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Imagine there is a bank that credits your account each morning with $86,400. It carries over no balance from day to day. Every evening deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to use during the day. What would you do? Draw out every cent, of course!!!!
Each of us has such a bank. Its name is TIME. Every morning, it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it writes off, as lost, whatever of this you have failed to invest to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no overdraft. Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it burns the remains of the day. If you fail to use the day’s deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There is no drawing against the “tomorrow”.
You must live in the present on today’s deposits. Invest it so as to get from it the utmost in health, happiness, and success! The clock is running. Make the most of today.
To realize the value of ONE YEAR, ask a student who failed a grade.
To realize the value of ONE MONTH, ask a mother who gave birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of ONE WEEK, ask the editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of ONE HOUR, ask the couple who are waiting to meet.
To realize the value of ONE MINUTE, ask a person who missed the train.
To realize the value of ONE SECOND, ask a person who just avoided an accident.
To realize the value of ONE MILLISECOND, ask the person who won a silver medal in the Olympics.
Treasure every moment that you have! And treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time.
And remember that time waits for no one. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, That’s why it’s called the present!!
SM Mr. Karb
Scoutmaster Minutes used from WoodBadge coursework.
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Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane as destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison. He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience.
One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in a restaurant, a man at another table came up and said, “You’re Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk. You were shot down!”
“How in the world did you know that?” asked Plumb.
“ I packed your parachute,” the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said, “I guess it worked!” Plumb assured him, “It sure did. If your chute hadn’t worked, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Plumb couldn’t sleep that night, thinking about that man. Plumb says, “I kept wondering what he might have looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat, a bib in the back, and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said Good morning, how are you?’ or anything because, you see, I was a fighter pilot and he was just a sailor.”
Plumb thought of the man hours the sailor had spent on a long wooden table in the bowels of the ship, carefully weaving the shrouds and folding the silks of each chute, holding in his hands each time the fate of someone he didn’t know.
Now, Plumb asks his audience, “Who’s packing your parachute?” Everyone has someone who provides what they need to make it through the day. Plumb also points out that he needed many kinds of parachutes when his plane was shot down over enemy territory-he needed his physical parachute, his mental parachute, his emotional parachute, and his spiritual parachute. He called on all these supports before reaching safety.
Sometimes in the daily challenges that life gives us, we miss what is really important. We may fail to say hello, please, or thank you, congratulate someone on something wonderful that has happened to them, give a compliment, or just do something nice for no reason.
As you go through this week, this month, this year, recognize people who pack your parachute.
SM Karb
Short story posted at: http://www.axpow.org/stories-whopacksyourparachute.htm
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As the sun rose, a dew drop became aware of its surroundings. There it sat on a leaf, catching the sunlight and throwing it back out. Proud of its simple beauty, it was very content. Around it were other dew drops, some on the same leaf and some on other leaves round about. The dew drop was sure that it was the best, the most special dew drop of them all.
Ah, it was good to be a dew drop.
The wind rose and the plant began to shake, tipping the leaf. Terror gripped the dew drop as gravity pulled it towards the edge of the leaf, towards the unknown. Why? Why was this happening? Things were comfortable. Things were safe. Why did they have to change? Why? Why?
The dew drop reached the edge of the leaf. It was terrified, certain that it would be smashed into a thousand pieces below, sure that this was the end. The day had only just begun and the end had come so quickly. It seemed so unfair. It seemed so meaningless. It tried desperately to do whatever it could to cling to the leaf, but it was no use.
Finally, it let go, surrendering to the pull of gravity. Down, down it fell. Below there seemed to be a mirror. A reflection of itself seemed to be coming up to meet the dew drop. Closer and closer they came together until finally...
And then the fear transformed into deep joy as the tiny dew drop merged with the vastness that was the pond. Now the dew drop was no more, but it was not destroyed.
It had become one with the whole.
Sometimes we are apprehensive and resistant to change. Yet when we offer ourselves up and try something new, we often are better for it. Work together and chart a new course!
