Courteous - The Thank-You Note
| Category: | Scout Law |
|---|---|
| Props: | A blank thank-you card or a sheet of paper (optional) |
| Notes: | For the meeting after a campout, a service project, a merit badge class, or a court of honor, when Scouts have people to thank. Consider bringing cards and having Scouts write one before they leave. See also eagle-project-the-thank-you. |
When was the last time you wrote a real thank-you note? Not a text. Not a quick "thx." A real note, on paper, with your own handwriting.
For a lot of you, the answer might be never. And I get it. Texting is faster. But here's something worth knowing.
A text takes five seconds to send and five seconds to forget. A handwritten note takes a few minutes. And people keep them. Merit badge counselors keep them in drawers. Drivers stick them on the fridge. Camp staff pin them to the wall. Some people keep the notes Scouts wrote them for years.
Think about who's helped you lately. The parent who drove to the campout. The merit badge counselor who gave up a Saturday. The person who let us use their land, or donated to our fundraiser, or taught a skill at a meeting. None of them had to.
A good thank-you note doesn't need to be long. Three things: say thank you, say what for, and say something specific. "Thank you for driving to the campout. I really liked hearing your stories about camping when you were a Scout." That's it. That last part, the specific part, is what makes it something people keep.
A Scout is courteous. Writing a thank-you note is one of the most courteous things you can do. It tells someone, "I noticed what you did, and it mattered."
So this week, write one. Just one. Put it in the mail or hand it to them. Watch what happens.