Planting for the Future - The USS Constitution Oaks
| Category: | Inspirational |
|---|---|
| Notes: | True story: In 1976, the U.S. Navy set aside over 50,000 white oak trees at Crane Naval Support Activity in Indiana to provide timber for future repairs to the USS Constitution. The first trees were harvested in the 1990s. |
There's a story - a true one - about the USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides." When she was first built, live oak made her hull so strong that cannonballs seemed to bounce off. Centuries later, she still stands as a proud symbol of our nation's history.
Knowing that time and weather would one day take their toll, the U.S. Navy planted a grove of white oak trees in Indiana - not for the present generation, but for the future. Those trees were carefully tended for decades before any timber was used. When the Constitution needed repair, the Navy already had the perfect oak waiting.
That's foresight - and that's Scouting. Every knot you learn, every act of service you perform, every promise you keep is like planting an acorn. You may not see the full-grown tree, but someday, someone will stand tall because you took the time to prepare.
A Scout is prepared, loyal, and helpful. Plant your acorns today - because the future will need the strength you grow.