A Scouting Story

HISTORY                            “Way Back” (point in opposite direction)
SCOUTS/SCOUTING      “Be Prepared” (give Boy Scout sign)
CUB SCOUT                     “Do Your Best” (give Cub Scout sign)

This is a story you won’t find in any HISTORY book, but no doubt it will stir up memories for many of you who have had a similar experience. The story is about a CUB SCOUT named Freddy, and his first experience with hiking and camping. This is how it all started.

The birthday of SCOUTING was approaching, and Freddy’s CUB SCOUT Den Leader had read to the boys a story about the HISTORY of SCOUTING and how it all got started.

Freddy CUB SCOUT could hardly wait until he was old enough to be a SCOUT, so he asked his mother is he could plan a day of hiking around the neighborhood and park, and a night of camping in their backyard with some friends. Mom consented, so Freddy CUB SCOUT called his friends and they scheduled it for the following weekend.

When the day arrived, Freddy CUB SCOUT was very proud of himself. He knew he would someday be a SCOUT who would go down in HISTORY because he was so well-prepared when the day began. The lunches had all been packed and put in the backyard tent. When Freddy CUB SCOUT went out to the tent to get the lunches, he was shocked to find the paper bags were torn and scattered all over the backyard. Looking around, Freddy CUB SCOUT saw his dog, Scampy, munching on the last bite of the sandwiches and looking very content. “Oh, boy,” thought Freddy CUB SCOUT, “I thought I would
Make a well-prepared SCOUT, but I wasn’t prepared for this!”

After new lunches were made, the boys took their hike. It was a great success and Freddy CUB SCOUT felt sure that HISTORY had been made by the record time in which they ad accomplished everything that day. But, alas! When bedtime arrived, the tent slumped down in a heap because it hadn’t been put up right, and the sleeping bags were muddy from Scampy’s dirty feet, and the batteries in the flashlight were dead.

Freddy CUB SCOUT hung his head and said, “Boy, have I got a lot to learn about the SCOUTS. Gosh, I sure hope today’s events aren’t recorded in HISTORY!”