On July 24, the president addressed the Boy Scouts of America during their quadrennial Jamboree in West Virginia. Would that he had offered these personal reflections to the assembled Scouts and for legions more across the country.

I admire the Boy Scouts of America, he might have begun. I applaud your long history of service to our society and nation and I believe all of America could benefit now if each of us aspired to live out your 12 Scout Laws.

A Scout is Trustworthy. I can see the value in that. Saying what you mean and meaning what you say go a long way in getting others to believe they can rely on your words. When you say one thing, act another, and then deny that you ever said the thing everybody knows you said, it makes people leery of relying on you. That creates problems for you and others.

A Scout is Loyal. I value loyalty. Some people say its a two-way street and you must give loyalty to get loyalty. Maybe so, but thats hard work. Still, anything worth having is worth working for, including earning respect.

A Scout is Helpful. We should all look for opportunities to help others in need. The world is a difficult place and not everyone begins life with advantages we may enjoy. Rather than kicking them aside as failures, it is better, I think, to help them lift themselves up.

A Scout is Friendly. We all need friends, people who like to be around us because we have developed a mutual respect, people who come to our aid when we need them. To have a friend, be a friend. You cannot just command people to like you, no matter how much money and power you have.

A Scout is Courteous. As a young lad, our first president, George Washington, copied for his penmanship lessons and his development of character a series of guidelines titled Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation. Perhaps we should all read those from time to time.

A Scout is Kind. Psychologists will tell you human behaviors arise from only three emotions: fear, anger, and sadness. Joy and kindness, of course, are our natural states when we remove those other three. When you are not acting out of kindness, stop and ask yourself: Of what am I afraid? At what am I angry? Why am I sad? People will like you more when you are kinder.

A Scout is Obedient. Doing the right thing is always important; its paramount. Being obedient to the rule of law and to the United States Constitution are what keep us free of dictators and authoritarian rulers. And, yes, that could happen here. Be vigilant.

A Scout is Cheerful. People like to be around others who are hopeful and optimistic. Complaining is easy. It is the favorite refuge of the uninformed. It requires no imagination and is soon quite tiresome to others.

A Scout is Thrifty. In this world, you have two ways to be rich: have a lot of money or dont have many needs. Choosing how to manage your wants so they dont become the needs that control your life is all part of maturing into adulthood.

A Scout is Brave. Standing up for justice is not easy. Youll need courage. Standing up to bullies and liars are the times in your life you will recall with the greatest sense of accomplishment and personal pride.

A Scout is Clean. Falling prey to temptation is part of being human, but you are called to rise above those behaviors which will embarrass you and your family and bring shame on your household. Character is who you are in the dark, when no one is looking, when no one can see you.

A Scout is Reverent. We all have a relationship with some concept of the origins of mankind. But know this: there is a God and you are not it. Humility is what makes us human.

No action is more important for any president than to encourage the future of this great nation, the president might have concluded. You Scouts and all those who will come after you are part of the fabric of our future as the United States of America. I may not live out the 12 Scout Laws, he might have acknowledged, but if you love America, you will, every day. And, America thanks you, he could have said to great applause.

Randell Jones is anEagle Scout, earned in 1965. He is the author of several history books, including "From Time to Time in North Carolina" and "Thumped by History." He lives in Winston-Salem.

See more here:
Randell Jones: Scouting for character - Winston-Salem Journal