What to Be Prepared to Serve means?

By: Juan Pablo Gutiérrez-Alzate @elmiquitojpg

For me (I repeat, for me) is to Be available to anyone who needs you. A little cub scout, needing a coach to fulfill the requirements of a Specialty, or the very World Scout Committee.

Three times in my life I have taken the Scout oath to get the scarf of a Scout Group (One as a young member, and two as a Leader). I have renew my Scout oath many times, to renovate my personal commitment to do my best to accomplish my duties to God, my Country and my Home. Among them, it is one which I specially remember: August 1^st 2007, the sunrise of the second centenary of Scouting, in El Cable zone in Manizales, gathered with my fellow leaders and mates rovers of the 4^th Clan Tibayes, and alone with us, those attending the 21^st World Scout Jamboree in London, and the others in Brownsea Island, the home land of the Movement. The atmosphere, the people, the ceremony, make of this an indelible memory.

Many times I have not done my best to honor the Scout Law and Promise, many times I have not been useful, many times I have not smiled under all difficulties, many times I have not been a friend to all, many times I have not been clean in deeds. But many other times I have given all my being to make true the Construction of a Better World.

Last Saturday, I got the Scout Group 20 Andino 2000’s scarf, the group that opened its doors when I moved from Manizales to Bogotá in 2011, the one I got back this year, after a long period in the Scout Group 74 Pioneros de Rochdale, where I keep great friends among the young members and the leaders, as so as huge teachings. This Promise renewal, is for the commitment to lead the process of traditional group, that needs to build over the built, to apply the improvements to keep on being relevant and attractive and thus to gather the Vision to be 100 million Scouts, active citizens, creating positive changes based on shared values.

I think is time to go back to the origin. The time to leave pettiness, personal grudges, envy, hate, and to move forward again to Scout Brotherhood, the one dreamt by Baden-Powell capable to eradicate forever the War on earth, that inspiring fantasies, camping, excursions, walks and songs, the one that gives us the certain to have over 40 million brothers and sisters from almost all the countries on earth, that try to do their best to do their duties to God, their Country and their Homes, with the conviction of being members of the same Universal Family.

Is time to Be Prepared to serve again!

Sc. Juan Pablo Gutiérrez-Alzate, IM

Tiger with bear Soul

Prepared to Serve!