Boy Scout Troop 325
Scoutmaster Minute
Think
March 13, 2007
Larry Polyak, Scoutmaster

Tonight I'd like to continue a theme that I started last week.

In the late 1800's, Thomas J. Watson owned a butcher shop and used a cash register made by a company called National Cash Register. He liked the machine so much that he started working for the company and soon became one of their top salesmen. In 1914 he left to join a company called the Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation. He was promoted quickly and in 1924 when he became general manager, he renamed the company to International Business Machines, or IBM for short. He was a very smart and shrewd businessman. By 1952 he was still in charge, and IBM owned or controlled more than 90 percent of all the tabulating machines in the United States at the time. The company continues to be a powerhouse and the name IBM has become synonomous with computers.

Back in 1914, when he started at the company, Mr. Watson brought with him a motto. It was a single word. The word was - "Think". He said that "Thought has been the father of every advance since time began. 'I didn't think' has cost the world millions of dollars." The motto stuck and the one word "Think" was printed in large bold letters and placed on walls and desks throughout the company. Over the years, the motto has become less prevalent, but the basic idea still lives. In fact, the model name of IBM's line of notebooks is "ThinkPAD", derived from their long standing motto.

I think that "think" is a good motto for lots of things in life. A little thought before you start any task can save you lots of time and effort and yield a better result.

Thanks for listening, and "think" about it.