Troop 144

This is a speech made in 1851 by Seattle, chief of the Suquamish, in response to a treaty proposal under which the Indians would sell two million acres of land for $150,000. Buckminster Fuller calls it “one of the most beautiful and profound environmental statements ever made”.

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How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?

Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man. Continue reading →

In Israel, there are two major bodies of water. Both of these bodies of water are fed by the
waters of the River Jordan.

One is the Sea of Galilee, which is full of fish, and is surrounded by lush vegetation and
trees. It is a living body in every sense.

The other is the Dead Sea. There is nothing green there, there are no fish, and the sea is
stagnant and dead. Continue reading →

One afternoon while working around his yard a man spotted a cocoon. He looked closer a
noticed that something was struggling to get through a very small hole in the cocoon.

He stood a watched for several minutes before he was certain that what he was seeing was
a butterfly attempting to get through the hole in the cocoon. As he watched the insect inside
the cocoon pushed and twisted but could not squeeze its way through the hole since the hole
was smaller than the body of the butterfly. Continue reading →

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and,
to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in
front of the group of high-powered overachievers, he said, “Okay, time for a quiz.”

He then pulled out a one-gallon, wide-mouth Mason jar and set it on the table in front of
him. Then he produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one by
one, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he
asked, “Is this jar full?”

Everyone in the class said, “Yes.” Continue reading →

“The Boy Scout”

You’ll find him on a mountain trail
Well off the beaten track
Adventure mirrored in his eyes
His world within his pack

You’ll find him when disaster strikes
With grime upon his face
You’ll also find him deep in thought
In some secluded place

You’ll find him where the campfire glows
And friendship fills the air
Just seek the brotherhood of men
You’re sure to find him there

You’ll find him here in each good turn
Content to do his part
But most of all you’ll find him etched
On some Scoutmaster’s heart.