When he was talking it over with his advisers, someone said: “There’s a young man called Rowan who seems to be able to get anything done that you ask him. Why not try him?”
So Rowan was sent for, and when he came in, the President explained why he had sent for him, putting the letter in his hand, said, “Now, I want that letter taken to Garcia.
Rowan simply smiled and accepted the letter. He walked out of the room and set out.
On this map of Central America and the Caribbean Sea you will find the
island of Cuba through which Rowan travelled to find Garcia.
Some weeks passed, and Rowan appeared again before the President and said, “I gave your letter to Garcia, sir”. Of course McKinley made him explain how he had done it.
It turned out that Rowan had taken a boat, had landed on the coast of Cuba, and had disappeared into the jungle. In three weeks’ time he reappeared on the other side of the island, having gone through the enemy, found Garcia, and given him the letter.
Rowan was a true scout. The way he acted is the way a Scout should carry out an order when he gets it. No matter how difficult it may seem, he should tackle it, with a smile. The more difficult it is, the more interesting it will be to carry out.
Rowan did his duty, kicking the IM out of the word IMPOSSIBLE.
Any fellow who acts like that is certain to get on.
Most fellows would have asked a lot of questions—how they were to set about it, how they could get to the place, where they were to get food from, and so on. But not so Rowan. He merely learned what duty was wanted of him, and then did the rest without a word, kicking the IM out of the word IM-POSSIBLE. Any fellow who acts like that is certain to get on.
A lot of Scouts do special messenger service. These lads, from having difficult jobs frequently given them and being expected to carry them out successfully, take them on with the greatest confidence, and, without asking a lot of silly questions, they start off in
a businesslike way, and do them.
That is the way to deal with any difficulty in life. If you get a job or have a trouble that seems to you to be too big for you, don’t shirk it. Smile, think out a way by which you might get successfully through with it, and then go at it.
Remember that “a difficulty is no longer a difficulty when once you laugh at it—and tackle it”.
A boy learning what he can as a Scout has a good chance in the world
Don’t be afraid of making a mistake. Napoleon said, “Nobody ever made anything who never made a mistake”.
Memory
Then practise remembering things. A fellow who has a good memory will get on because so many other people have poor memories from not practising them.
A great coral island is built up of tiny sea animals blocking themselves together. So also great knowledge in a man is built up by his noticing all sorts of little details and blocking them together in his mind by remembering them.
Luck
If you want to catch a bus you don’t sit down and let it run past you, and then say, “How unlucky I am”. You run to it and jump on. It is just the same with what some people call “luck”; they complain that luck never comes to them. Well, luck is really the chance of getting something good or of doing something great. The thing is to look out for every chance and seize it—run at it and jump on—don’t sit down and wait for it to pass. Opportunity is a bus which has very few stopping places.
Choose a Career
“Be Prepared” for what is going to happen to you in the future. If you are in a situation where you are earning money as a boy, what are you going to do when you finish that job? You ought to be learning some proper trade, and save your pay in the meantime, to keep you going till you get employment in your future trade.
And try to learn something of a second trade, in case the first one fails you at any time, as so very often happens.
An employer told me once that he never engaged a lad who had yellow finger-tips (from smoking), or who carried his mouth open (boys who breathe through the mouth have a stupid look). Any man is sure of employment who has money in the bank, keeps away from drink, and is cheery.
Lots of wasters or weaklings have gone out into the world and many of them have failed to make good, but I have never come across a failure among young fellows who have gone out with a real desire to work and with the ability to stick to their job, to act straight, and to keep sober.
Don’t be an idler. Follow a useful
trade if you want Success.
CHAPTER VIII
SAVING LIFE
CAMP FIRE YARN NO. 23
BE PREPARED FOR ACCIDENTS
The Knights Hospitallers of
St. John – Accidents -
Boy Heroes - Life Saving
Medals
HINTS TO INSTRUCTORS
The subjects in this chapter should not only be explained to the Scouts, but should also, wherever possible, be demonstrated practically, and should be practised by each Scout in turn.
Theoretical instruction in these points is nothing without Practice.
The knights of old days were called “Knights Hospitallers” because they had hospitals for the treatment of the sick, poor, and those injured in accidents or in war. They used to save up their money and keep these hospitals going, and although they were brave fighting men they used also to act as nurses and doctors themselves.
The Knights of St. John of Jerusalem especially devoted themselves to this work eight hundred years ago. The St. John Ambulance Corps and the Red Cross today represent those knights.
Explorers and hunters and other scouts in out-of-the-way parts of the world have to know what to do in case of accident or sickness, either to themselves or their followers, as they are often hundreds of miles away from any doctors. For these reasons Boy Scouts should, of course, learn all they can about looking after sick people and dealing with accidents.
My brother was once camping with a friend away in the bush in Australia. His friend was drawing a cork, holding the bottle between his knees to get a better purchase. The bottle burst and the jagged edge of it ran deeply into his thigh, cutting an artery. My brother quickly got a stone, wrapped it in a handkerchief to act as a pad, and tied the handkerchief round the limb above the wound, so that the stone pressed on the artery. He then got a stick, and, passing it through the loop of the handkerchief, twisted it round