Mentor Footprints

One night a scout had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along a trail with one of his scout leaders. Across the night sky flashed scenes from his scouting career. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints on the trail: one belonging to the scout leader and one belonging to him. When the last scene flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints on the trail. He noticed that many times along his scouting path there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the most difficult times in his journey to Eagle. This really bothered him, and he questioned the scout leader about it. “Why is it that when my path to eagle was the most difficult and I wanted to quit, I find myself alone on the trail?” The scout leader replied, “Young Scout, you have never been on this journey alone. During your times of difficulty and doubt, where you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I lifted you up and encouraged you to climb even higher.”

It is not only the scout leaders who lift you up and encourage you to continue, but your fellow scouts. How many in this room have started a new chapter in your lives IE: school, career, marriage, and went in with ease and comfort? I doubt any. Entering into Scouting is new, exciting, and also terrifying. This is especially true if you do not know anyone.

Mr. Gnadinger

Scoutmaster