Dear Sisters and Brothers in Scouting!

The more we think about and prepare our activities, the more they are beautiful, successful and efficient. If you think about a weekend with your guides or scouts, you will see that it’s true. Father Jacques Sevin says that everything must be prepared in prayer.

Apart from a good preparation, it is important to act in community. Everybody brings his experiences, knowledge and talents. Nobody needs to know everything or to be able to do everything. Think about the court of honour! Already our Lord did not send his 72 disciples alone, but in twos.

Thirdly, it is essential to turn towards the little things that seem insignificant. Without losing sight of the global view, of course. We also respect everyone’s freedom to take his own decisions in things that he can account for on his own. The educator has both to ensure the possibility of the good as well as to prevent sin.

What is the significance of these little things? They make the big things beautiful and outline their importance. This applies to the natural as well as to the supernatural. Nobody would voluntarily have the idea to camp between camping cars, to hold a ceremony without uniform, to prepare a meal without salt. Let us stick to this also in our spiritual life: Regular confession, Eucharistic fast one hour before the communion, a Friday effort, Holy mass on Sunday (instead of Saturday evening) and regular prayer of the rosary are sometimes laborious and even, sometimes, wrongfully regarded as dispensable. Yet, the opposite is the case.

The Guides and Scouts of Europe turn their attention to the small things as they do to the big things – this is even more the case when they come from God’s and His Church’s will.

Yours in Scouting.

Martin Hafner, Federal Commissioner

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