Give us thankful hearts and keep us from grumbling and having bad tempers in our homes.
Help us to get along with each other.
Keep us cheerful when things go wrong and our plans are upset. And may we grow in love and understanding of one another.
Dear God
Whenever we say, "It's not fair",
We should remember those who have nothing to eat;
Whenever we say, "It's not fair",
We should remember those who sleep in the street;
Whenever we say, "It's not fair",
We should remember those in the middle of a war;
Whenever we say, "It's not fair",
We should remember those who are sick and poor.
Help us to remember how lucky we are
And not to say, "It's not fair."
No Difference
Small as a peanut,
Big as a giant,
We're all the same size
When we turn off the light
Rich as a sultan,
Poor as a mite,
We're all worth the same,
When we turn off the tight.
Red, black or orange
Yellow or white,
We all look the same,
When we turn off the light.
So maybe the way
To make everything right
Is for god to just reach out
And turn off the light!
Stick To It
by Rulon B. Stanfield
It matters not if you try and fail,
And fail, and try again;
But it matters much if you try and fail,
And fail to try again
Magic Rope
by David H. McKenzie
I picked some scraps of rope apart
To see how they were made.
Most of it was twisted hemp
Yet some was cotton braid.
And from the stuff I played with
I thought aloud: "Rope size runs
To hawsers that hold battleships
of fifty thousand tons."
But there's another kind of rope
Not made by a machine
Stronger than the best steel cable.
Yet so fine it can't be seen.
I'm not talking of the kind of rope
That anybody buys
But the magic line of friendship
That holds two friendly guys.
I learned a lot of things at camp
But the best trick that I got
Was to take that line of friendship
And tie the proper knot.
Scout Prayers
Dear Lord
Bless all those everywhere who contribute to shape the hearts, minds and bodies of young people.
Let us remember what they have taught and apply it daily.
When facing deceit and dishonesty, let us be Trustworthy.
If we see hypocrisy and faithlessness, let us be Loyal.
Where disregard of others and mere materialism prevail, let us be Helpful.
When we find people in despair, let us be Friendly.
In an atmosphere of ill manner, let us be Courteous.
Where some measure manliness in brutality and crudeness, let us be Kind.
Though lawbreaking and rule-scoffing are common, let us be Obedient.
While others grumble and grouch, let us be Cheerful.
In an environment blighted by waste and extravagance, let us be Thrifty.
When confronted with danger and temptation, let us be Brave.
As we see filth and pollution everywhere, let us be Clean.
While witnessing impiety, let us remember to be Reverent.
In short, in a world that has for generation after generation lamented the lack of good examples, let us, as Scouts, stand out, grow up, and be real adults.
Amen
Do Something
by Baden Powell
"You should not be content with sitting down to defend yourselves against evil habits, but should also be active in doing good. By "doing good" I mean making yourselves useful and doing small kindness to other people - whether they are friends or strangers.
It is not a difficult matter, and the best way to set about it is to make up your mind to do at least one 'good turn' to somebody every day, and you will soon get into the habit of doing good turns always.
It does not matter how small the 'good turn' may even if it is only to help an old woman across the street, or to say a good word for somebody who is being badly spoke of The great thing is to do something."
Safe at Home
Tho’ stormy winds are whistling wild
And snow is falling fast,
They do not hurt my little child,
In warm and sheltered nest.
So do not fear, my baby dear,
But say your little prayers,
Thank God for all your pleasant things,
Because for you he cares.
And now I lay you down to sleep,
Until the break of day,
The night-light, close at hand, will keep,
A soft and steady ray.
Friendship
In loneliness, in sickness, or in confusions – the knowledge of friendship makes it possible to endure, even if the friend is powerless to help. It is enough that they exist.
Friendship is not diminished by distance or time, by imprisonment or war, by suffering or silence. It is in these things that friendship roots deeply, it is from these things that friendship flowers.
Infectious Smile
Smiling is infectious,
You catch it like the flu’,
When someone smiled at me today,
I started smiling too.
I passed around the corner
And someone saw my grin.
When he smiled I realised,
I’d passed it on to him.
I thought about that smile,
Then realised its worth.
A single smile, just like mine,
Could travel round the Earth.
So, if you feel a smile begin,
Don’t leave it undetected.
Let’s start an epidemic quick
And get the World infected!
