A Scout is Loyal - Scoutmaster Minute

In the early years of our national history President John Adams signed a set of laws were enacted to prevent people from writing or speaking against the government.

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison thought the laws were unconstitutional as they restricted free speech. In the end they won the argument. Were Jefferson and Madison disloyal? It would appear so because they disagreed with the laws and the President. But they held that loyalty to the principles in the Constitution were more important. The commodity of loyalty must be invested wisely and never blindly. When the demands of loyalty require a compromise of principle principle should win.

Beware of those who demand unquestioning, total loyalty. If a group or philosophy demands such blind loyalty its founding principles are likely to be flawed In a way life is about learning to balance conflicting demands on our loyalty.

Loyalty to friends will come into conflict with loyalty to family, loyalty to a team may conflict with loyalty to Scouts, loyalty to one way of thinking may come into conflict with another.

Resolving such conflicts successfully demands a strong character.