The days are short now, the nights are long, and calendars everywhere are doing that end-of-year thing where they quietly panic.

Whether your family says Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, or starts the gathering with “so… who brought this?”, this season has a way of pulling people together. Not perfectly. Not quietly. But together all the same.

In Scouting, we talk a lot about family, friends, and fellowship. Around a campfire, those things come naturally. At the holiday table, they sometimes require a little more skill… and maybe an exit strategy.



This is the season of shared meals, shared stories, and shared space. Of laughter, old traditions, new faces, and the occasional opinion that arrives louder than invited. Every gathering seems to have an Uncle Joe. Different views. Strong convictions. A completely different map of the world.

Scouting offers a simple compass here. Courtesy. Kindness. Respect. Not agreement. Not surrender. Just remembering that the person across the table is part of the circle too.

Sometimes the most Scout-like move is listening, changing the subject, or passing the mashed potatoes. No, not to the face.

As the year winds down, may your holidays be filled with the kind of togetherness that doesn’t demand perfection. Just a few ill-timed jokes, a bit of understanding, and a good dash of presence. No… not presents.

From our wacky campfire to yours,
Happy Holidays, and Merry Christmas.