Scout Master Minute

The troop recites the Scout Oath every meeting.  It begins with “On my honor...”  Hold on—honor?  What is “honor”?  We see it in movies or read about it in stories: the hero fights for his “honor”; the hero’s “honor was insulted by his enemy; the hero defends the “honor” or another.  In MY opinion, the online Merriam-Webster attempts to define “honor” by diluting it with other meanings that have more to do with how one looks in the community (i.e. reputation, face, award, reward, etc).  The same dictionary does have one definition that comes close to defining true “honor”: “one’s word given as a guarantee of performance”.  In other words, when you recite the Scout Oath you are guaranteeing you will carry out what the Oath says and means.  “Honor”, as it means to a scout, has everything to do with meeting the obligation incurred by the Scout Oath.  If you say you will do your best—Do It.  If you say you are going to obey the Scout Law—Obey it.  If you are going to help others and at the same time take care of your body, mind, and soul—then no one will hinder you.  Remember, true honor has nothing to do with how you look in front of others but how you meet your obligations in relation to others.

 

Yours In Scouting,
Tony Ramos, Scoutmaster