Outdoor Code - The Police Line
| Category: | Outdoor Code |
|---|---|
| Props: | Trash bags (optional) |
| Notes: | A short minute to say right before the police line forms at the end of a campout, service project, or outdoor event. For how to run a police line, see /outdoor/police-line. See also outdoor-code-clean-in-my-outdoor-manners and the other Outdoor Code minutes. |
The tents are down. The gear is packed. Everybody's tired, and a lot of you are already thinking about a hot shower and your own bed.
But we have one more thing to do before we go.
When we pulled in here on (Friday), this place was waiting for us. Somebody took care of it before we came. Now it's our turn to take care of it for whoever comes next.
So we're going to form a police line. Everyone, Scouts and adults. Shoulder to shoulder, eyes on the ground, slow and steady from one end of the site to the other. Pick up anything that wasn't here when the trees were the only ones around. Twist ties. Wrapper corners. Tent stakes. That one sock. Even the stuff we didn't drop.
Here's why it matters. Nobody is going to grade us on this. The next group won't know our names. But they'll pull into a campsite that's clean, and they'll have a better weekend because of it. That's a Good Turn for people we'll never meet.
And when we're done, take one last look around. Ask yourself: would the next group thank us?
Let's make sure the answer is yes. Line up.