Something drew you in to be a Scouter. Maybe it was your son bugging you to let him join the Cub Scout pack at school. Maybe you were a Scout as a kid, and you remembered the good times and wanted your son to enjoy them too. A friend might have suggested you get involved because you have talents that should be paid forward.
One thing’s likely: you didn’t just look at the mission and values of the Scouting movement and decide that you should become involved.
But it is likely that Scouting’s values align with your own pretty closely.
Commitment to a cause requires that your values align with those of the organization. Even happiness at work is tied to whether you embrace the values that your employer has put forth. Yes, every organization has values, whether they say so or not. And you have values, too, for better or for worse.
If you are philanthropically-inclined, you’re not likely to want to be in harmony with an organization, like a company, whose primary aim is profit over purpose. Or if you have personal beliefs – be they political, spiritual or environmental – that go against what an organization advocates.
Scouting works the same way. Our values are the Scout Oath and Scout Law. If you’re a Scouter, chances are you agree with most, if not all, of them, and you live your life that way. Or, becoming a Scouter has helped to steer your values, just as we hope to instill them in our youth.
If you feel conflict in your unit, look at Scouting’s values and make sure your fellow Scouters are in alignment.
If other parts of your life are out of kilter, ask yourself if you agree with their values. If not, it might be time for a change.
Whether we realize it or not, each one of us lives by our own moral code that guides us to what’s right and what’s wrong. Pay attention to yours, get your life in alignment, and you will be on the way to a happier, more purposeful existence.
This post first appeared on Bobwhite Blather.
