Scouting Visions

I was standing in my Scout uniform one day

when a young lad came up to say,

"I can tell by your clothes that you are a Scout.

Would you tell me what that's all about."



"Young man", I said, "do you see that sky

and the shapes of the clouds passing by?

Can you see an Indian stalking a bear

or a fox sneaking up on a snowshoe hare?



Do you see in those clouds an old, old man

who looks like he needs a helping hand?

How 'bout a boat, it's sails filled with wind?

I see all those things and even more young friend."



I looked at the boy, he was shaking his head.

"Didn't see any of that stuff that you just said.

What's that got to do with Scouts anyway?

You guys just stare at the sky all day?"



"No, we do lots of other great stuff,

some of it easy and a lot of it tough.

We go camping, canoeing and take long hikes;

tell stories round the campfire and ride mountain bikes.



And we help other people when they have need

and we learn how to follow and then how to lead.

We play ball and shoot bows and learn to tie knots.

We cook food in the ground and we make clay pots.



We like swimming and skiing and sailing a boat

and we'll row anything we can keep afloat.

We weave baskets of straw and make things from leather.

We spend time outdoors in all kinds of weather.



So those visions in the sky I asked you about

come from many great experiences of being a Scout,

and from the Great Scoutmaster who lives in that sky

and keeps us all in his watchful eye."



"I'll see ya mister.  I gotta go see

if those Scouting visions can come true for me."

I watched the young man run off down the street

and thought to myself, "thanks God, that was neat!"



By:  Tom Sullivan, Committee Chairman    

     Troop 51, Saxonburg, PA

     August 19, 1995