Thoughts of the Day from Mickey 7/15/15

The shape of the Scout insignia, the fleur de lis, is a representation of a flower, a lilly or iris.

Every new young Boy Scout is taught as a part of earning his first rank the greater signifigance of the fleur de lis. It is shaped like an old ornate compass needle that was used to help ancient mariners to navigate their way through the oceans seas. 

The top of the Scout emblem is a compass point that is not to lead a Scout or Scouter through the woods while hiking and backpacking. Rather the Scout insignia is to be used for Scouts and Scouters to assist in guiding them through the vast, uncertain,  and rugged  terrain of the wildernesd known as life.

The compass point of the Scouting emblem it is to help Scouts and Scouters to navigate their way through making decisions in their lives that lead them on the path to being healthy and productive members  of society. Folks who will some day find themselves at the end of that path to be seated at the final campfire and sit before the Scoutmaster of all Scouts. If they stayed the course they would be deserving of their final badge that is in likeness of the trail sign,  a circle with a dot in the center.  That  same trail sign embossed on the headstone of the founder of Scouting's final resting place means, "I have gone home".

As someone dissmissed from Scouting in an injust and sudden way, my heart weeps for the individual or few individuals who have decided my untimely and  unfair fate as a Scouter. I feel no hate or malice. Instead my heart weeps for them as it may be possible that somewhere in life they may have lost their way by misplacing their compass.

I am Mickey and these are my thoughts for the day:

It easy to find yourself lost in life. Often it is through our actions of helping, guiding and being there for others to find their way,  that we find our own. Be a mentor to others. This does not need to be a formal process and often all it takes is to lead others by the example by your own actions.

I will take my leave of you today with a couple of quotes from Robert Stephenson Symth Baden-Powell, founder of Scouting:

"The real way to happiness is to give it to others"

"In Scouting you are combatting the brooding of selfishness"

-Mickey

Thoughts of the day from Mickey 7/14/2015

If you look at a traditional Scout Fleur de lis, the First Class Scout version you will see two stars on that emblem. They are not only on that badge but on theinternational Scouting emblem.

Those two stars and their meaning are often the least talked about features of the emblem. They represent the ideas of TRUTH and KNOWLEDGE.

TRUTH in my opinion, should be a point of the Scout law. It is a pinnacle of the core values of the program. When folks think of Scouts, they see them as Truthfull indivuduals. Many in charge of organizations, businesses, ect respect those who exercise candor and wear their hearts on our sleeves. Yet many in charge do not ever want to see or hear the truth. They get angry to hear the truth and punish those who speak it.

Knowledge, the pursuit and quest for knowledge, truthfull knowledge is what many of us thirst for in this society. Knowledge is and can be power, but it can be manipulated to establish and maintain control. Control over individuals, or groups. Those who control knowledge for their owns ends and hide truthfull knowledge to maintain authority often punish those who seek expose truthfull knowledge.

Was I dismissed from Scouting because I was a part of a group who wanted truthfull knowledge to be shared? Was my dismissal from Scouting to serve as a cautionary lesson to my circle of friends to not speak out or else? Was I a victim because I stand with a group of wistleblowers in Scouting who pursued the the ideals behind the two stars on the Scout Fleur de lis? Have others who were involved in Scouting suffered simmular or the same fate as me for speaking out? I am not accusing anyone, just questioning. If so, I hold no feelings of hate or malice in my heart for those who would do this to me. I would ask no one to have any ill feelings for them. I feel and would ask you all to feel sympathy for them as they may be lost and may have not yet found the signifigance and the true meaning in the stars.

I am Mickey and these are my thoughts if the day:

Speaking the truth is what has always worked for me. Telling lies only works for as long as you can remember the details of that lie. I am not a good liar, never have been, so it has never been my practice. I get in far less trouble that way. To quote an honor code followed by another organization I belong to: "I will not lie, cheat, steal or commit any act of intentional dishonesty, OR TOLERATE THOSE WHO DO."

I take my leave of you today in the words that have granted me passage to sit and feel the warmth before countless council fires amongst many of my brothers who serve others in a chearful manner, "love one another".

-Mickey