"Service Hour Syndrome" strikes again! "Show up for the blah, blah, blah and you'll get service-hour credit," says the Scoutmaster. Ouch! What he's really teaching here is "don't do nuthin' unless ya get somethin' fer it!" Whatever happened to the notion of "Show up and help out, because THAT'S WHAT SCOUTS DO!"? Do we really want to teach our kids that they shouldn't lift a finger unless they get something back for it? Or do we want to teach them that the joy of giving to others is the best possible "payback"? Besides, in a world that's abundant, their efforts on behalf of others will come back to them -- It's just that it won't necessarily be "linear." Waite Phillips said, "You don't truly own something until you give it away." We don't "own" the Scout Slogan until we put it into action by giving ourselves away. No, this isn't self-sacrifice or martyrdom; it's SCOUT SPIRIT. Not a bad concept to live by, by the way.
Happy Scouting --
Andy