Help Other People At All Times (Scoutmaster Minute)

Every time we say the Scout Oath, we promise "to help other people at all times." We've said it so many times that it's easy to rush past. But listen to those last three words again. At all times.

Not just when it's easy. Not just when someone is watching, or when there's a badge for it, or when we're in uniform. At all times.

That's a big promise. Nobody is expecting you to pull people out of burning buildings every day. Most of the helping you'll ever do is small. Holding a door. Carrying the cooler without being asked. Sitting with the new kid at lunch. Picking up the trash nobody else will touch. Small things count, and they add up.

"At all times" also means helping people you don't especially like. The kid who's annoying in your den. The brother or sister who just took the last cookie. Helping is easy when it's somebody you like. Helping when it isn't is when the promise really means something.

And "at all times" includes home. Some Scouts are great helpers at a campout and then disappear when it's time to do the dishes at home. Your family counts too. Maybe they count most.

So here's a challenge for this week. Every day, look for one chance to help someone, especially someone who didn't ask. When we get together next time, I'll ask who found one.