THOUGHTFUL ITEMS FOR SCOUTERS

Thanks to Scouter Jim from Bountiful, Utah, who prepares this section of Baloo for us each month.  You can reach him at bobwhitejonz@juno.com or through the link to write Baloo on www.usscouts.org.   CD

Roundtable Prayer
Roundtable Planning Guide

The Aloha Spirit elevates, empowers and ennobles its people, and keeps Hawaii the uniquely special place that it is.  The Aloha Spirit is the coordination of the True Self’s mind, hear and soul, manifesting by thinking good thoughts, emitting good feelings, and sharing goodness with others.  This is an actual law encoded in the Hawaii Revised Statutes.  Boy you heads as we pray.  Lord, grant that all peoples of the earth will embrace the Aloha Spirit of true brotherhood and sharing goodness with others.  Amen.

Law of the Splintered Paddle and
The Law of the Pack
Scouter Jim

The Law of the Splintered Paddle is an important part of Hawaiian culture.  It is even included in the Constitution of the State of Hawaii.  Here is the story of this important law. 

King Kamehameha I was the first ruler of all the Hawaiian Islands.  The young royal warrior Kamehameha, headstrong with youth, was paddling a war canoe with his men near the shoreline of Ke'eau, in Puna, Maui. Seeking a place to rest, they came upon some commoners fishing on a beach, and attacked them. All escaped, except for two men who stayed behind to defend a man carrying a child on his back.

During the struggle, the young chief's foot caught in some lava rocks, and he was trapped there. One of the fishermen struck Kamehameha on the head with a paddle, and the paddle splintered. It was a blow that could have killed the young future King.

The man who hit him, in defending the child, allowed Kamehameha to survive. The young chief never forgot this act of forgiveness. This commoner taught Kamehameha that all human life is precious and deserves respect, that the strong must not mistreat the weak.

Kamehameha could have taken revenge on the fisherman, but he learned from the experience instead, and made forgiveness part of Hawaii's heritage, and its future.
Years later, King Kamehameha I proclaimed Mamalahoe, the Law of the Splintered Paddle. It provides that any old person, woman or child may "lie by the roadside in safety." This means that anyone who is weak is entitled to protection and assistance, and to respect, even from the King.

 “The Law of the Pack,” is as important to Cub Scouts as is the Law of the Splintered Paddle is to the Hawaiians.  The following is from a fact sheet from The Boy Scouts of America.

The Cub Scout follows Akela.
The Cub Scout helps the pack go.
The pack helps the Cub Scout grow.
The Cub Scout gives goodwill.

The Cub Scout follows Akela.  In Cub Scouting, Akela (pronounced Ah-KAY-la) means "good leader.”  To a Cub Scout, Akela is a parent, teacher, religious leader, or Cub Scout leader. Akela is anyone who has shown ability and willingness to be a good leader for Cub Scouts to follow.

One must first learn to be a good follower in order to be a good leader. The key word in this phrase of the Law of the Pack is follows. When following, a Cub Scout should choose a good leader to emulate.

The Cub Scout helps the pack go.  Cub Scouts help the pack go by being loyal members, attending all meetings, following the leaders, and making the pack better because they belong. It means doing one's share. By helping the pack, Cub Scouts have more fun and feel satisfied. The key word in this phrase is helps.

The pack helps the Cub Scout grow.  Cub Scouting helps boys grow into better people. They learn how to do new things and to reach out to others.  The key word in this phrase is grow.

The Cub Scout gives goodwill. It's a good feeling for a boy to do what he is expected to do. It's an even better feeling when he does more than he is expected to do. Help boys look for ways to make other people happy. The small things are just as important as the big ones. Anything that makes life a little easier or more pleasant for someone else is goodwill.  The key word in this phrase is gives.

Quotations

Quotations contain the wisdom of the ages, and are a great source of inspiration for Cubmaster’s minutes, material for an advancement ceremony or an insightful addition to a Pack Meeting program cover.

I came to Hawaii in 1959 with statehood, and of course the whole foundation of this multiracial, multicultural, multiethnic society in Hawaii is the aloha spirit, the legacy of the Polynesian pioneers.  Neil Abercrombie

I truly believe the brightest days lie ahead for the Great State of Hawaii. Linda Lingle

Beating the drums for Hawaii is not hard to do... the place just grows on you.  James MacArthur

In what other land save this one is the commonest form of greeting not "Good day," nor "How d'ye do", but "Love"? That greeting is 'Aloha': love, I love you, my love to you... It is a positive affirmation of the warmth of one's own heart-giving. - Jack London

It seems that everybody goes to Hawaii, and no matter what their tastes, they love it. ... Now that we've been there, we've become just like everyone else--we loved it. - Geoff and Lauren Slater

That peaceful land, that beautiful land, that far-off home of solitude and soft idleness, and repose, and reams, where life is one long slumberous Sabbath, the climate one long summer day, and the good that die experience no change, for they but fall asleep in one heaven and wake up in another. - Mark Twain on Hawaii

"The goodness of a person and of the society he or she lives in often comes down to very simple things and words found in the Scout Law. Every society depends on trust and loyalty, on courtesy and kindness, on bravery and reverence. These are the values of Scouting, and these are the values of Americans."  President George W. Bush

"Following the Scout Law sounds like a game plan that would give us all a better chance for success in life—and I mean every area of life."  Zig Ziglar, author and motivational speaker

"The Boy Scouts of America has something going for it that all the government welfare programs in America can't match: success. Besides families and religion, Scouting is probably this country's single best program for building character in boys, and has been for nearly a century."  The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

"The Boy Scouts of America stands for a set of principles. These principles have a lot of staying power. The values you learn as a Scout are like a compass. They can help you find your way through difficult and sometimes unchartered terrain.  The principles of Scouting give you a sense of what's important. I feel I owe the Boy Scouts a great deal, both personally and professionally."  Bill Bradley, Eagle Scout, former U.S. Senator, New Jersey, and Professional Basketball player

"Scouting is an enormously important and useful discipline for young people, particularly young boys. It can build character and can awaken an appetite for learning."  Raul Yzaguirre, president, National Council of La Raza

"I admire the Boy Scouts of America because the BSA has meant finding real solutions to some of the problems plaguing our country and has kept the faith in what America is and must mean to the world. You show that character comes from one small act at a time, caring for each child as if he or she were our own."  George Bush, former president of the United States of America

"Scouting exposes young men to people and experiences that encourage and nurture positive moral values. But we mustn't take Scouting for granted. You can do nothing more important for young people today than to continue, or begin, your support of Scouting. I have never met anyone with devoted Scouting experience who was not a solid citizen, a loyal friend, and a patriot. We need more of them."  Wallace G. Wilkinson, former governor of Kentucky

"Do Your Best,' the Cub Scout motto; 'Be Prepared,' the Scout motto; 'Duty to God and Country'-they stand for all that is good about our country.'  Ike Skelton, U.S. representative, Missouri