Ok, so let's get back to business here already! The Church has made it official that, at least for the time being, we are staying the course with the BSA. So let's stay focused on completing our tickets so we can be an influence in the lives of our boys in our units and lead and teach future teachers and leaders! I hope you are all having great experiences as you work hard to implement what you learned on course.
I was listening to a conference talk the other day about a man who after 30 years of leaving a 6th grade paper unfinished, finally sat down, scratched out the ending, and put it in the mail to his teacher. When she opened the envelope and discovered the contents she said, "I was amazed and wondered what made Jimmy finish his story. What kind of vision, determination, and effort had been required in this task? Why do any of us finish a hard task, especially if no one demands its completion?"
Why is finishing so important? It's been said that the doors of history open and close on small hinges. Can you imagine our world if Christopher Columbus almost discovered America, or if there was almost a Revolutionary War for our independence? What if there was almost a Declaration of Independence. Well, then, there would almost be an America.
Think about it from a spiritual side. What if Adam and Eve had almost partaken of the fruit. We would almost exist! How about Joseph Smith. What if he almost prayed in the grove of trees that spring morning. We would almost have the Book of Mormon, restored priesthood keys, and the restoration of the living gospel. And what about Christ. What if he almost completed the atonement. We would almost have hope, almost have faith, almost have purpose, almost be saved.
In every task, at least any that is worth doing, there is going to be opposition. Whether it be outside influences and distractions, or our own demons we fight with inside such as fear, doubt, laziness, or lack of determination. When we are faced with those rough patches in the road of life, we need to dig deep and find the determination to fight through it. It's more of a mental game than the task being difficult. But once we get through the opposition and complete the task, the feeling of accomplishment is undeniable. The harder the task, the greater the reward.
So my Bobwhite friends; please stay the course. If adjustments need to be made to tickets, let's make them. If you need any help or advice, let me know. But most of all, lean on each other as a patrol and ask one another for help! Don't let the span of time since May create a void in what you shared on course. Your on going meetings will help in that effort and your enthusiasm for completing your tickets will be bolstered as you experience the brotherhood of scouting in your own Wood Badge Patrol.
God bless you all in your journey. And remember what Lord Baden Powell himself said, "We never fail when we try to do our duty, we always fail when we neglect to do it."
YIS
Tom Brand
The Regal Eagle
