For a long time, I thought to myself, “Who am I to even write a blog or a book about wanting to become the next President of the United States of America? I am virtually unknown, and I’ve never published anything let alone run for public office – even Dog Catcher? Unlike many leaders and politicians today – I don’t have a law degree or a financially successful business background to lend credibility to my qualifications for high office. So, who will listen to me? Who will even care what I have to say?” Then I remembered those timeless truths written into the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress, on July 4, 1776 that stand today as the basis for all our freedoms and liberties: “that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” So, America – I am officially raising my hand and declaring this simple truth: that I, Frank C. Sense, promise to honor an Oath that I had taken as a young boy with these words:

“On my honor, I will do my best

To do my duty to God and my country

To do my duty to God and my country

and obey the Scout Law;

To help other people at all times;

To keep myself physically strong,

      mentally awake, and morally straight”

© The Boy Scouts of America

That’s right – I was a Boy Scout a long time ago during a period in our history often referred to as the “Golden Age of Scouting.” Membership was high; “Ozzie & Harriet” and “Leave it to Beaver” painted and idealized picture of life in America on TV while Norman Rockwell captured the Scouting Experience on canvas. Societal distractions like R-rated movies, pop music with Parental Advisory labels on the packaging, the Internet, and cell phones didn’t exist. What did exist and have survived for more than 100 years are the Scout Oath and Law. I believe that now more than ever, these core values as expressed in the Scout Oath and Law represent more than just words on a page, but rather a “policy of behavior”. . . a “code of conduct” to abide by and an unwavering standard to be measured by throughout Scouting and indeed in life! At the risk of sounding like a Pollyanna, I have tried to live my life by unapologetically following that code of conduct.

For the past 35+ years, I have served as a Scoutmaster. Over the years, I’m often asked, “Why I continue to remain involved in Scouting?” My answer is always the same – “it’s just darn good fun!” Whether I’m teaching a kid how to overcome their fears of the water and learn how to swim or how to read the downstream flow of a river or demonstrating how to start a fire – in a rainstorm or developing an understanding of basic first aid skills – each challenge, each experience, taken together builds character, teaches life skills and self-confidence and leadership.

© FrankCommonSense.Com