Troops 258 & 358s First Annual Potluck Friendsgiving & Court of Honor
My faith teaches me “that we have been created into tribes, so that we may know one another.” These are the flags of our scouts and leaders’ heritage and together we pledge our allegiance to the flag of the country that brings us together every Tuesday night for meetings and once a month for campouts. While working on my communication merit badge I proposed to my counselor and PLC a chance to have a potluck multicultural Friendsgiving as our last Court of Honor’s theme in 2022. They approved and we all worked together to make this happen!
One way we celebrated each other’s cultures was by having a potluck with foods from everyone’s cultures! We had Mexican, Norwegian, Bolivian, Columbian, Lebanese, Japanese, Afghan, Native American, German, Irish, French, Indian and American dishes!
During the Court of Honor, Mr. Bjørdal recited a Norwegian poem called “Det er den draumen” (It was a dream) by the poet Olav H. Hauge. Before this I did not realize that one of our scoutmasters can speak another language, Norwegian. That was a fun fact to learn. I also recited a Native American prayer by Yellow Hawk, Chief of Sioux. I felt like this event was a great way to learn new things about everyone! I look forward to next year’s Friendsgiving!
For your reading pleasure here are the recited pieces:
“It Is That Dream
It is the dream we carry
that something wonderful will happen,
that it must happen –
that time will open,
that our hearts may open,
that doors shall open,
and the mountain shall open
that springs will gush forth –
that our dream will open,
and that one morning we’ll glide
into a cove we didn’t know.” By Olav H. Hauge
“O, Great Spirit; Whose voice I hear in the winds, and Whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me. I come before You, one of Your many children. I am small and weak. I need Your strength and wisdom. Let me walk in beauty and make my eyes ever behold the red and purple sunset. Make my hands respect the things You have made, my ears sharp to hear Your voice. Make me wise, so that I may know the things You have taught my people, the lesson You have hidden in every leaf and rock. I seek strength not to be superior to my brothers and sisters, but to be able to fight my greatest enemy—myself. Make me ever ready to come to You with clean hands and straight eyes, so when life fades as a fading sunset, my spirit may come to You without shame”. ~ By Yellow Hawk, Chief of Sioux
