Strong Leaders

In a conversation with a new friend, I was asked how many grandchildren I had.  Proudly I answered "Ten.  My oldest daughter and her husband have six and my youngest daughter (We only have the two) and her husband have four."  My new friend got a concerned look on his face and said, "Don't you worry about kids growing is such a violent and nasty world as this?"  My response was quick and from the heart, "Not at all," I said, "They will make it better."

                I understand how when you look at the world we live in it can be a bit discouraging.  We have leaders in the highest offices lie and cheat.  We have crime everywhere and so much cruelty and hate.  However, believe it or not, it has been worse.  A funny thing about people, we look at our current times and believe it is the worst it has ever been; and in twenty years we see it as the "Good Old Days".

“I think that American leadership is vital to peace and prosperity and the advancement of democracy in the world, and that requires having strong leaders.  And I don't think there's any organization in the world, certainly not in the United States, that better prepares young men for leadership in this century than the Boy Scouts of America - in teaching leadership skills, in teaching values, in teaching importance of standing up for what's right.”

– Robert Gates

Former Secretary of Defense

                Things are bad, there is no getting away from that.  We need a fundamental change in our society and behavior.  But how do we get that change?  It is not by making more laws and rules.  We already have so many laws and regulations that no one knows what they can or cannot do anymore.  No, the way to change our world is to change the people in it.  One person at a time.  Sounds simple and impossible at the same time.  How do you change people?  How can we do anything really effective to bring about change for the good?

                One of the best tools we have to help young people become those good and honorable people we long for is to get them involved in Scouting. I am not saying that Scouts alone will make them better, however, we all need the right tools to create a successful life, and Scouting provides these tools and is a lot of fun as well. The Scout Oath and Law teach principles that, if followed will lead every person who follows them to a better more successful life.

                Allow me to give you two basic and very important ways that you can make an effective and immediate change to the world you live in.

Change One:  Start With Yourself

                You do not have the power to change anything in life, but you do have the power to change you, and by doing that, you change it all.  "But I am not a bad person", you may say.  "I follow the laws, and am a nice guy and give to charity."  That is all very wonderful, but we can all be better than we are.  It is a simple case of doing the right thing - all the time - just because it is the right thing to do.  That sounds easy but it takes work and courage to pull it off.

                Sometimes doing the right thing is refusing to do the wrong thing.  It is taking a stand for what is right, even if you are the only one standing.  True character in a person is an active thing that shows in all areas of life; how we behave, how we deal with others and what we believe.  This is where the Scout Law can bring clarity and direction to our lives.  It helps us understand in 12 principles, what it means to be a person of honesty, integrity, and faithfulness.

                If you start with you, you will have successfully changed one person for the better and thus, changed us all as a whole.  If each one of us did this there would be nothing, no matter how powerful or wicked, that could overcome us.  I love the words of the writer, Thomas Carlyle who said, "Make yourself an honest man, then you may be sure that there is one less scoundrel in the world."

Change Two:  Teach Our Children How To Be People Of Character

                As a parent, grandparent, relative, teacher, coach, Sunday school teacher, Scout Leader or anything that puts you in contact with children, you have an awesome power and responsibility to shape a life.  Look at many of the problems we have with our youth today and ask, "Where did they learn this stuff?"  The answer is, from us.  We pour so much trash and wrong into their lives through movies, games, school, example and more.  They did not come up with bad behavior on their own, we taught them.

                This principle of teaching works the other way too.  We can, and many do, teach our children how to make the right choices, do good deeds, study and work hard, be polite and to think of others.  As a Scout leader, grandparent and someone who is around kids a lot, I can tell you that there are many great and well-behaved kids in this world.  I look at my Scouts and I am hopeful for tomorrow.

                Remember this, these kids you see today, whether your own or those you are in contact with, will be - not maybe, but WELL BE, the leaders of tomorrow.  They will one day run things and if we want a better world we best start with them.  When we invest our time and energy into children we are investing in our future.

                I get so put off by self-seeking adults who claim they do all their underhanded and unethical acts for "the children".  You want do we something to help the children, start by teaching them honesty, integrity, hard work and justice.  How can we make the family better?  Start by showing our children what a family should be and how people in that family should act.  Want to feed a hungry child?  Start by teaching them the value of hard work, earning your way and to be self-sufficient.  We have a responsibility to teach our children to be the best they can be.

                I believe that one of the best tools we have in this country to help lead our children in the right direction is Scouting.  Do all those who were in Scouts turn out to be model citizens?  No.  But more do than do not.  Scouting is not a replacement to good parenting, it is only a tool that can help in the process.  It is up to us, the family members to help our children learn how to make good choices, do their best, love God, have good manners, discover the unknown and change the world.  In this, I am hopeful for tomorrow.

You matter!  You matter to the world and to yourself.  Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.

Scouting Out of Uniform is a personal blog based on the lessons learned from Scouting that relate to personal development and success principles and is not an official site of The Boy Scouts of America. John Patrick Hickey does not represent or speak for the Scouting program; however, he does completely support and encourages Scouting for both young and old. John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Personal Development Coach, and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2018 John Patrick Hickey