A Time for Thanks - To God From Whom All Blessings Flow

Members of the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of the USA join with their families, this Thursday, in celebrating our American holiday - Thanksgiving Day. It is traditionally a day of holiday parades and family hugs, football games and pumpkin pies - a day to give thanks and count our blessings.

Personally, I am thankful Michelle married my son, James, last summer. At any family meal, her feminine voice is a new experience after so many years with only the masculine voices of my husband and sons. I count the blessing of my sister's life, and rejoice that shortly after the news of her death last April, came news of new life as her daughter, Kate, and husband Jason, announced they are awaiting the birth of their second child.

My dining room will be filled with family of all ages this year. The smells of turkey, cranberries and home-baked bread, along with the squeals of little children and the laughter of young people, will fill our home. As so many other American families, we will count our blessings.

Of course, Scouting is among them. Bob and I will welcome the visits from former Scouts who stop by when they are home for the holidays.  I count, not only the Scouts and Scouters we have known for many years, but those of you I have met only on-line. I count you, who share your opinions, your insights, and your concerns about Scouting with me. I include Mark - who desperately needed to find a form before his impending Eagle Board of Review; Jeff - an Eagle Scout who shared his grief over the loss of his grandmother; Marlene - who wanted to create a memorial for her Eagle Scout son after his death; Gail - a new Scouter who found herself in need of some help; Bruce, Mike, and Kim - Scouters who cared enough to do something about the victims of Hurricane Floyd;  and especially Melinda - a Scouter (in both BSA & GSUSA) who came to the Girl Scout Convention and went home with a kitten she had rescued.

I am thankful that my friends in our SCOUTER offices were spared experiencing the Salt Lake City tornado up close and personal last summer and then returned safely home.   Blessings we all share, are the thousands of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts who do a good turn and share what they have to help those in need - and their Leaders who demonstrate the importance of community Service to America. This Thanksgiving do something nice for someone - in honor of those terrific Scouts.

Here at SCOUTER, Terry Howerton and all of us on staff, want you to know we are thankful for each member of our Scouting Community. May your holiday be happy and your life filled with God's blessings. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us.

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Looking for some information about Thanksgiving? Need some Thanksgiving activities for this week's meeting? Try some of these links.

Cubs can read The Thanksgiving Story  on this page from The Holiday Page web site.  Listen to music and print the Thanksgiving Quiz. for your Scouts.

Visit the Center for World Thanksgiving web site which encourages messages of gratitude and thanksgiving to the world.  Their statement says, in part:  "Of all the profound gestures of the human heart, thanksgiving is the most communal and the most basic. Its presence creates a universal bond that overlaps differences throughout the world." 

Send Thanksgiving Greetings to friends and family with this online greeting card service.