In Search of Character -1

After many nights of thinking and several changes I have decided that it is my responsibility to help bring about some change in our troop. As Boy Scout leaders it is our responsibility to bring about change when it is needed in our youth. Supplementing what we see may need some tweaking and building on what we know needs built on.
Our youth are changing, our times are changing and the peer pressure is changing for our children. After a talk with our Scoutmaster I feel as troop committee chairman that our boys need a little boost.They need some extra help to encourage them to be able to make the right choices. They need to see other youth that are their ages telling them what they would do in a situation where wrong and right are at stake.They need to know that there are good youth out there. That they can make the right choice and still remain cool per say.
Families are struggling just to make ends meet these days. Some families are struggling with helping their children to make the right choices and how they might go about doing this.Its a battle, peer pressure and mom and dad. Some families are absent from one another working sometimes 2 jobs just to make ends meet, making parenting very difficult these days.
Our youth are good and they are by far our most precious commodity. Far more important then any other issue our communities face today. Our troop is going to start with a plan which we will incorporate into activities and troop meetings with our scouts. My question is would you rather have responsible, honest, trustworthy, knowledgeable,loyal human beings caring for you and our country when you are elderly or the opposite. Would you feel safe with many of the teens on the streets handling your personal finances or would you trust them to make the right decision if it came to that? And I am not referring to ALL of today's teens,there are many kids out there doing exactly what needs to be done, and there are those that are truly struggling.
So how do we change this situation. Well change does not occur overnight and it has never happened by the people that just say, we need to change that. Change occurs when your action is taken. The first step is saying, we need some help here.Our teens really need some help here! The next step is finding that help then helping to bring about those changes. We have to be proactive in change. Believe that it can be done and then doing what needs to be done!!!!
To many times I hear today's youth are irresponsible, self centered and just no darn good. Well hello who taught them the simple and basic things they needed to do, how to use a spoon, open a door, tell the truth, responsibility, loyalty? Their elders, mom and dad,grandma and grandpa, youth leaders and yes their peers. Maybe have some of these things not had enough emphasis put on them. Telling the truth versus lies. Doing the right thing versus doing the wrong thing? I wonder.
Maybe we need to revisit the basics (thanks Scoutmaster Steve) Maybe we didn't stay quite long enough in them or elaborate enough on them.I think our boys are in need of a simple and basic thing..talking while someone truly just listens to them. Presenting them with situations and seeing if they are able to solve them and helping them solve them by making the right choices.Or just helping them be able to simply make the right choices. If we don't help our youth who is going to do that?
I am going to make Monday the day for now, since that's when our troop have our meetings, the day where we will either discuss or view something to help these guys build their character.
Lets see if this sounds familiar scouts...How many of these laws are you TRULY living by today?

A Scout is:
Trustworthy,
Loyal,
Helpful,
Friendly,
Courteous,
Kind,
Obedient,

Cheerful,

Thrifty,

Clean and reverent.

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