Happy New Year! It’s time to make your New Years resolution to move along your path to Eagle or to help the others along the way with their journey. Here are some good New Year’s resolutions for Boy Scouts, if you need some ideas…
1. A Scout is helpful. Do something great for a younger Scout and offer to help him with his advancement. Every troop has that boy who, for whatever reason seems to lag behind others, always playing catch-up. He’s the one who sits in the back of the room at the Court of Honor watching everybody else collect their advancement pins and merit badges. For him, your encouragement and direction may be just what he needs to ensure he earns his fair share of the merit badges.
2. Do a good turn daily. Behavioral scientists proclaim, “30 days makes a habit.” Make a resolution to conduct one good turn each day for a month and you’re well on your way to a positive, new routine in your life. After all, good deeds are a core value in Scouting.
3. “I will do my best.” It’s been a busy year and chances are, you have at least one partial merit badge. Re-double your efforts toward finishing any merit badge requirements that you started in 2011. Once you’ve completed all the requirements for those outliers, you can honestly say that you have done your best.
4. A Scout is thrifty. This part of the Scout Law says that you should carefully use your time and property. Why not make a New Year’s resolution to organize your collections? You will feel so much better after those rocks, stamps, insects, pocket knives, coins and other collectibles are properly categorized and accounted for. This way, they will always be presentation-ready when it’s time to show them off.
5. A Scout is clean, and reverent. You work hard to earn those pins, patches and badges for your uniform and sash. Because boys will be boys, your uniform is undoubtedly showing some wear-and-tear from all the fun you’ve had this year. Show some respect for your uniform and make a resolution to reattach or update any loose, tattered or worn patches and badges. As a form of reverence to the American flag on the sleeve, don’t throw the shirt on the floor after your Troop meeting.