How’s that for an attention-grabber?!?
You may have heard of the poet/philosopher Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī (aka Rumi) – see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumi for a bit of background – or maybe not. Aside from having a great collection of headgear, he is the source of a number of gems that can really get you thinking. At the risk of becoming “that philosophical Scoutmaster,” I thought I’d pass on one of his nuggets that really struck a chord in me:
“Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.”
At first, this guidance may sound neither appealing nor Scouting-oriented. But I’d argue that Scouting gives our sons a great opportunity to maximize their life experiences. More than just doing that for an individual, though, the real benefit of Scouting is that this occurs in parallel with other Scouts’ who are evolving around them. While individual rank advancement, merit badge completion, and overall growth is important, the real learning our Scouts do involves their collective interaction, overcoming challenges, and development as a team. So while most of us try to avoid fire and anything that makes it worse, Troop 58 exists to give our Scouts the opportunity to ignite the fire inside of them in a safe environment where others can fuel – and yes, fan – those flames with a broad set of experiences that most of their peers will never have.
Kind of puts a different perspective on whether a teepee or log cabin is the better way to build a fire, doesn’t it?