One More Sweep

Last month at camp, after the gear was packed and everyone was ready to leave, one patrol went back for one more sweep of the site. They found a tent stake, two wrappers, and a sock nobody would claim. Nobody asked them to do it. Nobody was checking. The next troop to pull in will never know their names.

That's the thing about character. Most of it happens when no one is watching. The Scout Law says a Scout is Clean, and that means more than washing your hands. It means leaving every place, and every person, a little better than you found them.

This week, try a last sweep of your own. Before you leave your classroom, your kitchen, or the practice field, take one more look. Pick up one thing that isn't yours. Then ask yourself: did I leave this better? That's how a Scout makes a difference, one small sweep at a time.