David Garrett, Scoutmaster Minute

A few weeks ago I received a letter from David Garrett. It was on letterhead that said “The President’s Volunteer Service Award”, as well it should be, for the letter writer is a man who has voluntarily served our country throughout his life (please see his brief bio below). One day we will ask him to share some of his experiences and why he has given so much in this way, but today the topic is a lesson he shared with his Scout troop.

He was kind enough to share some “Scoutmaster Minutes” he had written, each based on a brief “homily” he as Scoutmaster had given at the end of a Scout meeting to illustrate some part of the Scout Oath or the Scout Law. He sent me “Five of Your Dad’s Favorite Scoutmaster Minutes”, which he had written for his own sons, and I loved them all.

My colleague Davin Carr-Chellman is also an Eagle Scout, as are his two boys (and his younger daughter is very involved in Scouting too). In the future I hope to persuade him to share some of his own thoughts about the connection between Scouting and profound living and learning.

David was a year behind me at Olathe High School, but he was years ahead of me as a high school debater. I was a novice debater my senior year and by then he was an experienced competitor. As such, he is a contemporary of mine. As David wrote to me:

"A good friend of mine in Wichita and I lament that when we talk to our kids about Vietnam, Watergate, Apollo missions, etc. that the kids say, "Dad, that's history." Our reply is always, "No. That's my life!"

That was our life. We grew up in the middle of conflict, and it feels eerily familiar today. I remember our debate topic that year, which thousands of high school debaters around the country argued for or against in debate tournaments, taking sides based on the luck of the draw, making their cases with evidence, and developing substantial critical thinking skills and a respect for multiple perspectives. The 1970 debate topic seems a pertinent question today, nearly half a century later:

Resolved: That Congress should prohibit unilateral United States military intervention in foreign countries. 1

Today is Memorial Day here in the United States. We honor those who gave their lives for our country. For their courage, their honor, their service, for – let’s face it – being finer people in those moments of service than we could ever imagine ourselves to be.

It always reminds me to try to be a better person myself, as we remember those who have sacrificed so that others might live in liberty.

I think this Scoutmaster Minute , which David had shared with boys, who would go on to become young men, is good advice to all of us as we try to stay grounded in what is important during these trying times.

David Garrett:

This is a mirror. It is a handy device.

Some of you take it with you to camp to help comb your hair or brush your teeth. In wilderness survival you are taught that the mirror can be used as a reflector to attract attention in case you are injured or lost.

Perhaps the most important use is in finding the source of many of our problems. It’s easy to point a finger at someone else and blame them for our troubles or failings. But a good part of the time, the problem can be found right in the mirror.

Try it. What do you see? Do you like what you see? If you use the Scout Oath and Scout Law, and set a good example for others, you’ll be able to look in the mirror with contentment and not contempt.

~David Garrett, Scoutmaster Minute

When I look in the mirror I see some clear areas for improvement, and a few I feel pretty good about, but it is a humbling activity.

As you look in the mirror today, what do you see? And where do you look to find the source and the solution to our problems?

1 https://www.nfhs.org/media/1018339/past-resolutions.pdf

Currently, David is a docent at the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park, with over 3,000 volunteer hours. He is a four-time recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award. David is a twenty-five year volunteer with the Boy Scouts of America, receiving the District Award of Merit and the National Scoutmaster Award. Other memberships include Telecom Pioneers, Phi Delta Lambda honor society, and Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, and has guest-lectured in community schools.

David and Diane, his wife of forty-two years, have lived in San Antonio since 1998. They have three sons – Brian, Bradley and Geoffrey ( each is an Eagle Scout and a college graduate).

(MK added the bolded italics, related to today’s essay – wow!)

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