Our good friend in Scouting, Earl P. Moyer, pointed
something out to a group of us the other day.
I thought I might share it with you. There are those golden moments in
Scouting, when a boy comes to you, at a meeting or on a campout, when he feels
a need to have your undivided attention.
These are the moments when he wants to show you his accomplishments or
share his thoughts with you. It is times
like these that are the focus of Scouting.
Our aim is to influence a boy's character for the better. When these golden moments come, you must be
ready. You cannot be too busy. You cannot be preoccupied with something
else. You must take that moment and give
it to a boy who needs you. You must
praise his accomplishments. You must
respect and acknowledge his thoughts.
You must not waste that golden moment.
This is one of the methods of Scouting. You are there with that boy as a role model.
You are there to influence his character.
You are there to show him the way.
It is your presence that he is responding to. It is your presence that
he is responding to when he expresses a need share his thoughts or his
accomplishments. At that golden moment
he trusts you to respond in a positive way to his need. At that moment you cannot turn him away. Be trustworthy. Be loyal. Be kind.
Be friendly. Be prepared. Waste not that golden moment.