When one of my boys that earns the rank of Eagle, I try to come up with a Scoutmaster’s minute that will not only inspire him and his family, but the rest of the troop as well. I had puzzled on what to say this time, until I remembered what a former English teacher had told me. She said, "Just pay attention to what is around you, and write about it."

When Mike answered question number six on his Eagle application, he said that he had not had a chance to serve in a major leadership position for many reasons, sports being one of them. This surprised me, as I had always thought of him as a leader in the troop. Mike was right, though, as he had never been Senior Patrol Leader or Assistant Senior Patrol Leader. I could tell from his tone that it bothered him, though.

Mike became the Junior Assistant Scout Master in December, and now had many of the responsibilities of an Assistant Scout Master, while still being a youth. He would have to learn to lead as an adult, without the experience of being SPL or ASPL. I was confident that he would learn rapidly, though, and was not worried.

What does this have to do with anything? Well, it goes like this, and if it is okay with Mike, I would like to tell you about some of what we discussed when he had his Scoutmaster’s Conference for his Bronze Palm. One of the requirements is to demonstrate an improvement in leadership. When I asked Mike about that, he said that he had discovered something about being a leader. He had learned that he could lead much better by example.

At that point, I was sure that Mike had realized what was inside him, what the adult leaders already knew, and what the rest of the troop had seen. He was truly a leader that people wanted to follow, not because of his position, but because of his attitude.

Leadership does not come from positions of importance. Leaders have qualities that others see as good. They are trustworthy. They are loyal to their family and friends. They help people in need. They are humble, polite and compassionate. They are unafraid of difficult tasks. They have strong moral values and beliefs. Above all else, they put their faith in their God. In essence, they live up to the Scout Oath and Law. Not all leaders have these qualities and traits. However, all of the great ones do. Becoming an Eagle Scout does not make you a great leader. Great leaders become Eagle Scouts. It is all about attitude.

I have always said that all of my boys are Eagle Scouts; they just have to realize it. Mike Griggs has realized it.