While attending

their son's Eagle Scout Court of Honor, Sandra and Jeff Schwartz realized

that we all have it within our power to live by scouting values. All we

have to do is focus on being more Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Courteous,

Kind and all the other Scouting values, all at the same time, each and

every day.

The thought

overwhelmed them. Much discussion led them to decide they couldn't do

it. But if they focused on one attribute a the time, then over time, all

the values just might take. So that's what they decided to do. The journal

they would keep would eventually evolve into the book they published last

year entitled The Scouting Way.

I sat down

recently to read from The Scouting Way and immediately found myself wanting

to make it required reading for every CEO, COO, CFO and politician. In

the end I decided it was worthwhile reading for all the rest of us too.

The book is

designed so as to offer daily readings over a period of one month. Its

pages offer much encouragement to one seeking to make good deeds, bravery,

honesty, preparedness, kindness, trustworthiness, responsibility and so

many other great attributes an integral part of their daily lives.

I have chosen

to share with you today a story that John McCain, Senator from Arizona,

Former POW submitted to the authors for the chapter on Patriotism. In

his words:

"Let me

tell you what I think about our Pledge of Allegiance, our flag and our

country. I want to tell you a story about when I was prisoner of war.

I spent five years in the Hanoi Hilton. In the early years of our imprisonment,

the North Vietnamese kept us in solitary confinement or two or three to

a cell.

"In 1971,

the North Vietnamese moved us from these conditions of isolation into

large rooms with as many as 30 to 40 men to a room. This was, as you can

imagine, a wonderful change. And was a direct result of efforts of millions

of Americans, led by people like Ronald and Nancy Reagan, on behalf of

a few hundred POWs, 10,000 miles from home.

"One of

the men moved into my cell was Mike Christian. Mike came from a small

town near Selma, Ala. He didn't wear a pair of shoes until he was 13 years

old. At seventeen, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He later earned a commission.

"He became

a Naval flying officer, and was shot down and captured in 1967. Mike had

a keen and deep appreciation for the opportunities this country and our

military provide for people who want to work and succeed.

"The uniforms

we wore in prison consisted of a blue short-sleeved shirt, trousers that

looked like pajama trousers and rubber sandals that were made of automobile

tires. I recommend them highly; one pair lasted my entire stay.

"As part

of the change in treatment, the Vietnamese allowed some prisoners to receive

packages from home. In some of these packages were handkerchiefs, scarves

and other items of clothing. Mike got himself a piece of white cloth and

a piece of red cloth and fashioned himself a bamboo needle. Over a period

of months, he sewed the American flag on the inside of his shirt.

"Every

afternoon, before we had a bowl of soup, we would hang Mike's shirt on

the wall of our cell, and say the Pledge of Allegiance. I know that saying

the Pledge of Allegiance may not seem the most important or meaningful

part of our day now, but I can assure that for those men in that stark

prison cell it was indeed the most important and meaningful event of our

day.

"One day

the Vietnamese searched our cell and discovered Mike's shirt with the

flag sewn inside, and removed it. That evening they returned, opened the

door of the cell, called for Mike Christian to come out, closed the door

of the cell, and for the benefit of all of us, beat Mike severely for

the next couple of hours.

"Then

they opened the door of the cell and threw him back inside. He was not

in good shape. We tried to comfort and take care of him as well as we

could. The cell in which we lived had a concrete slab in the middle on

which we slept. Four naked light bulbs in each corner of the room.

"After

things quieted down, I went to lie down to go to sleep. As I did, I happened

to look in the corner of the room. Sitting there beneath that dim light

bulb, with a piece of white cloth, a piece of red cloth, another shirt

and a bamboo needle, was my friend Mike Christian. Sitting there, with

his eyes almost shut from his beating, making another American flag.

"He was

not making the flag because it made Mike Christian feel better. He was

making the flag because he knew how important it was for us to be able

to pledge our allegiance to our flag and country.

"Duty,

Honor, Country. We must never forget those thousands of Americans who,

with their courage, with their sacrifice, and with their lives, made those

words live for all of us."

(Taken from

Pages 36-39, The Scouting Way, by Sandra and Jeff Schwartz, ISBN 0-9715398-0-4.)

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