“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences that divide us.”
Audre Lorde
As I think of the September Cub Scout Value, Cooperation, I can’t help but think of our founding fathers and the crafting of the Declaration of Independence. It was a very trying time for our country and there were many contentious debates. The delegates of the Continental Congress did not have the authority to declare independence without the support of the colonies they represented. Several colonies, i.e. New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware wanted to work on a reconciliation agreement with Great Britain. Others such as North Carolina, which passed the Halifax Resolves on April 12 and was the first state to allow its delegates to vote in favor of independence and Rhode Island, which became the first state to declare independence from Great Britain wanted a free nation. Ultimately, the preamble passed on May 15th, 1776. On June 11, 1776, Congress appointed a “Committee of Five,” consisting of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman to draft the declaration. The final version was presented to Congress on June 28, 1776 and approved on July 4, 1776.
Think for a moment about the challenges the delegate and each colony they represented faced. Many feared fierce retaliation from the British Army. Many colonies did not want to give up their way of life. Many wondered whether we would even win the war. They overcame their own interests and trepidation in order to lay the groundwork for a system of government that led to the creation of the United States of America and served as model for future governments. In order to accomplish this major feat, all the delegates had to compromise.
Parents/Leaders, I encourage you to talk to our scouts about cooperation. Perhaps you do this by playing games. Perhaps you talk to them about their favorite sport team, or their own team, and how it takes everyone to accomplish the goal by working together.
I close with a quote from another American that had a huge impact on our lives, Henry Ford.
“Coming together is the beginning
Keeping together is progress
Working together is success”