The sixth point of the Scout Law is “A Scout is Kind”. Kindness is a one of the most critical pieces of scout spirit and is critically lacking in society today. From local issues to national problems, our society has become incredibly polarized. Social media has connected us all but has made it far easy to find ways that we do not agree.
But all is not lost. Scouting gives us the chance to focus on kindness and to teach our kids to always be kind. Some of the best moments are those where kindness sneaks out in surprising ways. Sometimes that takes the form of an older scout helping our youngest scouts (and what is cuter than that??). Other times it is when two kids in the same den, that can typically get on each other’s nerves, can put that aside to accomplish something together.
The program is designed to put kids into situations where kindness is required. It is up to us as leaders and parents to reinforce the need for kindness in those situations. For me, some of the most fulfilling moments in any given day are when I have the opportunity to show kindness when it wouldn’t be expected. If our kids all start to take on that mentality society could make huge strides.