The More You Put In

The chaplain and his young son were camping just outside a small seaside town. Not far away was a tiny church that had no minister, so the chaplain offered his services for the Sunday. No fee was payable.

As the chaplain and his son were passing out of the door after the service, the son noticed a small box which had on it the words "For Contributions".

"Father, don't you think you should put something in the box?" the son asked.

"Certainly," the chaplain said. He dug into his pocket, pulled out a dollar, and put it into the box.

The two had gone a little way back to the camp when a man came running after them.

"It's our custom to give the minister whatever is dropped into the box," he said when he caught up with them. "I found this dollar and here it is." And he handed back the money the chaplain had donated.

After the man had left, the boy looked up at his dad. "Father," he said, "if you had only put more into the box, you would have got so much more out."

And isn't that true about everything - Scouting, living? The more you put in, the more you will get out.
- by the Rev. Bill Sutherland, from Scottish Scout News, with thanks.