Boy Scout Troop 325
Scoutmaster Minute
Our Dog Teddy
September 26, 2006
Larry Polyak, Scoutmaster

Last month, Karen, Erik, and I lost a member of our family due to cancer. He had been living with us for over 11 years, and we became very fond of having him around. It was our dog, a Golden Retreiver named Ted. Some of you may have met him when you were over for a PLC when they used to be at my house.

Ted had a lot of qualities that scouts strive for. He was certainly trustworthly and loyal like most dogs. We could trust him around anyone, from babies to adults. He was also very friendly and cheerful. It was great having him greet us at the end of a long day with a happy wag to his tail. He was very kind. He never made a angry bark, it was always playful. He was thrifty, never leaving food behind in his dish, except when he became so sick that he couldn't eat. He was obedient, when he wanted to be, not unlike many scouts.

With our help, his long golden fur was clean. I have no doubt that he was brave and would protect us if he needed to. Truth be told, he was not very courteous, He liked to sniff people who didn't like to be sniffed. He was not very helpful either. But of course with the proper training, a dog can be extremely courteous and helpful. Just ask a blind person with a guide dog. The one thing that Ted and no dog could ever be is reverent. A dog has no concept of a God.

So when you think about it, a dog does not have much trouble achieving 11 out of the 12 points of the scout law. Shouldn't you strive for them all?

Thanks for listening.