New Series of Posts
On Thursdays, I will be discussing traits and ways to be a better person. My son has been in scouts for a number of years, so I thought for the first twelve weeks, I would hit the 12 points of the scout law.
Now, I know there are people who disagree with some of the national organization’s policies, but this isn’t about any of that. These are ideals that Lord Baden Powell used as a guide for boys, as a useful tool for modeling a life and becoming a good and productive citizen.
All but one of these points are ideals I can’t see many people taking exception to. The one point that might comes from the line “A Scout is Reverent. That is the 12th and final point in the Scout Law, and perhaps will provide a good way to end this series of posts before I move on to other sources.
But today, I want to talk about the first point of the Scout Law that says A Scout is Trustworthy.
Trust
Trust. It is the foundation of everything we do. To whom do you lend money, your car keys, your house keys while you are out of town? Who do you let babysit the kids, your flesh and blood, while you go out on a well-deserved and long-delayed date with the spouse? Someone you trust, of course.
Trust is the foundation of competence. It is trait that must be earned either by action or by reputation. It’s what brings repeat business. It’s about keeping promises, and about people counting on you to do your part so other people can do their part.
If I promise to have a job done by a certain date and meet it, everyone is happy. If I miss the deadline, I might get a pass once, but not twice. I earn a reputation. If that miss is on the first attempt, the reputation is already formed, and it’s very difficult to get it removed.
I look to interact with people I trust, and I hope I portray trust to others, because my integrity is important to me. I hope yours is important to you.