SM Karb
The following short story was located at: http://www.inspirationpeak.com/cgi-bin/stories.cgi?record=149
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Scouts: A man and his son were walking in the forest. Suddenly the boy trips and feeling a sharp pain he screams, “Ahhhhhhhhh!” Surprised, he hears a voice coming from the mountain, “Ahhhhhhhhh!” Filled with curiosity, he screams, “Who are you?” but the only answer he receives is “Who are you?” This makes him angry, so he screams, “You are a coward!” and the voice answers, “You are a coward!” He looks at his father, asking, “Dad, what is going on?” “Son,” the man replies, “Pay attention!” then he screams, “I admire you!”. The voice answers, “I admire you!” The father shouts, “You are wonderful!” and the voice answers, “You are wonderful!” Then the father explains, “People call this Echo, but truly it is Life. Life always gives you back what you give out. Life is a mirror of your actions. If you want more love, give more love. If you want understanding, give understanding and respect. If you want people to be patient and respectful to you, give patience and respect. This rule of nature applies to every aspect of our lives. Life always gives you back what you give out. Your life is not a coincidence, but a mirror of your own doings.” I have always subscribed to the belief that whatever energy we put out to the universe, we receive it back tenfold. Everything we experience—be it kindness or otherwise—is a reflection of our inner state. So to change what we are experiencing on the outside, we first need to change what we are experiencing inside. What do you experience on a regular basis? Your life is echoing back to you, what is it saying? SM Mr. Karb Located at: http://thedirty30sclub.com/blog/2011/10/the-boy-and-the-echo/ (By Chiao Kee) |
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A speech made by Capt. John S. McCain, USN, (Ret) who represents Arizona in the U.S. Senate:"As you may know, I spent five and one half years as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War. In the early years of our imprisonment, the NVA kept us in solitary confinement or two or three to a cell. In 1971 the NVA moved us from these conditions of isolation into large rooms with as many as 30 to 40 men to a room. This was, as you can imagine, a wonderful change and was a direct result of the efforts of millions of Americans on behalf of a few hundred POWs 10,000 miles from home. One of the men who moved into my room was a young man named Mike Christian. Mike came from a small town near Selma, Alabama. He didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was 13 years old. At 17, he enlisted in the US Navy. He later earned a commission by going to Officer Training School. Then he became a Naval Flight Officer and was shot down and captured in 1967. Mike had a keen and deep appreciation of the opportunities this country-and our military-provide for people who want to work and want to succeed. As part of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves and other items of clothing. Mike got himself a bamboo needle. Over a period of a couple of months, he created an American flag and sewed on the inside of his shirt. Every afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt on the wall of the cell and say the Pledge of Allegiance. I know the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important part of our day now, but I can assure you that in that stark cell it was indeed the most important and meaningful event. One day the Vietnamese searched our cell, as they did periodically, and discovered Mike's shirt with the flag sewn inside, and removed it. That evening they returned, opened the door of the cell, and for the benefit of all us, beat Mike Christian severely for the next couple of hours. Then, they opened the door of the cell and threw him in. We cleaned him up as well as we could. The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on which we slept. Four naked light bulbs hung in each corner of the room. As I said, we tried to clean up Mike as well as we could. After the excitement died down, I looked in the corner of the room, and sitting there beneath that dim light bulb with a piece of red cloth, another shirt and his bamboo needle, was my friend, Mike Christian. He was sitting there with his eyes almost shut from the beating he had received, making another American flag. He was not making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was making that flag because he knew how important it was to us to be able to pledge allegiance to our flag and our country. So the next time you say the Pledge of Allegiance, you must never forget the sacrifice and courage that thousands of Americans have made to build our nation and promote freedom around the world. You must remember our duty, our honor, and our country. 'I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." On Veterans' Day...make a point of finding a veteran and thanking them for their service to our great Country! SM Mr. Karb
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Just some thoughts regarding camping and organizing your camp site! (From: http://www.trails.com/how_889_organize-a-campsite.html) Step 1 Choose a campsite that is within regulations of the area you are backpacking in. Many areas do not allow camping within 200 feet of a trail or water. Find a campsite that has a durable surface such as duff (fallen leaves), snow, or grassy meadow so that you leave as little impact as possible while camping there.
Step 2
Create a triangle with your camp stations. The sleeping area, with your tent or tents, should be in one area, the kitchen in another and the bear hang---if you are using one---in yet another area. These three areas should be at least 200 feet apart, if possible. You do not want any food particles or scented items near your tents in bear country, and setting up your tent site upwind from the kitchen and bear hang area is not a bad idea. If you are camping in the winter or on a glacier, you probably don't have to worry about bears or other threatening wildlife, and cooking closer to your tents is less dangerous.
Step 3
Take care of your equipment by securing all loose items in your tent or backpack. Even if you are stepping away only for a moment, store loose items securely under a tarp so they do not blow away. All food and utensils should be stored in a food bag when not in use and hung in a bear hang while you are sleeping.
Step 4
Never set down dirty spatulas or spoons on the rock or ground of your kitchen area, set them on the back of a lid. Spill as little crumbs as possible and dig a sump hole several yards away (not in the direction of the tent) to pour dirty water into when cleaning out your pots and pans. Organizing your camp kitchen is especially important and should be on a surface that equal to or surpasses durability compared to your tent site as you will spend most of your time around the kitchen area. Rock is the best surface if you've got it.
Step 5
Do not leave out socks or sleeping bags to dry on a tree limb and then walk away, and never leave stuff out to dry overnight. You never know when a storm will blow through the mountains, soaking and scattering your stuff.
Return the area to what it looked like before you camped there as much as possible. Scatter leaves where they have been walked on, replace the stick you tossed aside to set up your tent and always scan the area before leaving to make sure you don't leave a trace. Always follow the LNT principles which are: Plan Ahead and Prepare, Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces, Dispose of Waste Properly, Leave What You Find, Minimize Campfire Impacts, Respect Wildlife and Be Considerate of Other Visitors. |
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Scouter's Minute
I have here a map and a compass. With these tools and a little knowledge, I can find my way anywhere in Whatcom County. I ‘m not bragging. Many of my fellow leaders have followed me right past the turn we were supposed to take to get to camp, but we eventually get there. A compass helps us to orient the map and find our bearings while the map identifies landmarks that we can recognize and measure. Many churches around the county sponsors a program through Christian Education that teaches young men how to use a map and compass to find their way – Boy Scouts. In fact, Scouting teaches a more important type of map reading. You see, a map is like our Scout Law: A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. (I recited the Law and Oath because a lot of people do not know them.) The compass is like the Scout Oath: On my honor, I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. We use the map (the Scout Law) as a guide for our lives and the compass (the Scout Oath) to keep ourselves oriented. I like Boy Scouts because it is one program that requires the adult leaders to take the same oath and live by the same law that the Scouts do, and you know, if a young man lives up to the Scout Oath and Scout Law, he is bound to be a pretty good person. Yours in Scouting SM Higgins This SMM came from public use website: http://www.scoutorama.com/minute/min_display.cfm?min_id=69 |
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