We must all learn to be better prepared

 

 

Are we prepared? Rest assured we can never be perfect, so you may ask, why be prepared? Some of you may have read last year’s contribution when I talked about the visit my wife and I made to Auschwitz. Were we prepared for that scene? No- but we will never forget it.

 

This year is the 100^th anniversary of the founding of the Scouts and I thought of their motto. ‘We promise to serve our country etcetera and be prepared at all times’. Over 60 years ago I was a Cub which I enjoyed and later joined the Scouts where I could not settle, so instead I joined the Army Cadet Force which led to joining the regular Army.

 

Was I prepared? Not all the time – but I had received the grounding. We have all seen the devastation of the recent floods and are learning about our climate change. Can we ever be prepared for what nature and man’s interference will bring? Sometimes I smile and sometimes I get upset over what is happening to our world and sympathise greatly with those who are suffering in any disaster. But I don’t feel that blaming God is the answer.

 

I am not a scientist, far from it, but believe that our planet has changed and is changing all the time. Many must bear responsibility for upsetting our environment – they and we should take these changes as a warning. Nature changes, but so do human beings, and we are often all too quick to blame others.

 

We should listen to what nature is trying to tell us. So as we celebrate the first century of the Scout movement let us consider those meaningful words “Be Prepared” which was given to the first Scouts 100 years ago for they still hold the same meaning.

 

Whatever we do in life we can all try to do our best, even if we are not Scouts, and be better prepared. It may come as a surprise to some but, no, we will never be perfect.