Cubmaster’s Minute

What Is a Good Sport?

Baltimore Area Council

A good sport - you hear a lot of talk about being a good sport, but just what does it mean? A good sport learns the rules so he will not break them. He competes with all his heart, striving to outclass his competitors. If he wins, he doesn’t act smug, but instead compliments the losers for the fine job they did. If he loses, he accepts the fact and finds out why. Maybe he can win the next time. A good sport accepts defeat, congratulates the winners, learns how he can improve, and determines to do better the next time.

Sportsmanship

Baltimore Area Council

In 1940, an underdog Dartmouth football team played powerful Cornell, which needed only one more victory for a perfect season and a number-one ranking in the country.  Trailing 3-0 Cornell scored a controversial touchdown that the Dartmouth players insisted was made on an extra ‘fifth down.’  However, the referee counted the touchdown, and Cornell won 7-3.

But after the game, Cornell officials watched the game on film and saw that, indeed their team had been allowed and extra play.  They immediately sent a telegram to Dartmouth stating that they could not accept the victory.  It went into the record book as 3-0 victory for Dartmouth.

That little story tells us what sportsmanship really is.  It is the desire to play hard and to win - but to win fairly - and if you lose, to accept defeat with good grace.  Let’s remember that during our Cub Scout games and throughout our lives.  Also remember, that to be a good sport you have to lose to prove it.

Sport Heroes (Closing Ceremony)

Cubmaster:

Someday a member of our Pack may be a football star

Like Elway, Marino or Dickinson

                                      and known both near and far.

Or maybe we’ll play basketball, or hockey on the ice.

And have our picture in the news and see our name in lights.

Or maybe we’ll do something else

                                          outside the sporting game.

And though we won’t give autographs,

                                               like those of TV fame,

We hope the people that we know will think of us and say

That each of us has done his best while working or at play,

To be the kind of citizen who helps to make things grow

Like families and neighborhoods

                                    and this old world, you know!

You just don’t have to be a star (although it would be fine)

To help make this a better world for your folks and for mine

Just "DO YOUR BEST," our motto says,

                                                in everything you do!

Who could ask for more than that?

                                Cub Scouts - we’re proud of you!

Good night - have a safe trip home!

A Good Sport

Circle Ten Council

The world is full of people who think it is a calamity if they lose a contest.  They lose their temper and act like bad sports.  A good sport will do his best, and, it he loses, look to the next game to do better and try to win.  In Cub Scouting, we learn to be good sports, and to do our best, whether we win or lose.