Boy Scout Troop 325
By George Denise, Scoutmaster
Our theme this past month was Citizenship. We talk about Citizenship in the Community, Citizenship in the Nation, Citizenship in the World, but what about right here in the Troop? Does citizenship apply to the Troop? What is good citizenship in the troop?
Has anybody here ever been picked on or teased by other boys? By bigger boys? By older boys?
Guys do that. Often it starts out as playing, but they get carried away and they forget to stop. Eventually, the boy who is being picked on (who also may have thought it was funny when it started), gets worn down emotionally and ends up getting his feelings hurt. I remember coming back from one outing a few years ago. Several boys were in the car, all were kidding and having a good time. No one was even teasing. Nonetheless, one boy was younger than the others. He was joining in with them and kidding right along with the others. But when he went into the house, his mother later reported to me that he burst out crying and said he never wanted to go to Scouts again. He was simply emotionally drained from trying to act like an equal with a bunch of older guys.
When I was a boy, I was very skinny. I had about the same build as my son Michael. My freshman year in high school, at 5/ 10" and 127 pounds, I was the lightest guy on the football team. My friends liked to kid me and call me "Skinny." I remember one time, I when I was about ten or eleven, they started kidding me about being skinny, so I started calling them names back. My best friend kept on, so I started calling him "Porky." He and I kept at it, laughing the whole time. As I was walking home from his house, we kept shouting names at each other, still laughing. But as soon as I was out of site, I broke down crying.
It is personal, and sometimes it is even meant to hurt. But it happens to almost everyone. We called the fat guy "Porky," or "Tubby," or "Gordo." The skinny guy "Skinny," or "Stick" or "Bean Pole." The freckled guy was "Freckles." The red-headed guy "Red" or "Red Head." The tall guy "Stretch." The guy with buck teeth, "Bucky." It's normal. It happens to almost everyone. You shouldn't let it get to you. But it does.
In the Scout troop, we ask you to be a little more mature, a little more responsible, a little more sensitive to other people's feelings. We try to make Scouting A Safe Place. We have older guys and younger guys. We have big guys and little guys. It's easy to tease, and it’s easy to get your feelings hurt. Let s try to remember good citizenship, and the Scout Oath and Law. "Do My Best." "To Help Other People At All Times." "Loyal." "Helpful." "Friendly." "Courteous." "Kind."
That's what Scouting is all about.
Thank you, and God be with you!