To all the Scouts out there.
Nov. 8th, 2010 09:52 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
katsuno_hitomiMy brother had a Boy Scout's Court of Honor yesterday evening, so I've been thinking a lot about Scouting in the past 24 hours. One of the things that really hit me during the meeting was a story that my brother's Scoutmaster told. It was originally told by President Thomas S. Monson, current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Here is the story in my own words.
There was a man who would always volunteer to cook for some high ranking scout leaders during their meetings. At the end of one of their meals, one of the leaders asked this man why he always volunteered so eagerly to cook for them. The cook put down his skillet and told him that his name was Demitrius, and that he was originally from Greece. His village had been invaded by Nazi's during WWII, and the men of the village would try to sabotage their war efforts as a sign of resistance.
One day, the men blew up a hydroelectric dam. That night, Demitrius woke to the lights of Nazi trucks and a command by the soldiers that every man and boy in the village was to gather on the village square. He had just enough time to put on his trousers and buckle his belt before he went to the village square.
Once all the males of the village had gathered, the soldiers explained that because of the broken dam, every 5th male in the village would be shot. Row by row the Nazi's went until the came to Demitirus' row. To his horror, Demitrius found that he would be one of those who would be shot. The soldier assigned to execute him looked at him and then at his belt buckle. It was a Scouting belt buckle that Demitrius had earned for memorizing the Scout Law and Oath. To his suprise, the Nazi soldier held up his hand in the three-fingered salute of Scouting and said "Run, boy. Run." As Demitrius finished his story, he told the leaders that he served Scouting because he wanted every boy to have a chance to live their dreams.
Needless to say, I got choked up when I heard that story last night. It made me so greatful that Scouting is a worldwide phenomenon.
So to all those invloved with Scouting, I want to say don't ever think that it isn't important. It is important.
There was a man who would always volunteer to cook for some high ranking scout leaders during their meetings. At the end of one of their meals, one of the leaders asked this man why he always volunteered so eagerly to cook for them. The cook put down his skillet and told him that his name was Demitrius, and that he was originally from Greece. His village had been invaded by Nazi's during WWII, and the men of the village would try to sabotage their war efforts as a sign of resistance.
One day, the men blew up a hydroelectric dam. That night, Demitrius woke to the lights of Nazi trucks and a command by the soldiers that every man and boy in the village was to gather on the village square. He had just enough time to put on his trousers and buckle his belt before he went to the village square.
Once all the males of the village had gathered, the soldiers explained that because of the broken dam, every 5th male in the village would be shot. Row by row the Nazi's went until the came to Demitirus' row. To his horror, Demitrius found that he would be one of those who would be shot. The soldier assigned to execute him looked at him and then at his belt buckle. It was a Scouting belt buckle that Demitrius had earned for memorizing the Scout Law and Oath. To his suprise, the Nazi soldier held up his hand in the three-fingered salute of Scouting and said "Run, boy. Run." As Demitrius finished his story, he told the leaders that he served Scouting because he wanted every boy to have a chance to live their dreams.
Needless to say, I got choked up when I heard that story last night. It made me so greatful that Scouting is a worldwide phenomenon.
So to all those invloved with Scouting, I want to say don't ever think that it isn't important. It is important.
