2010 Scout's Own Homily
The Theme handed down to us by BSA National was "Bringing the City to the Country". I took on that challenge in my program area (Nature) pretty well, and will detail it in a later post. What I wanted to do here is give an overview of the Service I put together, and share the homily i wrote to go along with it. Before every service I do a brief introduction, as many of the campers have never encountered a Scout's Own Service before. They used to be called "Vespers", but due to the fact that this is supposed to be a nonsectarian service, and the strongly Christian overtones of this term, the older "Scout's Own" is coming back into use. Here is some of what I usually say:
Welcome to Camp Oest’s Scout’s Own service. A Scout’s Own service is an nondenominational prayer service that Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Ventures use on camp outs and other outings , particularly when the activity interferes with the scout’s ability to attend regular services at their own place of worship.
These services are meant to be inclusive. For this purpose, a Scout’s Own service may incorporate parts of prayer and worship from a variety of faiths. Often, as the American Scouting movement’s roots are intertwined in the culture and lore of the very first Americans, Native American prayers will often be used.
You may also notice that one of the names used to refer to the Supreme Being is spelled out G_D in the text of the service. This is out of respect for those religious denominations, such as Orthodox Jews, who consider the Name of the Creator so sacred, that it would be improper to put it on anything that might be discarded or destroyed.
Please join us now in or Oest’s Own service and feel welcome in the fellowship of the scouting movement...
The various parts of the service are usually read by or lead by staff members. This year during Webelos week session we had some of the campers volunteer to do parts of the service, just as it is supposed to be done at the Boy Scout and Venture Scout level. They did very well.
The call to prayer this year was as follows:
Come all ye sons and daughters of The Lord. Open your townhouse and farmhouse doors. Come forth from country lane and cul-de-sac, from apartment building and bungalow. Bring an end to your work in barn or garage and gather together here and now, whether ye be wise in the ways of the wood and field, internet and book, or simply street-wise, for the true wisdom of Our Maker lies in our shared reverence and joy in praising His glory. Let our prayers of thanksgiving be louder than a tractor engine’s roar, or an impatient taxi’s horn. Let the stillness of our contemplation of His wondrous works be quieter than a snow-bound country night or the Public Library’s reference section. Let us all join together in the Name of the Lord.
The Homily followed a little later. It was based on 2 main parts: a version of age-old fable and a story about my exploits earlier that year:
The Country Mouse & the City Mouse
A Country Mouse invited his cousin from the city to come visit him. The City Mouse was not very impressed with the humble home of his cousin. He was so disappointed with their meal of just a few kernels of corn, some grain, and a couple of dried berries, that he invited the Country Mouse to visit his own home.
"My poor cousin," said the city mouse, "you hardly have anything to eat! An ant could eat better! Please come to the city and visit me. I will show you such feasts, readyfor the taking. I don't want to seem rude, but I wish you could taste the fine things I have to eat every day!"
Unable to turn down such a tempting offer, the Country Mouse went with his cousin to the city. The two came to an apartment that contained a magnificent meal. The Country Mouse could not believe his eyes! He had never seen so much food in one place. There was bread, cheese, fruit, bits of cake, and tasty things of all sorts scattered about a giant dining room table. Fine wine pooled at the bottom of crystal glasses.
The two mice settled down to eat their wonderful dinner, but before they had barely taken their first bites, a cat approached the dining room table. The two of them scampered away and hid in a small uncomfortable hole until the cat got bored and left. When all was finally quiet, the two mice crawled out of the hole and resumed their feast. But before they could get a proper taste in their mouth, a huge roaring sound interrupted them.
“Hold tight to the curtain cousin, or the vacuum cleaner will gobble you up!” cried the City Mouse. The noisy monster finally left the two of them alone for a moment and the two little mice let go of the curtain and scuttled away.
As the City Mouse motioned for the Country mouse to follow him back to the table, the trembling Country Mouse shook his head “No Goodbye dear cousin.” cried the Country Mouse over his shoulder as he ran off, “You do, indeed, live in a plentiful city, but I am going home where I can enjoy my simple dinner in peace.”
Earlier this year, a scout leader had his own Country Mouse/City Mouse experience. He traveled half way around the world to learn about schools and Scouts in the country of Armenia. While he was there he sometimes felt like the Country Mouse and at other times he felt like the City Mouse. For example, the City mouse in him had trouble understanding why the class rooms did not have the space or equipment to run the science labs he did with his own classes. Most of the charts were very old and falling apart. While the Armenian coffee worked just as well as American coffee, it would get like motor oil sludge by the time he got near the bottom of the cup. One of the things that would make him feel more like the Country Mouse was crossing the street. Speeding taxis, trucks, and cars would make up traffic lanes where they had not existed before. This made crossing the street a little too exciting for him. Strange words, as well as signs and billboards that used an alphabet unlike anything he had ever seen, tended to make him feel uncomfortable and alone.
Like the Country Mouse, he was very happy to get home again, but when he had a chance to think about it, he realized that there were many things he had in common with the people he met in Armenia. They shared his love of pizza- even if they didn’t use the same kinds of toppings he was used to. The teachers he met and shared his own strong dedication to the students and, like him, were very enthusiastic about what they taught. The Scout leaders he met worked tirelessly, giving up much of their spare time, to spread the Scouting Spirit throughout the youth of their country.
