ONCE A SCOUT

foreign [Music] your name is Ike Stewart and you're off to work on this crisp autumn morning nothing unusual about that of course it's happening all over Midvale and it's happening in every city and town in America to be sure you're fairly young and a newcomer on your job but you don't expect any trumpets to blow as you check in you know all the fellas pretty well by now so it's the beginning of another day most cheerful it was a wonderful morning it sure is you better let him can't stay around all year oh say hi I went over your production control reports last night the few questions I'd like to ask you about now on this uh commentator shaft sub-assembly a couple of things that don't seem to add up you Ike Stewart are not usually aware of the habits and attitudes which make you tick but they're there stamping you as an individual for life right now for instance you're listening and you're listening well because at different times and places you've learned how to learn from others how to accept criticism from people more experienced mature if you could stop to ask how this came about you might recall some memories of not too long ago when you were a scout for in scouting you learn things you wanted to know from those who knew the answers and so you discovered your surprise that learning can be both Pleasant and profitable then too it was in scouting that you began to enjoy and appreciate the wisdom and the companionship of older men a habit which is now paying off okay I see where I've been making my mistake I I use the Foreman's report for uh writing down the complete analysis when I should have used the data first an easy mistake to make but uh in today's checkup you try it this way and see if it actually does make the work easier for you I'm sure that it will and thanks an awful lot Mr Lang quite all right you instinctively know that your job involves a lot more than just work the companionship of the people you worked with means a lot too [Music] thank you here too you don't stop to think what makes you enjoy and accept this warm easy relationship but at least part of you was conditioned by the very early days when you were a Cub Scout at that time you remember the first pack in your neighborhood and you worked hard over those Den projects because you were working and playing with others your age as you and your buddies outgrew Cub scouting at first there was only the neighborhood gang to run with nothing bad in that but things were rather dull and pointless at times then boy scouting came to make your gang a patrol and build a real team spirit take that partnership for three games you're gonna be able to make it aren't Jake well to tell you the truth that kind of slipped my mind I am would it be possible that Ike has a date with these oh it's very nice she's fine she couldn't be better hey if you notice that Ike's averages started dropping a little bit since he's been taking a night off oh man hello Mike I want to talk to you like a big brother we all like Barry she's a fine girl but uh six nights a week I think is enough that one night comes bowling we want you there so we don't want a bowl with any blind you know how about this could I bring her along to watch why not most of our wives come down anyway can she pull I said watch my bowl hey Paul come on over here come on down sit and join the gang just talking about bowling you know we got a bowling team in the office there we've been doing pretty good oh is that right yeah when's coming out of watches tomorrow night yes fine I'd like that yeah it's good we're glad to have you hey how's the job coming along oh pretty good say Ike yeah ever since I've taken over your job gee I've been having an awful lot of difficulty with a paperwork what seems to be the trouble I mean is there anything in particular that's wrong or what well it's getting it channeled through the plan well uh is it uh that you don't know the right place to send this stuff is that about it well yes that's just about what it amounts to well listen why don't we get together tomorrow night you and I and uh we'll see what we can do see if we can get a little work done fine thank you very much yeah I didn't think I'd ever get the hang of it oh don't worry you'll catch on you're sure he'll catch on because firmly fixed in your mind from way back is another habit the desire to help others find these rocks we like use small and easy to cook over you want to go gather some wood yeah we can't start a fire with this junior sponging rotten come on I'll show you what time to get it take me to it you won't need that Tomahawk sitting bro let it put it down before you fall on it your desire to share your skills and knowledge with someone less experience with no phony show-off business it was as natural as breathing because it was fun both ways quiet don't move look in the brush it's a little fun [Music] foreign don't worry his mother's probably close by see how those spots on his coat blend in with the woods let's leave quietly so we won't disturb it 'll learn yeah but you'll catch on so the two-way street continues in your older days Ed catches on and so do you as you grow and learn yes you Ike Stewart are doing pretty well with your job and your fellow men but the place where you really feel at home is the out of doors it isn't just the riot of autumn colors and the bracing air would give you a lift and straighten your back a bit but crowding into your mind comes scenes and incidents from recent years you recall the night you first visited a group of older Scouts senior Scouts as they were called then you were never sorry you joined them or with older new Buddies you enjoyed the thrill of exploring on your own seeing for yourself what lay beyond the next Bend and testing all the skills which you had ever learned so do you the Out of Doors means more than pretty sights and sounds it means a deep down feeling of self-reliance and Adventure always ahead in your daily routine of living there is nothing more natural than going to church it's natural because it's part of the way you think and feel part of the habit which scouting helped to build for it was another church in town which had first sponsored your troop way back when The Troop met regularly in the church basement some of your happiest times were spent there so church has become a real moving force in your life the walk home from church is far from routine for a girl named Mary is with you you always feel at ease with Mary because she's the kind of girl she is but this natural understanding is also the result of your having enjoyed happy normal relationships with young women during your teen years under circumstances which encouraged respect and courtesy this was the special value of scouting's Explorer program for young men giving you a chance to develop Poise and confidence as it start on the future it took many small everyday experiences to bring Mary and you to this point in your lives and it takes a great many Ike's and mirrors to make America's future secure and great in their daily lives they will seldom use phrases like self-reliance and working together yet these will be a part of their innermost thinking we have the comfortable feeling that ice future and that of America has been made more secure through the experiences which he had when he Ike Stewart was once a scout [Music]