Boy Scout Troop 325
By George Denise, Scoutmaster
I would like to have three volunteer scouts come up.
I’m going to give each scout a pen and I would like each to make a mark as high up on the wall as possible.
Now, we often find that when we ask people to try a little harder, they can often do better on their second try. Accordingly, I would now like to ask each scout to better their previous mark.
Note that each scout was able to improve his previous performance on the second try. Each reached a little higher the second time than they had the first time. What happened? We asked each to reach as high as they could the first time. They said they would. Were they lying? No, that is simply human nature. The first time, there was no challenge. No previous goal to beat. They gave it a "best effort"of sorts, but there was nothing to compare it against, or compete against. Once there was an established record to beat, and a challenge to beat it, each scout was challenged to beat his previous mark, and did so. That is the value of competition. When we compete, we are challenged to try harder; to do our best.
Now there are two lessons to be learned here:
1) The American "system" is one based on competition. Whether in politics, the courtroom, the basketball court, or a simple classroom debate, we choose the best to represent each of two sides, we let them compete, each side do their best to convince us, we all agree to abide by the decision, and then we, the jury, the referee, or the general public, decide. There are a lot of things wrong with this system, but it is the best one anyone has come up with to date.
2) The second lesson is that even when we think we are doing our best, there is always a little extra. We need to challenge ourselves. We need to learn to reach down deep inside and find that little bit extra and draw on it.
You can always reach a little higher, if you really try.
Thank you. And God be with you.