So in the end, it doesn't matter whether you are from the city, the country, or even a completely different country. The things that we all share in common unite us in a way that cannot be broken.
Welcome to Camp Oest’s Scout’s Own service. A Scout’s Own service is an nondenominational prayer service that Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Ventures use on camp outs and other outings , particularly when the activity interferes with the scout’s ability to attend regular services at their own place of worship.
These services are meant to be inclusive. For this purpose, a Scout’s Own service may incorporate parts of prayer and worship from a variety of faiths. Often, as the American Scouting movement’s roots are intertwined in the culture and lore of the very first Americans, Native American prayers will often be used.
You may also notice that one of the names used to refer to the Supreme Being is spelled out G_D in the text of the service. This is out of respect for those religious denominations, such as Orthodox Jews, who consider the Name of the Creator so sacred, that it would be improper to put it on anything that might be discarded or destroyed.
Please join us now in or Oest’s Own service and feel welcome in the fellowship of the scouting movement...
The various parts of the service are usually read by or lead by staff members. This year during Webelos week session we had some of the campers volunteer to do parts of the service, just as it is supposed to be done at the Boy Scout and Venture Scout level. They did very well.
The call to prayer this year was as follows:
Come all ye sons and daughters of The Lord. Open your townhouse and farmhouse doors. Come forth from country lane and cul-de-sac, from apartment building and bungalow. Bring an end to your work in barn or garage and gather together here and now, whether ye be wise in the ways of the wood and field, internet and book, or simply street-wise, for the true wisdom of Our Maker lies in our shared reverence and joy in praising His glory. Let our prayers of thanksgiving be louder than a tractor engine’s roar, or an impatient taxi’s horn. Let the stillness of our contemplation of His wondrous works be quieter than a snow-bound country night or the Public Library’s reference section. Let us all join together in the Name of the Lord.
The Homily followed a little later. It was based on 2 main parts: a version of age-old fable and a story about my exploits earlier that year:
The Country Mouse & the City Mouse
A Country Mouse invited his cousin from the city to come visit him. The City Mouse was not very impressed with the humble home of his cousin. He was so disappointed with their meal of just a few kernels of corn, some grain, and a couple of dried berries, that he invited the Country Mouse to visit his own home.
"My poor cousin," said the city mouse, "you hardly have anything to eat! An ant could eat better! Please come to the city and visit me. I will show you such feasts, readyfor the taking. I don't want to seem rude, but I wish you could taste the fine things I have to eat every day!"
Unable to turn down such a tempting offer, the Country Mouse went with his cousin to the city. The two came to an apartment that contained a magnificent meal. The Country Mouse could not believe his eyes! He had never seen so much food in one place. There was bread, cheese, fruit, bits of cake, and tasty things of all sorts scattered about a giant dining room table. Fine wine pooled at the bottom of crystal glasses.
The two mice settled down to eat their wonderful dinner, but before they had barely taken their first bites, a cat approached the dining room table. The two of them scampered away and hid in a small uncomfortable hole until the cat got bored and left. When all was finally quiet, the two mice crawled out of the hole and resumed their feast. But before they could get a proper taste in their mouth, a huge roaring sound interrupted them.
“Hold tight to the curtain cousin, or the vacuum cleaner will gobble you up!” cried the City Mouse. The noisy monster finally left the two of them alone for a moment and the two little mice let go of the curtain and scuttled away.
As the City Mouse motioned for the Country mouse to follow him back to the table, the trembling Country Mouse shook his head “No Goodbye dear cousin.” cried the Country Mouse over his shoulder as he ran off, “You do, indeed, live in a plentiful city, but I am going home where I can enjoy my simple dinner in peace.”
Earlier this year, a scout leader had his own Country Mouse/City Mouse experience. He traveled half way around the world to learn about schools and Scouts in the country of Armenia. While he was there he sometimes felt like the Country Mouse and at other times he felt like the City Mouse. For example, the City mouse in him had trouble understanding why the class rooms did not have the space or equipment to run the science labs he did with his own classes. Most of the charts were very old and falling apart. While the Armenian coffee worked just as well as American coffee, it would get like motor oil sludge by the time he got near the bottom of the cup. One of the things that would make him feel more like the Country Mouse was crossing the street. Speeding taxis, trucks, and cars would make up traffic lanes where they had not existed before. This made crossing the street a little too exciting for him. Strange words, as well as signs and billboards that used an alphabet unlike anything he had ever seen, tended to make him feel uncomfortable and alone.
Like the Country Mouse, he was very happy to get home again, but when he had a chance to think about it, he realized that there were many things he had in common with the people he met in Armenia. They shared his love of pizza- even if they didn’t use the same kinds of toppings he was used to. The teachers he met and shared his own strong dedication to the students and, like him, were very enthusiastic about what they taught. The Scout leaders he met worked tirelessly, giving up much of their spare time, to spread the Scouting Spirit throughout the youth of their country.
So in the end, it doesn't matter whether you are from the city, the country, or even a completely different country. The things that we all share in common unite us in a way that cannot be broken.