A Scout is Helpful

A Scout cares about other people. He willingly volunteers to help others without expecting payment or reward. A crucial signpost in the road to maturity marks the point when we look beyond ourselves to the interests of others.

Altruism is selfless concern for the welfare of others, action that has no real benefit to us personally.

Philosophers argue over the theoretical questions of true altruism, of what constitutes real selflessness. They measure levels of sacrifice, action and the motivations behind them.

Paradoxically being helpful often seems to benefit ourselves more than those to whom help is directed.

There is a certain freedom and strength we derive from being of value to others that cannot be achieved any other way. It seems that the more we give of our time the more good comes to us in return, and if we jealously guard what we have we lose it. It is like a dog who goes to the river’s edge with a bone in his mouth. He looks into the water and sees another dog staring back at him with a bone in his mouth.

Since most dogs are not interested in sharing he decides that he is going to take the bone away from the dog he sees reflected back at him. But when he opens his mouth to grab the reflected bone the real one falls into the water and drifts away.