Natter with Nathan, Christmas 2022

A Little Scout Follows Me

A careful leader I ought to be,

A little Scout follows me.

I do not dare to go astray,

For fear he will go the same way.

Not once can I escape his eyes,

Whatever he sees me do, he tries.

Like me he says he's going to be,

That little Scout who follows me.

He thinks that I am good and fine,

Believes in every word of mine,

The bad in me he must not see,

That little Scout who follows me.

I must remember as I go,

Through summer sun and winter snow,

I'm building for the years to be,

That little Scout who follows me.

(Adapted from "A Little Fellow Follows Me" by Lee Fisher)

I think these words accurately describe the fundamental effect we have on the minds of young people in our care. As the great philosopher, spiderman, says: "With great power comes great responsibility"… As leaders we have the moral responsibility for what we choose to do with this power; and also, for what we fail to do with it.

As adults in Scouting, our important mission is to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society. Through your careful leadership, the hours of work you’ve put into volunteering and the values you hold, there are thousands of young people who are, and will always be, confident individuals who are assets to their communities and society as a whole.

That’s a powerful thought and one that should make you feel very proud. We have achieved so much this year and I could not be prouder of all our BSO volunteers and I extend my most sincere gratitude for the many hours you have invested in helping to create new assets to society. We have so much to look forward to next year and I am looking forward to building on our significant achievements of the last year. But for now, it is time for some well-earned rest and enjoying some quality time with families and loved ones.

Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Samhain, Hanukkah, Vaikuntha Ekadashi, Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti, the New Year, or something else I’ve missed altogether, I wish you and your families a healthy and happy time.

Nathan

Area Commissioner