Scoutmaster Minute—A Scout is Obedient

A Scout is Obedient. A Scout follows the rules of his family, school, and troop. He obeys the laws of his community and country. If he thinks these rules and laws are unfair, he tries to have them changed in an orderly manner rather than disobeying them.

It took me a long time to realize how much this point of the Scout Law has affected me personally.  A Scout pays attention to his parents, teachers and Scout leaders.  I didn’t always get along with them, and I would challenge them when I thought I was right.  But I knew a Good Scout follows the rules.

It’s the second part of this point, however, that we forget about.  If you don’t think rules or laws are fair, you don’t just ignore them.  You work to change them.

Rules and laws help us all get along—in a family, troop or community.  Despite our best intentions, sometimes the rules or laws don’t work quite like they are supposed to.  That is when a Good Scout works to change the rules, not just follow them.

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Boy’s Life has an interesting video from Scouts visiting Fort Hood on this point of the Scout Law.

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