John Wayne, a great American,
passed away many years ago. Here is what he had to say about the Scout Law and what it really means:
TRUSTWORTHY: The badge of
honesty. Having it lets you look at any man in the eye. Lacking it he won't look back. Keep this one at the top of your list.
LOYAL: The Very word is life
itself, for without loyalty we have no love of person or country.
HELPFUL: Part sharing, part
caring. By helping each other, we help ourselves, not to mention mankind. Be always full of help.
FRIENDLY: Brotherhood is
part of that word. You can take it in a lot of directions - and do - but make sure and start with brotherhood.
COURTEOUS: Allow each person
his human dignity which means a lot more than saying, "yes ma'am" and "thank you sir". It reflects an attitude that later
in life you wish you had honored more... earlier in life. Save yourself that problem. Do it now.
KIND: This one word would stop wars and erase hatreds. But its like your bicycle, its just no good unless you get out
and use it.
OBEDIENT: Starts at home.
Practice it in your family. Enlarge it in your friends. Share it with humanity.
CHEERFUL: Anyone can put
on a happy face when the going is good. The secret is to wear it as a mask for your problems. It might surprise you how many
others do the same thing.
THRIFTY: Means a lot more
than putting pennies away, and it is the opposite of cheap. Common sense covers it just about as well as anything.
BRAVE: You don't have to
fight to be brave. Millions of good, fine, decent folks show more bravery than heavyweight champs just by getting out of bed
every morning, going out to do a good day's work and living the best life they know how against the law of odds.
CLEAN: Soap and waters help
a lot on the outside. But it is the inside that counts and don't ever forget it.
REVERENT: Believe in anything
that you want to believe in, but keep God at the top of it. With Him, life can be a beautiful experience. Without Him, you
are just biding time.
