He is a leader with imagination, initiative, and fresh ideas. Because of his many plans, projects, and
creative imagination, he feels a kinship with Victor Hugo, who said, "I need a thousand years to
do what I have in mind."
A Scouter is ever conscious of the Biblical warning: "Where there is no vision, the people
perish." Likewise, he is usually confident that where there is vision, originality,
and resourcefulness on the part of the Scouter, his unit will surely prosper and progress.
A Scouter is PERSISTENT.
He takes heart in the words of Thomas F. Buxton: "With ordinary talent and extraordinary
perseverance, all things are attainable."
He knows that persistence is the forerunner of success, the father of victory and the ancestor of
accomplishment.
A Scouter is constantly aware of the truth that "failure comes from following the line of least
persistence."
A Scouter is DEPENDABLE.
His word is hls bond, his duty is a sacred trust, and hls acceptance of a position is always a
forerunner of a job well done. When he accepts a Scouting job, he is more concerned with shouldering
responsibility than with receiving honors, more inteersted in serving than in seeking. He can always
be counted on, never counted out. He is consistently a man of hls word.
A Scouter is PATIENT.
He reflects the sage advice of William James: "The art of being wise is the art of knowing what
to overlook."
He realizes that "a reaper is never hitched onto a plow," that patience is not only a virtue
but a daily necessity; not an elective but a required course in the school of Scouting.
He is patient with others because he is first patient with himself.
He remembers that the mushroom appears overnight; the giant redwood requires the strength and patience
of centuries.
A Scouter is MATURE.
He takes his Scouting job seriously, but he is able to laugh at himself, hls foibles, his mistakes, and
his shortcomimgs. A Scouter knows that a sense of humor is the pole that adds balance to his steps as he
walks the tightrope of life. He has learned to react maturely to the immature actions of others.
He measures up favorably to Dr. William C. Menmnger's SIX criteria for the emotionally mature person.
He—
Finds greater satisfaction in giving than receiving.
Finds satisfy!ng and permanent loyalties in glve-and-take relationships.
Uses his leisure creatively.
Contributes to the improvement of home life and to commumty activities like church, school, and
other orgamzations.
Learns to profit from his mistakes and successes.
Is relatively free from fears, tensions and anxieties.
A Scouter is ENCOURAGING.
He is generous with well-deserved praise, prompt with well-earned commendation, and ever alert to
recognize and appreciate the best efforts of everyone. He knows that an ounce of sincere praise is
worth a pound of fault finding.
He remembers the advice of Goethe: "Correction does much, but encouragement does more. Encouragement
after censure is as the sun after the shower."
He inspires others to rise to new heights of achievement, to outdo themselves, to stretch, to stand on
tiptoes, to break new records of advancement.
A Scouter is ADAPTABLE.
He has a plan and works his plan, but he is always wise enough to change his course or adjust his sights
when necessary. He is unafraid of difficulties and detours that may delay him cannot discourage him. He
frequently uses blueprints and booklets as guideposts, but he never lets them use him. He is guided by
the lessons of experience, but he is not a slave of tradition.
He has learned that to bend with the breeze is not always the same as compromise, and even that
compromise can often be the first step toward understanding and cooperation.
A Scouter is GRATEFUL.
He never takes for granted the responsibilities and opportunities that have been given to him; rather,
he is grateful for the privilege of influencing the personality and character of those who will be the
Scouters of tomorrow.
Like Cicero, the Scouter recognizes the fact that "A thankful heart is not only the greatest
virtue, but the parent of all other virtues."
He is grateful to his God for the gift of life; to his fellow Scouters for the blessings of friendship;
to his boys for the challenge and joys of leadership.
A Scouter is OPTIMISTIC.
He has a reason for every success, not an excuse for every failure. He goes out and rings the bell,
up and wrings his hands. He turns the impossible into the possible, never the possible into the
impossible.
He pleasantly ponders how high his kite will fly, never woefully wonders how soon his kite will fall.
He sees a green near every sand trap, never a sand trap near every green. He is confident that
opportunity is now here, not afraid that opportunity is nowhere.
A Scouter is DEDICATED.
He throws himself wholeheartedly and unreservedly into his Scouting responsibilities, and can say with
Nicholas Murray Butler: "The 40 hour week has no charm for me. I'm looking for a 40-hour day."
He is conscientious but never contentious; determined but not dictatorial; dedicated but not demanding.
A Scouter IS ENTHUSIASTIC.
He employs the magic of enthusiasm to inspire others to believe in him, to work wit.h him, and to follow
him. He walks with a spring in his step, he works with a sparkle in his eye, and a note of confidence in
his voice.
He accepts the challenge of Bruce Barton, who said: "If you can give your son only one gift, let it
be the gift of enthusiasm."
He knows that Scouts and Scouters are in the same boat with Emerson, who wrote: "What I need most
is something to make me do what I can." The "something" that can cause boys to do what
they can and ought to do is a Scouter with the most contagious quality in the world—enthusiasm!
12. A Scouter IS COURAGEOUS.
He stands for what he believes to be right, even in the midst of conflict and criticism. His physical,
mental, and moral courage is contagious. He dares to be an individual whose honor and integrity are
respected and admired by all who know him.
He represents strength to the weak, faith to the faint of heart and confidence to the fearful.
He believes in and in personifies the words of Andrew Jackson: "One man with courage makes a
majority."
