2021-11 Circle Up

Today is the fourteenth day of March, which means its Pi Day! When doing a simple Google search, or by pushing the Pi button on your calculator, one will discover that the result is 3.141592654. Pi, one of the most well-known mathematical constants, is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter.  For any circle, the distance around the edge is a little more than three times the distance across. What’s interesting about this calculation is that it continues on to infinity.  We usually stop after the 9th decimal when describing this constant due to your calculator’s display. 

One circle that we create at the end of every den, pack, patrol, and troop meeting in our unit is a closing circle.  This tradition dates back many years ago with other packs and troops. The Living Circle  was usually held at the end of den and pack meetings.  Cub scouts would form a circle, give a thumbs up with their left hand, and grab the thumb of their neighbor. While pumping their left arms up and down they would chant,”Ah-h-kay-y-la! We-e-e'll do-o-o ou-u-r best!". At the word “best” all would snap into the Cub Scout salute.  There are many different variations of this ceremony. Within the troop, there are also circle up ceremonies with multiple variants.  One that comes to mind is the Circle Count Off.  This is where the troop circles up and each scout counts off their number individually clockwise. As the scout says their number, they place their left hand on the left shoulder of the scout to their left. When all have counted, everyone makes the scout sign and recites either the Scout Law or Scout Oath. 

In our unit, pre covid, we form a circle, fold our arms right over left, and clasp hands with the person next to you on each side. We then sing a closing song, usually Scout Vespers or Paddles. After which we will have a scoutmaster’s minute.

When we create the closing circle, all are included. Parents, Scouts, Leaders, siblings, and anyone else who is in attendance. We, as scouts, have a comradery with each other. We include each other in all that we do, always. Since we are “kind” scouts, we also include those around us. Tonight as you stand hand in hand with your fellow scouts in the circle, look around at everyone. We are all brothers and sisters of this troop. We help each other at all times. We look out for each other, and not just because you were assigned to each other as buddies during the last camp out. You are a part of the circle of scouting, and just like the mathematical constant Pi, that keeps going on and on for infinity, the experiences and lessons learned as a scout will stay with you forever.