Scouting: Imbedded for Life
By Adèle Lewis
Television news churns out stories of the bad or the unusual every night. That’s what they are paid to do. News of the “everyman” will never make the 10 o’clock show. But it can be seen in your community every day when it comes to Scouts. Youth who have had the Scout Oath and Scout Law imbedded in their psyche will demonstrate their values every day.
Take a Spring day in Wichita Falls, Texas. A young man with his driver’s license still just a paper slip in his wallet is enjoying his new found freedom. Our 16th year is a very fond time in our minds indeed.
It was definitely a great time for one young man named Dillon. But while taking his friend home from school, Dillon made a rookie mistake. He cut off another car so closely on a narrow road that the other driver lost control, hit a guyed wire, and planted the car on its driver’s side door.
Dillon saw it in his rear view mirror and groaned. What do you do when you are inexperienced, nervous, and afraid to get a ticket? Many new drivers would consider driving on. But Dillon threw on his brakes, jumped out of his truck, and ran back. His buddy didn’t and sat inside the truck.
The teen got to the crash site, jumped on the top side of the vehicle, pulled the door up against gravity, and offered his hand to the man trapped inside. Dillon pulled the man up and out.
Now with lights and sirens racing to the scene, Dillon asked the man if he was OK, and they waited for police. Officers arrived with lots of questions. And the brand new driver told them he had caused the wreck. By now the power company was on the scene since the crash caused a couple thousand people to go without power. The news could only get worse, Dillon thought.
But no ticket was issued that day. Dillon was simply thanked for his honesty and allowed to leave.
The difference with this wreck was that Dillon was a Life Scout who had just finished his Eagle Scout application paperwork.
The difference this day was that this young man had lived his life obeying the Scout Law and remembering his training. This Scout was trustworthy, helpful, courteous, kind, obedient, and brave. He remembered his first aid and life-saving skills.
There was no parade, no commendation from the Mayor, no reporters, and no life-saving medal needed. Dillon was just an everyday example of how the values we teach in Scouting are imbedded in our youth and put to use in our communities every day.