During my Scoutmaster’s Minute this past week, I shared a slightly modified version of Plato’s allegory of the cave with Troop 58 (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_Cave for the full story). I thought the story would be a relatively simple, yet impactful, yarn to share with the Troop and that I’d get a few laughs when I referred to our family’s basement as my own son’s metaphorical “cave.” Whether from my memory as a Scout or having delivered a number of them over the past few months, Scoutmaster’s Minutes can cause laughter, random conversation, blank looks, and many other reactions. This story, though, had the whole Troop entranced – and then they clapped!
After reminding the Troop that SM Minutes don’t warrant clapping, I began to reflect on how focused and thoughtful the Troop seemed while I was talking…and then I went back to my normal routine – work, family, camping trip preparations, and other Troop responsibilities. Throughout the week, and many times throughout the following weekend’s campout, I found myself saying “come out of the cave” over and over and over. I got some puzzled looks from people at my office, for sure, and I don’t think my family knew what to do with the insinuation that we were living in a cave in Ashburn Farm, but I truly lost count of the number of times I used the phrase during our camping trip.
Although I did once use the phrase as motivation to get an overly sleepy Scout out of his tent Saturday morning, most of this phrase’s use was as a reminder of the great opportunity that Scouting gives us all to “come out of the cave” and see what the world truly has to offer. Whether throwing a tomahawk, preparing and eating world-famous “road kill chili,” competing in a fire-building contest, or standing tall as the American flag is raised and the Pledge of Allegiance is said, I am amazed daily at the opportunities Scouting offers all of us – Scouts, Scouters, and even parents/siblings.
So…give it some thought – there are plenty of shadows in each of our caves, but the real world holds so much more and Scouting is an amazing lens that helps bring it all into focus.
