The Singing Scoutmaster: We'll Be Loyal Scouts

Webelos, do you know what your name means? It's not just a funny word someone made up. W-E-B-E-L-O-S stands for 'We'll Be Loyal Scouts.' Read that again slowly: We Will Be Loyal Scouts. Every time someone calls you a Webelos, they're saying a promise out loud - a promise about the kind of Scout you're becoming.

Think about that for a second. You're not just in a program. You're not just earning badges or going on campouts. Your very name is a pledge about your future. 'We'll be loyal' - loyal to your patrol, your troop, your friends, and your values. 'Scouts' - not someday, not maybe, but definitely. It's built right into who you are.

Loyalty is a big word, but it shows up in small ways. It's showing up to meetings even when you'd rather stay home and play video games. It's sticking by a friend when other kids are making fun of them. It's following through on what you said you'd do, even when it's inconvenient. It's being the kind of person that others can count on, today and tomorrow.

Soon you'll cross over and the name 'Webelos' won't be yours anymore. But the promise it carries? That stays with you forever. You'll be a Scout, and then an Eagle Scout, and then an adult - but you'll always be someone who chose loyalty. Every time you hear the word 'Webelos,' remember: that was your first promise about the person you were going to become. Live up to it.