Boy Scout Troop 325
Scoutmaster Minute
Duct Tape and Flowers
May 15, 2007
Larry Polyak, Scoutmaster

When I first starting coming to Troop 325, I heard that one of the older scouts had a saying. He said: "There isn't anything that can't be fixed with either Duct Tape or Flowers." Duct Tape or Flowers. I always thought that was pretty clever.

In scouting we learn lots of skills with our hands, like using rope for knots and lashings, dutch oven cooking, knife and axe safety, firebuilding, etc. And yes there are times when duct tape comes in handy. We don't learn too much about the proper use of flowers however.

Last Sunday was Mother's Day. I hope you did something special for your Mother, Grandmother, or whoever plays that role in your life. I read that the most popular gift for Moms are flowers. The tradition dates back to the 1600's in England when children would pick spring wildflowers along the road to give to their mothers. In the early 1900's there was a woman named Anne Jarvis who is credited with starting the movement for a national Mother's Day in the U.S. On the 2nd anniversary of her own Mother's death, on the 2nd Sunday in May, she filled her church with white carnations, her mother's favorite flower.

Being a guy, I don't really get it. I don't see the attraction with flowers. But I do know that they bring a smile to the face of any Mom who receives them. And I know that it is not so much the flowers as it is the symbol of what they represent. A symbol of your love for them. That you were thinking about them, and that you appreciate them.

The simple fact that you are here tonight probably means that you have a Mother who loves you. Again, I hope you had a nice Mothers day. But don't just make her feel special one day out of 365. I encourage you, one day when she leasts expects it, to give your Mom some flowers. If you don't have money to buy them, you can draw her a picture of some flowers. You won't even have to tell her that you love her. She'll know that you do.

Thanks for listening