Duct Tape and a Plan

On the second day of a backpacking trip, a Scout's boot sole started flapping loose. No store for thirty miles. The patrol huddled, pulled out a roll of duct tape, and wrapped that boot like a mummy. It held for the rest of the trip, all twenty-two miles. The boot came home ugly, but it came home.

A Scout is Thrifty. Being thrifty means taking care of what we have, fixing instead of tossing, and making do. It is not about being cheap. It's about being resourceful and respecting the things and money that we, and our families, work hard for.

This week, fix something instead of replacing it. Sew a button, patch a tear, tighten a loose screw, or glue a broken handle. Learn how, and keep that skill for life.