cliche' Scout story.. Moving back into the dorms for my sophomore year I went out to lunch with my parents and girlfriend. We went to Newport Creamery, a Rhode Island diner chain, with the best Ice Cream shakes!! They call them Awful Awfuls so if your ever in RI look them up!

ANYWAY, it was on a busy road and there was an elderly women waiting to cross. Me being the Scout that I am went acorss the street to help her cross. She gladly accpetd and I took her arm and crossed her. She thanked me over and over and told me that that day was her 102nd birthday. I wished her a Happy Birthday and with a wink told her she didn't look a day past 70 She laughed and wanted to give me money but I refused. She wouldn't let me go unless I accepted, so I gave in and she handed me a 1$ bill. Afterwards I wrote on the dollar the date and that it was given to me by the one hundred and two year old woman in Providence... I put it on my wall at home to remind me of the day.

From the smallest helping hand we all make a difference. Doing good turns is one of the greatest parts of Scouting. And it is quite contagious. I can always depend on a Scouter to do what is right.

What Have We Done to Live Up to the Scout Oath and Law?

Everyday I get up and give it my best shot. Some-days I do better than others, some days I don't do very well at all.

I don't see it as any event or serious of events, more a way of living.

Sad thing is that even when I think I have it down pat the bar gets raised. Todays best is not good enough for tomorrow.

When the time comes I don't want anyone (Not that they would!!) to write :

Here Lies Eamonn he was Trustworthy,Loyal,Helpful, Friendly,Courteous,Kind,Obedient, Cheerful,Thrifty,Brave, Clean, and Reverent. He was physically strong,morally straight and mentally awake.He always helped other people at all times.

I will be happy if it just reads:

Here Lies Eamonn He did his Best.

Eamonn.

Double Posted - Sorry!!

Eamonn.

(This message has been edited by Eamonn)

In 1986 I drove to close to a guardrail and caused a flat tire on my car. A fella stopped and offered to change the tire for me. I explained I was capable but he insisted. I offered him a cold drink or some cash but he refused. He did ask that I return the favor some day. I though that would be easy.

For the next 20 years I looked at cars on the side of the road for an opportunity to return the favor. Occasionally I saw an opportunity here or there but felt I could not afford the time.

Last year, I happened upon a driver on the side of the road with a flat. I could make the time. I pulled over and offered my help. The driver did not even know if she had a spare or where her jack and tools would be. I was able to locate both and change her tire.

I took my promise to that helpful fella seriously. A scout (maybe slow) but is trustworthy and helpful.

I joined the local volunteer fire department and was active for a year and half until I moved out of the area. At the new location, I earned my EMT and volunteered. On average I ran at least one call a day for a year. Some of the calls were less than true emegencies but there were a few special calls where I was able to make difference for my patient. I moved again and joined an all volunteer rescue squad and SAR team. For the last 10 years I have the opportunity to help a few people who really needed it.

Do a good turn daily/helpful:

1. Helped an old lady gas up her tires at a car station; she tried to pay me for it, but I respectfully denied her.

2. I regularly donate plasma.

3. One time, on the way to donating plasma, I saw a dog walking in the middle of the street, a big rusty chain wrapped around it's throat. Normally, I'd just grab the dog and wave a car down, but it was a bred pitbull, and I'm not an idiot. I spent about an hour jogging after it back the way I had come, waving people down to call an animal shelter, and coaxing it so I could get the chain off it's neck. It was a long time coming, and I finally got the dog to eat out of my hand and sit next to me. The authorities arrived, and took the dog away. It made me feel good all over, and gave me an idea for talking to my scouts (I'm an ASM out here in Central Illinois) about how our duties to society don't stop at just the people in it. Also, a few weeks back, we were ending a meeting, asking for God to take care of some poor folks in trouble, and this one kid said "And my grandfather's dog." Well, he was reprimanded by the SM, and when I had taken him aside to explain to him that people don't feel as strongly about dogs as they do for other people, he cried, apparently very sentimental about his grandpa's dog. Even though the dog I saved was a pitbull, and showed signs of abuse, I'm thinking of recommending it to the scout for his grandpa.

4. I'm a card-carrying member of BSA and OA, Habitat For Humanity, and attend Bradley University (a sign for other scouts that they can attend college).

Friendly:

1. I was on Spring Break last week, and instead of staying at a small dinner with my group, HFH, I left to join a Boy Scout meeting occurring in an adjacent room. I felt this benefitted those scouts to know that Scouting can be found anywhere in the world, and of what things you can expect when you've reached Eagle rank.

Scout Oath - Physically Strong:

I do about 1000 pushups one day, 1000 situps the next, 1000 back and shoulder workouts another, and 1000 leg workouts on the last day, then I savor the rest of the week with isometrics, cardio, swimming, and pilates. On this note of remaining fit, I'm also an aerobics instructor at my college. Also, I regularly practice martial arts (TKD, BJJ, Muay Thai), and actually plan on giving some of the scouts some seminars on some techinques.

Scout Oath - Mentally awake:

Besides attending college and keeping up my grades, I continually read books everyday (currently finishing up The Earth's Children series, something I recommend for all Scouts, but not until the 8th grade).

-ES 3:16(This message has been edited by EagleScout316)